Background: ACT Now would reinstate unconstitutional drug free zones, change definitions to neck restraints to allow chokeholds, and remove transparency-focused changes to the body-worn camera program, the Office of Police Complaints' access to files, and the officer disciplinary database. The bill would also remove vehicular pursuit tactics from the definition of serious use of force, lower the felony theft threshold, and revive an overly broad anti-mask law.
Our Position: Allowing officers to choke people, to escape accountability, and to arrest people without probable cause will not make the District any safer. Improving public safety in the District involves restricting harmful police practices, creating more transparency around police misconduct, and holding police accountable for their misconduct. This bill fails on all of these measures.
