Washington, DC - Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, applauded the news that the United States Senate voted 81-14 in favor of S.J. Res. 12, a resolution disapproving the adoption of the Revised Criminal Code Act (RCCA) of 2022 by the Washington, D.C. City Council.
“’Dangerous’ is the only word to describe the crime bill the D.C. City Council fought so hard for,” said Yoes. “It’s hard to fathom how elected officials, charged with protecting the citizens of the District of Columbia, could be so reckless to pass a piece of legislation that includes provisions that would have only made an already out-of-control crime crisis even worse.”
Last month, the House companion resolution, H.J. Res. 26, passed on a bipartisan 250-173 vote. This past week, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., stood strong and vowed to oppose this pro-criminal crime bill. The President told a group of Senators that his intention would not be to veto the measure and later came out publicly and stated that, if the Disapproval Resolution were to come to his desk, he would sign it.
“This past year has been one of the most dangerous years for law enforcement in recent history due to the increase of violence directed towards law enforcement officers as well as the nationwide crime crisis, which has seen criminals emboldened by the failed policies of pandering prosecutors and cynical politicians,” said Yoes. “When we were first alerted to the matter by members of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Labor Committee, we vowed to help our brothers and sisters fight back. They made it clear to us and to the residents of the city that the RCCA will embolden criminals, dramatically increase crime and violence, and render police officers in the District of Columbia virtually powerless to adequately police the city and keep its residents and visitors safe.”
The RCCA would have eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes, reduced the maximum penalties for crimes such as carjacking, and eliminated accomplice liability for felony murder. These so-called “reforms” have been implemented in other jurisdictions and have led inevitably to greater violence and crime across our country. To have it happen here, in our nation’s capital, would have had a dangerous effect that may have inspired other cities to model their reforms on laws like the RCCA.
“The bipartisan opposition to the RCCA was overwhelming,” said Yoes. “As a result of failing to include law enforcement in the conversation, the Chairman of the City Council is now attempting to withdraw the RCCA. To avoid having to backtrack in the future, we believe it would be wise for the City Council—and any legislative body in the United States, for that matter—to invite law enforcement to the table when discussing matters such as these. Failure to do so could produce more of these dangerous, pro-criminal bills.”