In 1986, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry launched “Operation Clean Sweep” as an effort to address the street-level drug trade and reduce drug-related killings in the city. Led by program architect Isaac Fulwood, a force of over 100 officers was deployed to target neighborhood drug markets through various tactics such as police trailers, roadblocks, raids, and undercover operations. The program resulted in thousands of arrests, the seizure of drugs, cash, guns, and vehicles, but it eventually became too costly and did not effectively reduce violence in some neighborhoods.
Despite the program’s objectives, there was a lack of data on how many people actually went to jail. However, it was clear that D.C.’s jail and detention facilities were overcrowded, leading to the early release of many inmates, most of whom were convicted of drug possession. The criminal justice system was strained, and Operation Clean Sweep eventually collapsed due to the lack of funding and personnel.
There is no conclusive evidence that the tough policing and swift jailing of Operation Clean Sweep reduced drug crimes. The crack epidemic started to decline in the early ’90s, but the homicide rate remained high in 1995 compared to ten years prior. This leads us to another crime-fighting program called “Operation Ceasefire.”
In 1995, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Eric H. Holder Jr., who was then a judge and later became U.S. attorney for the District, launched Operation Ceasefire. The initiative aimed to reduce the number of guns in D.C. through strict traffic enforcement and scanning cars for illegal firearms. The operation primarily focused on lower-income, majority-Black neighborhoods, resulting in the arrest and incarceration of many Black youths. The legacy of both Operation Clean Sweep and Operation Ceasefire contributed to the mass criminalization and incarceration era of the past.
Now, in response to the rising crime rates in D.C., Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and city lawmakers have come together to craft public safety legislation. They have carefully avoided measures that would lead to excessive and ineffective incarceration, similar to past crime-fighting efforts. The goal is to address crime issues without resorting to mass incarceration or punitive policing.
The legislation, known as the Prioritizing Public Safety Emergency Act, was passed by the council and will be in effect for 90 days. It includes a limited expansion of pretrial detention to hold individuals accountable for violent behavior. While some council members, like Janeese Lewis George, expressed concerns about the expansion of pretrial detention, the majority supported the bill as a necessary response to rising crime.
The focus now is on finding effective and measured solutions to make D.C. safer without repeating the mistakes of the past. The Prioritizing Public Safety Emergency Act represents a step towards a safer summer in D.C., taking into consideration the need for public safety without resorting to mass incarceration.
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