Councilmember Will Jawando to Host Panel Addressing Rising Violent Crime With D.C. Councilmember Robert White and Prince George’s County Council Chair Calvin Hawkins

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 5, 2022

ROCKVILLE, Md.—Citing the need for long-lasting solutions to address rising violent crime throughout the region, District of Columbia At-Large Councilmember Robert White, Prince George’s County Council Chair Calvin S. Hawkins II, and Montgomery County At-Large Councilmember Will Jawando are hosting a panel discussion examining underlying causes, ways to work together to effectively address crime, and recommendations on legislation, initiatives, and solutions. To RSVP, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/RegPublicSafety.

Prince George’s Council Chair Hawkins called the panel a necessary conversation. “Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, and the District of Columbia, face similar challenges with the types of crimes our communities are experiencing.  It is important to work together to identify effective and sustainable solutions that reduce crime and keep communities safe.  Collaborating as regional leaders and engaging in community conversation is a crucial part of this process.”

“Violent crime has risen drastically in our region,” said District Councilmember White. “Here in the District, violent crime is up 21%. Since the problem crosses jurisdictions, we believe that the solutions must cross jurisdictions as well. So, we must discuss a regional approach.  Now is the time for us to have difficult and diverse discussions about how we address violent crime in a way that makes us safe today and ten years from now. The best way to do that is to hear from both experts and community members.”

Councilmember Jawando said, “While the increase in crime is a national trend, we must work together in our region to address the underlying reasons for crime – solutions that require an interdisciplinary and community wide approach. I believe that working together we can address the current upswing in crime and build trust in our communities. Everyone deserves to feel and be safe.”

“How Do We Effectively Address Violent Crime in Our Region?”

6:30-8:30 p.m., April 14, 2022

Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

Panelists:

• Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland
• Sonia Pruitt, Former Montgomery County Police Captain and Montgomery College Professor
• Keesha Middlemass, PhD., Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution and Associate Professor of Public Policy, Department of Political Science, Howard University
• Ronald Moten, Co-Founder of Don’t Mute DC
• Eric Weaver, Founder and Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens

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