Congressional Briefing: Crime Trends and Solutions

On July 30th, Law Enforcement Leaders co-sponsored a bipartisan Congressional briefing with the Brennan Center’s Justice Program focused on research on recent crime trends, as well as effective solutions for preventing and reducing crime. The conversation was co-hosted by Representative Kelly Armstrong (R – ND At-large), who delivered opening remarks, and Representative Glenn Ivey (D – MD-04).

The panel featured LEL members Sheriff Kalvin Barrett of Dane County (WI) and County Attorney John Choi of Ramsey County (MN), joined by Brennan Center Senior Counsel Ames Grawert and Vikrant Reddy, a Senior Fellow at Stand Together Trust.

Panel Highlights:

• LEL Senior Counsel Rosemary Nidiry moderated the discussion, which attracted a bipartisan audience of over 50 Hill staffers and partner advocates.
• Ames Grawert set the stage for the conversation with an overview of data showing that much crime, especially violent crime, has declined dramatically since the pandemic. He also emphasized that the data does not support a correlation between criminal justice reforms and rising crime. 
• Our LEL members then provided insights into what they have seen from their experience to be effective public safety solutions. Both of them emphasized the importance of collaborating with other law enforcement partners as well as community members for reform policies to be successful. 
• Sheriff Barrett highlighted programs he has implemented as part of his focus on making the Dane County jail a rehabilitative facility These include changing the culture to ensure those who are incarcerated are treated humanely and with respect; offering comprehensive MAT services to provide treatment for those with substance use issues; and providing reentry coordinators to connect residents with various resources to support their successful reintegration 
• County Attorney Choi noted that Ramsey County has seen a 70% reduction in prison admissions since 2013, with no rise in crime. He discussed several initiatives that have successfully reduced incarceration, crime and racial disparities such as: restricting the use of evidence obtained through “pretextual” (“non-public safety”) traffic stops, which has resulted in reduced racial disparities without decreasing traffic safety; collaborating with community members to respond to auto thefts; and working with police to improve the clearance of non-fatal shootings. 
• Vikrant Reddy offered insights on the prospects for bipartisan support for justice reform, closing on an optimistic note. He mentioned promising bipartisan bills such as various reentry legislation as well as the EQUAL Act and the Victim Act; emphasized the importance of cross-party collaboration to advancing criminal justice reforms and offered some advice on bridging the partisan divide. 

View the full briefing video here!