Chapter 24A. Establishment of the Office of Neigborhood Safety and Engagement

§ 7–2411. Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement establishment.

(a) There is established an Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement ("ONSE"). The ONSE shall include the following programs:

(1) The Family and Survivor Support Services Program, which shall be transferred to the ONSE from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, along with all functions assigned, authorities delegated, positions, personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be made available for the purposes of the program;

(2) The Safer, Stronger DC Community Partnerships Program, which shall be transferred to the ONSE from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, along with all functions assigned, authorities delegated, positions, personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be made available for the purposes of the program;

(3) A portion of the Roving Leaders Program, as determined by the Mayor, which shall be transferred to the ONSE from the Department of Parks and Recreation, along with all functions assigned, authorities delegated, positions, personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be made available for the purposes of the portion of the program transferred; and

(4) The Restorative Justice Collaborative, which shall serve as a centralized hub to coordinate and foster restorative justice programming and practices within the District government and by and in partnership with District community-based organizations.

(b) The ONSE shall be responsible for:

(1) Coordinating the District's overall violence prevention strategy and programs, with a focus on utilizing public health approaches to respond to and prevent violence;

(2) Identifying, recruiting, and engaging individuals determined to be at high risk of participating in, or being a victim of, violent crime;

(3) Collaborating with other District agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide immediate wrap-around services to victims and families affected by violent crime;

(4) Identifying priority neighborhoods and Metropolitan Police Department Police Service Areas ("PSAs") with high trends of violent crime and connecting residents in those neighborhoods and PSAs to services through a streamlined approach;

(5) Developing positive relationships with youth and young adults using recreational and other positive behavior reinforcement activities;

(6) Coordinating with District agencies and community-based organizations to develop programs that focus on employment and job-training opportunities for individuals residing in priority neighborhoods or PSAs or who are most at risk of participating in, or being a victim of, violent crime, including through the use of financial incentives for participation; and

(7) Coordinating and fostering restorative justice programming and practices within the District government and by and in partnership with District community-based organizations, with a focus on the 18-to-35-year old population.

(c)(1) The ONSE shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall report to the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.

(2) The Executive Director shall:

(A) Have at least 3 years of relevant experience in criminal justice and public health-based approaches to violence, including matters affecting the deterrence of violent criminal behavior;

(B) Be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, pursuant to § 1-523.01(a); and

(d) Beginning on January 31, 2018, and by January 31 of each year thereafter, the ONSE shall provide a report to the Mayor and Council that excludes personally identifiable information and includes the following information, by cohort, from the reporting period and in the aggregate:

(1) The number of individuals successfully recruited and engaged;

(2) The duration of individuals' participation, and for those individuals who did not remain in the program for the entirety of its duration, the reasons for their separation;

(3) The status of participants' progress, including whether they are employed in subsidized or unsubsidized employment and any certifications or diplomas they have obtained while participating in the program;

(4) The participants' age, race or ethnicity, gender, and ward of residence; and

(5) Whether any participant has been arrested or convicted during or following their participation, and for what offense or offenses.

(e) The ONSE may apply for and receive grants and accept private donations to fund its program activities.

(f) The ONSE shall have grant-making authority for the purpose of providing funds that seek to reduce and prevent violent crime. Grants made pursuant to this subsection shall be administered pursuant to the requirements set forth in part B of subchapter XII-A of Chapter 3 of Title 1.

(g) Agency funds may be used to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages for participants in ONSE's programs and activities, including violence prevention programs, short-term assistance programs, retreats, community outreach activities and events, individual outreach activities such as program recruitment, and training and education activities for community members, where the purchase is reasonably necessary to assist ONSE in the effective achievement of a statutory goal, objective, or responsibility.

§ 7–2412. Duties of the Executive Director.

(a) The duties of the Executive Director shall include:

(1) Identifying individuals who pose a high risk of participating in, or being a victim of, violent crime;

(2) Recruiting such individuals, as feasible, to participate in programs incorporating mental or behavioral health counseling and that are designed to discourage violent crime;

(3) Coordinating with District agencies to develop workforce development and restorative justice programming; and

(4) Producing reports as required under § 7-2411(d).

(b)(1) The Executive Director shall ensure that any personally identifiable information that the ONSE collects or maintains concerning existing or potential participants in its programs remains confidential.

(2) The Executive Director shall regularly conduct assessments and evaluations, to be performed by a qualified research entity, of outcomes for participants in ONSE programs.

§ 7–2413. Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Fund.

(a) There is established as a special fund the Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Mayor in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.

(b) Funds from the following sources shall be deposited into the Fund:

(1) Repealed.

(2) All fees collected pursuant to § 50-1501.02k(b)(1).

(c) Money in the Fund shall only be used to support the duties of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement as described in § 7-2411(b).

(d)(1) The money deposited into the Fund but not expended in a fiscal year shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, or at any other time.

(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.

§ 7–2414. Rules.

The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, may issue rules to implement the provisions of this chapter.

§ 7–2415. Violence prevention, interruption, and response services.

(a) To support initiatives, programs, and interventions that aim to prevent, interrupt, or respond to violence in the District, the Mayor may:

(1) Issue housing vouchers, financial assistance for housing, housing counseling, and other supportive services to individuals and families who have been victims of gun violence or are at risk of gun violence;

(2) Waive statutory, regulatory, and administrative fees, including vital record fees and driver license and non-driver identification fees, for, and settle or forgive debts owed to the District government by, individuals participating in or potentially eligible to participate in a violence prevention, violence interruption, violence response, or victim services program;

(3) Pay private, local, state, and federal fees, including fees for licenses and certifications, vital records, educational fees, and background and suitability checks, for individuals participating in or potentially eligible to participate in a violence prevention, violence interruption, violence response, or victim services program;

(4) Provide social, economic, educational, health, and other services and supports for the purposes of violence prevention, violence interruption, violence response, and victim services to individuals participating in or eligible to participate in a violence prevention, violence interruption, violence response, or victim services program. Services and supports provided pursuant to this paragraph may include:

(A) Transportation, including transportation to government offices and non-governmental service providers and transportation of public-school students in safe passage areas;

(B) Housing relocation costs, including moving costs and the costs of establishing a new household;

(D) Post office boxes;

(E) Secure document storage;

(F) Cell phones and cell phone service; and

(G) Driver education;

(5) Provide financial payments to individuals participating in or potentially eligible to participate in a violence prevention, violence interruption, or violence response program to incentivize such individuals to apply for, participate in, or continue to participate in, such program;

(6) Issue grants in support of violence prevention, violence interruption, violence response, and victim services programs; and

(7) Provide the services and supports described in § 1-604.02a, including paid internships, to individuals participating in a violence prevention, violence interruption, violence response, or victim services program, regardless of whether the individual has received a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(b) The financial assistance for housing provided pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section shall be used to assist the recipients with relocation from their current housing and to provide them with short- and mid-term housing supports.

(c) Payments made for services and supports under subsection (a)(4) and (5) of this section may be made by direct voucher.