(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser was joined by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Kevin Donahue and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Peter Newsham to kick off Crime Prevention Month in DC by providing updates on recent violent crime arrests, highlighting upcoming MPD community engagement events, and announcing overtime staffing plans to support the Department’s response to violent crime.

“Public safety must be a District-wide priority, and it starts with building and keeping trust between our police and the communities they serve,” said Mayor Bowser. “But we also know that in order to address some of our immediate public safety needs, we need other solutions. That’s why in addition to our violence prevention programs, we’re getting more officers out into the community to help us solve cases and cut off cycles of violence.”

MPD has implemented a mandatory overtime detail within the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID), requiring members to work an additional day. The overtime issuance will be in force as required. The overtime hours supplement the NSID field operations, including the Narcotics Enforcement and Gun Recovery units, increasing field operations by 27% and impacting approximately 115 officers. The Department’s objectives for the temporary increase in force include locating violent offenders, recovering additional firearms, and working collectively to make the District safer.

In addition, as part of today’s announcement, Mayor Bowser and Chief Newsham highlighted the Department’s participation in tomorrow’s Coffee with a Cop events, as well as other community-focused events hosted by MPD. Details about Coffee with a Cop are available here.