COUNCIL CHAIR CALVIN S. HAWKINS, II JOINS REGIONAL AT-LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HOST PANEL DISCUSSION ADDRESSING REGIONAL VIOLENT CRIME
Council Chair Hawkins, D.C. Council Member Robert White and Montgomery County Council Member Will Jawando, Co-Host Regional Panel Discussion on Addressing Violent Crime
Prince George’s County Council Chair and At-Large Member Calvin S. Hawkins, II, will join D.C. At-Large Council Member Robert White, and Montgomery County At-Large Council Member Will Jawando to lead the regional panel discussion, “How Do We Effectively Address Violent Crime in Our Region?” from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., on Thursday, April 14th, 2022, at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, 7995 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20912.
“How Do We Effectively Address Violent Crime in Our Region” will focus on the underlying causes of violent crime in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, and in the District of Columbia, and panelists will discuss the impact of the issue on residents and communities throughout the region. The dialogue will include ways to effectively address violent crime, and panelists will provide recommendations for legislation, initiatives, and resource-oriented solutions for stemming the tide of violent crime across the region.
Invited panelists include Hon. Alexander Williams, Jr., Retired U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland; Former Montgomery County Police Captain and Montgomery College Professor, Sonia Pruitt; Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution and Associate Professor of Public Policy, Department of Political Science, Howard University, Keesha Middlemass, PhD.; Don’t Mute DC Co-Founder, Ronald Moten; and Founder and Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens, Eric Weaver.
Council Chair Hawkins says a discussion addressing crime in our communities is 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 D.C. 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.”
Montgomery County 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.”
For more information, or to attend, please visit, https://tinyurl.com/RegPublicSafety
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