For nine weeks, Dalonta Crudup interacted with young Black male adults from other parts of the District at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) as part of what’s known as the Pathways Program.
Along the road to the Pathways Program’s 14th graduation ceremony, Crudup and 20 of his peers met business leaders, nonprofit managers and community organizers who helped them modify their behaviors and chart a path to personal and professional success.
Under the watchful eye of ONSE staff members, Crudup, a Northwest resident hailing from Northeast D.C., further solidified a cannabis dispensary and trucking business that he launched shortly before entering the program.
However, not even this milestone, and the promise of mentorship over the next six months, could erase the painful, and still fresh, memories of earlier in the week when Crudup learned that his cousin counted among those shot and killed in the Northeast community of Brentwood.
Crupud said the situation has caused him to question the degree to which the D.C. government wants to curb violent crime, which he said is caused by a lack of programming and resources, including the violence interrupter program for which D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) proposed cuts.
Though he expressed gratitude for the Pathways Program, Crupud said the District needs to expand and replicate these efforts.
“If the District invests in more programs like this, people would have more to do with their lives,” said Crupud, 27. “The Pathways Program takes people from different parts of the city and puts them in an environment where they feel safe. They help to alleviate our situations. With more programs, these situations wouldn’t even happen.”
Council Member Pinto Stirs Up Controversy with Legislation
On Sept. 18, D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) introduced the Addressing Crime through Targeted Interventions and Violence Enforcement Amendment Act, also known as the ACTIVE Amendment Act. The introduction of the bill, scheduled for referral to the D.C. Council Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety on Oct. 3, follows the passage of emergency public safety legislation earlier this year.
Provisions of Pinto’s bill include a requirement that gun offenders under probation, supervised release or parole consent to a search in public. Throwing a weapon away during a chase would also count as a criminal offense. In situations where violent crime and sexual abuse defendants circumvent pretrial detention, judges would be required to file written findings explaining their decision to release the defendant.
Pinto’s bill would also establish a Pre-arrest Diversion Task Force to develop and implement recommendations for diverting people engaged in low level-non-violent crimes from the criminal justice system.
The ACTIVE Amendment Act is one part of Pinto’s Secure DC Plan, a compilation of newly introduced bills and plans to hold hearings. The Secure DC Plan also includes the Improving Safety and Emergency Response on Transit Corridors Amendment Act, Safe Commercial Corridors Amendment Act, Government Recruitment and Retention Act, and Leading Education Access for Reentry and Necessary Success Amendment Act, also known as LEARNS Amendment Act.
During acting Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith’s confirmation roundtable on Sept. 27, at least one public witness — Mahdi Leroy Thorpe of the Red Hats Patrol — derided the ACTIVE Amendment Act, calling it racist toward Black people.
Other D.C. residents have made similar observations in weeks past, going as far as to question whether Pinto has engaged native Black Washingtonians about a public safety strategy. Though he hasn’t mentioned Pinto by name, activist and author Tony Lewis Jr. took to his Twitter/X feed during the latter part of September to suggest that all District officials attend the 14th Pathways Program graduation.
D.C. resident and re-entry specialist Eyone Williams said he first heard about the ACTIVE Amendment Act through an attorney who was representing a client experiencing situations similar to what people under court supervision would encounter if the legislation passes.
Williams, a returning citizen, has since spoken out against the ACTIVE Amendment Act, telling The Informer that it’s time the D.C. Council and other entities to spend the next few decades dedicating resources to holistic, preventative solutions to violence.
In years past, Wiliams has spoken with D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (At Large-I) about public safety matters. He commended McDuffie for championing the Second Look Amendment Act that secured Williams’ comrades’ early prison releases.
Williams, a Ward 4 resident, has also expressed concerns to Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8). As it relates to the ACTIVE Amendment, and other matters related to curbing violent crime, Wiliiams said he hasn’t heard from Pinto.
In his role as founder of DC Blacks Association, WIlliams dedicates his time to helping returning citizens get reacclimated to life back home. He has also focused his attention on youths detained at the Youth Services Center who are facing adult criminal charges without access to a law library that would help them fight their cases.
Williams identifies these efforts as instrumental in protecting a segment of District residents from the societal conditions that inspire criminal activity. He told The Informer that any kind of legislation that doesn’t take this perspective into account would be a detriment to perpetrators and victims, both of whom often come from the same marginalized communities
“You have people who are not from here with no skin in the game getting the funds to help a certain population,” Williams said.
“A lot of people are apprehensive about trying something new but we have to deal with the youth,” he continued. “It’s not just the youth making bad decisions. We got 30 and 40-somethings making bad decisions too. We have to take time and invest in them before we say they’re incorrigible.”
In response to an Informer media inquiry, Pinto described the Secure DC Plan as a well-rounded approach to public safety. She cited information gathered at a youth listening session she conducted with White and a three-day gun violence prevention foundation at Anacostia Community Library as pivotal in the shaping of the legislative package.
“What continues to be resoundingly clear is that D.C. residents are searching for peace and want to feel and be secure in their communities,” Pinto said.
“My plan incorporates feedback from residents across the District, including from our essential violence interruption specialists, returning citizens, education and care providers, small business owners, and legal experts,” she added.
“I shared Secure DC in order to allow the public and my colleagues to weigh in on my proposals – we each play a role to improve public safety. I look forward to hearing from residents and experts to strengthen my Secure DC Plan and spread peace across the District.”
ONSE Builds on the Late Harper’s Legacy with a Request
The 14th Pathways Program graduation took place on the morning of Friday, Sept. 29 at Howard Theatre in Northwest. It was the second graduation since the death of ONSE Director Linda Harlee Harper. The first took place on July 7 with the promotion of the 13th cohort, which was 27 people.
Kwelli Sneed, interim director of ONSE and Harper’s onetime chief of staff, said the recent graduating class counted among the most transparent she’s encountered, particularly as it related to their lives and their aspirations.
Sneed told The Informer that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and other District leaders are looking to ONSE to fulfill a specific need at a time when various responses to violent crime have been implemented.
In the spirit of doing that, Sneed said she and her colleagues continue to examine the data about the Pathways Program and make adjustments where needed. She has even taken ONSE’s message to the streets.
Amid great contention around public safety bills going through the D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Sneed remains hopeful that council members will listen to District residents.
“A lot of residents are seeking this opportunity and if we can get in contact with them, more would take it,” Sneed said.
“People in the upper echelons of the D.C. government are looking at the success of the Pathways Program and throwing resources to see that it’s sustainable,” Sneed continued. “We want to make sure we are reaching the right clients and make sure the ANCs are aware of the program.”
Insightful and important analysis- Thank you