Mister Chairman, Congresswoman Norton, other members of the Committee … thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony concerning the District of Columbia’s juvenile justice system. Juvenile crime is a serious concern today, and it will continue to be so in the future, as the juvenile population is expected to increase by 24 percent over the next two decades.

 

The Metropolitan Police Department is one of many entities – public, private and non-profit – that compose DC’s juvenile justice system. While the MPD has unique responsibilities within this system, we certainly share in the overarching goals of protecting our youth and protecting our communities through prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies. Our agency may have primary responsibility for enforcement, but we do work very hard – and, I believe, quite successfully – on a number of prevention and intervention initiatives as well. Let me provide a few examples.

 

In partnership with the faith community, the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs and other community leaders, our Department offers a range of recreational and social opportunities for young people, in particular those from economically challenged families and communities. This past summer, we operated summer camps in our police districts, and we once again staffed Camp Brown, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs. Along with our Clergy Police Community partnerships, we held “40 Days of Increased Peace” this summer, a series of family crime prevention and community building events. And individual police districts conducted a variety of programs, from athletic leagues to fashion shows. Our objective is to provide opportunities for young people to explore and experience positive new and activities in a safe environment.

 

In the area of intervention, our Department is in the process of revamping and expanding our innovative OPAT program – Operation Prevention Auto Theft. Auto theft in DC is a serious crime, in and of itself.  Auto theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle are also “gateway crimes” for our youth; involvement in these offenses often signals more serious criminal activity in the future. OPAT takes first-time offenders and provides them with intensive education and intervention services, focusing on community impact and their own lives. To date, there have been 95 participants in the program, with 10 being re-arrested for auto theft and another 12 re-arrested on other charges. While our goal is zero recidivism, these initial numbers are at least encouraging.

 

Other intervention strategies include increased enforcement of curfew and truancy laws. So far this year, MPD officers have picked up more than 2,700 curfew violators, or over twice the total from all of 2004. In addition, officers have picked up more than 2,000 truants this calendar year, also an increase. Our goal in both areas is to get young people off the streets during times when they are most vulnerable to crime, as either victims or offenders. This school year, the MPD also assumed management responsibility for security inside DC Public Schools. This reform is not only helping to enhance security inside the schools; it is also providing for additional coordination between our school safety and community crime-fighting efforts.