Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser has announced the creation of ‘drug-free zones’ across the city as she said a ‘gray’ marijuana market has fueled violence on the streets.

The Democrat unveiled an anti-crime bill, The Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now), on Monday as she targets rising crime in the nation’s capital, including drug dealing and retail theft.

Bowser has made a point of supporting law enforcement as the city struggles with alarming crime numbers – Homicide is up 33 percent and robbery is up 70 percent,  according to data from the DC Metropolitan Police Department. Meanwhile, there have been 225 murders so far this year, putting DC on track to overtake 2021 as the bloodiest year in two decades.

The new measure would allow the Metro Police Department chief to declare drug-free zones across the city for 120 hours at a time in order to address open-air drug markets and loitering. Bower’s office said this would ‘interrupt’ drug-dealing and ‘allow neighborhoods to clean up and reclaim public space’ as it would become illegal to ‘purchase, sale, or use of illegal drugs’ in these areas.

However, police chief Pamela Smith declined to say which areas with open-air markets will be targeted, saying: ‘I don’t want to forecast where we will go.’

Adults aged 21 and older can legally possess up to two ounces of marijuana, and smoking in public places is a misdemeanor generally handled with a cite and released procedure. It is illegal to distribute the drug for profit, but that hasn’t stopped public drug dealing in areas like Chinatown, according to residents.

A new measure by mayor Muriel Bowser would allow the Metro Police Department chief (main) to declare drug-free zones for 120 hours at a time in order to address open-air drug markets

Bowser has made a point of supporting law enforcement as the city struggles with alarming crime numbers

The bill also redefines what a chokehold by police is, allows some vehicle pursuits by police and brings back a law that makes it illegal to wear a mask while committing a crime.

It would also create a crime called ‘directing organized retail theft.’

Bowser said: ‘This legislation reflects what our community is telling us. They want appropriate accountability for those who choose to commit crimes and inflict fear in our neighborhoods.’

She added: ‘No one should think that there will be 20 drug-free zones being implemented at the same time, but this is a tool the chief would have.’

After DC leaders pushed to defund police at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Bowser has resisted calls to defund police, despite opposition from the DC City Council, which cut $32 million from her proposed police budget and redirected $9.6 million dollars from police to violence interruption. 

Bowser, instead, has pushed for hiring more cops in the capital and has been an advocate for increasing the size of the force from 3,580 to 4,000.

Soaring crime in DC has left residents fearing for their lives and changing their routines to avoid falling victim to crime.

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Moreover, DC’s annual Point-in-Time count, which took place on January 25, found that the total number of homeless people increased by 11.6 percent this year from 2022.

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson reacted to the proposal and said:  ‘I am disappointed in the Mayor’s proposal and the hype she’s created around it. Residents are concerned about gun violence, robberies, and carjackings. This proposal does not address gun violence, robberies, and carjackings.

The mayor has resisted calls to defund the police and has been an advocate for increasing the size of the force from 3,580 to 4,000

 A homeless man sleeping outside a bank in Washington, DC. Data shows the total number of homeless people in the nation’s capital increased by 11.6 percent this year from 2022

Police gather at the scene of a shooting in Washington, DC. Police department data shows there have been 225 murders this year, putting DC on track to overtake 2021 as the bloodiest year in two decades

‘Instead, it trots out ‘solutions’ like recreating drug free zones. And while I support the idea of drug free zones, they are unconstitutional.’

He added. ‘The Mayor needs to focus on deterrence and the biggest deterrent of violent crime is closing cases, locking up repeat offenders and prosecuting aggressively.’

The legislation clarifies the distinction between an illegal use of force such as a chokehold and incidental contact with the neck like putting their hand on the back of a suspects neck while moving them into a squad card.

An awakening around police excessive use of force swept the nation after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, when former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during his neck while Floyd was saying he can’t breathe.

Bowser’s proposal allows officers to review their bodycam footage before writing a report, defines vehicular pursuit and explains what information will be made public in officer discipline.

‘This legislation is critical for the public safety of the District of Columbia,’ acting DC Metropolitan police Chief Pamela Smith said.

‘The legislation is responsive to what we are hearing from community and takes important steps forward in clarifying existing legislative language to ensure our officers are able to fully perform their duties.’

Unique to the District of Columbia, once the city council passes a law, it must go to Congress for a period of 30 days, or 60 days if a criminal law.

During the time of congressional review, Congress can vote to overturn the measure or if the review period passes and no action is taken, it finally becomes a law in DC.

Following the murder of George Floyd, some cities caved to calls to defund the police, but Bowser opted to increase dollars for police in her fiscal year 2021 budget – which took effect in October 2020.