DC, Maryland Partner for Cross-Border Public Safety
Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley on Thursday announced their administrations will continue to meet regularly to work toward implementing regional commitments for public safety and other initiatives. The district's CapStat program and Maryland's StateStat office are cooperating. The regional commitments include sharing information on high-risk offenders, expediting the execution of warrants for individuals wanted by another jurisdiction, and tracking progress on monitoring repeat violent offenders.
Since September 2008, local and state law enforcement officials have facilitated bimonthly planning sessions with parole, probation, and juvenile justice officials from the district, Maryland, and Virginia to develop a regional crime prevention strategy.
Fenty and O'Malley have committed to revising laws that hamper extraditing violent offenders who commit crimes in the district but live in Maryland. Currently, some low-level offenses are non-extraditable, meaning a cross-border warrant cannot be served, without taking into consideration the prior history of an individual.
"We welcome this great opportunity to partner with Maryland as we continue our work to ensure public safety for district residents," Fenty said. "Working together to improve our information-sharing capabilities is a win-win for better law enforcement practices and for protecting citizens throughout our region."
"Our most solemn obligation to our citizens is protecting the public safety, improving the quality of life for working families throughout our region," said O'Malley. "Crime does not stop at the border, and criminals know the shortcomings of law enforcement agencies that don't talk to each other. These cross-border partnerships are built on effective principles that enhance public safety and stop violent offenders in their tracks."