Regarding the April 4 package of letters “What would make D.C. feel safe? These 12 Washington-area residents have ideas.”
Washington, D.C
Opinion | Secure D.C. is just a start. Here’s how to make D.C. safe and vibrant.
But we’re not done listening, and we’re not done finding ways to fulfill government’s greatest responsibility: to provide for the safety and well-being of all our residents.
Both the public safety emergency legislation I introduced and shepherded to passage last summer and the Secure D.C. omnibus I introduced and passed into law this year were shaped by residents’ concerns.
I’ve met with thousands of D.C. residents, held hearings on more than a dozen pieces of legislation I introduced and moved forward, conducted public safety walks in all eight wards to hear neighborhood-specific needs and feedback, and discussed needs identified by community organizations. I’ve collaborated with the attorney general’s office, U.S. attorney’s office and our D.C. courts and met with local and federal leaders across the District and country to determine the efficacy of a wide range of potential initiatives.
I heard the same message in living rooms, at houses of worship, on sidewalks and inside community centers. Everyone demanded safety and action. Collectively, we all wanted to send a clear message that we cannot, and will not, tolerate the gun violence or crime trends that have been devastating our communities. And we knew we needed a dynamic and multifaceted response to address all the factors that make residents feel unsafe.
That’s why Secure D.C. includes initiatives to prevent crime and end cycles of violence by investing in our public spaces and creating job training programs to support citizens returning from incarceration; to ensure accountability for violent crime and gun violence by strengthening charges for carjacking and firearms use and allowing pretrial detention for violent crimes; and to facilitate reliable and effective government response to resident needs by increasing data-sharing, transparency and resources.
But the work is far from over. I hear both the residents’ calls for continued responsiveness to crime and those calling for long-term investments in our communities. And I want them to hear this: We can and must do both. And we will.
We can make sure our kids get to school safely and invest in literacy training for our teachers who support them in their classrooms. We can refuse to tolerate gun crimes and carjackings when they happen and stand up well-coordinated violence intervention, de-escalation and restorative justice programs to stop the next cycle of violence before it starts. And as we make our public spaces safe, we can provide access to programming and recreational spaces so that our communities can experience not just baseline security but enrichment and joy.
The District has a bright future. Our communities demand and depend on it. And are working hard to get there.
The writer, a Democrat representing Ward 2, is chairwoman of the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety.
In the wake of the enactment of Secure D.C., the dialogue on public safety must shift toward solutions that not only ensure accountability for offenders but also prioritize residents’ well-being and tackle the catalysts of crime. We can reduce incarceration and lower crime rates simultaneously.
The cost of punishment — particularly through incarceration — is exceedingly high. In comparison, preventive initiatives such as early-childhood education, mentorship, employment opportunities and mental health services typically require a fraction of the cost and yield significant long-term societal benefits beyond reducing crime.
We should fully fund initiatives such as the Metropolitan Police Department Cadet Corps, which hires District residents between the ages of 17 and 24 for uniformed civilian jobs while also helping them pay for college courses. Efforts such as the Cadet Corps and initiatives to prioritize responsive and proactive community policing are essential to enhancing public safety.
Expanding employment opportunities, particularly through programs such as First Source, can provide individuals with viable alternatives to criminal activity. And establishing resource hubs in Ward 7 in collaboration with agencies including the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Pretrial Services Agency and the Court Support Services Division can help prevent relapse into criminal behavior. Intervening at the right time in people’s lives is crucial for breaking the cycle of crime and for successfully reintegrating returning citizens into society.
Prevention efforts not only have the potential to disrupt the intergenerational cycle of repeat offenders but also offer a path toward positive youth development. There’s a shortage of uplifting and productive activities for D.C. youths, often leaving them vulnerable to the influences of crime. Drawing from my extensive experience as a youth advocate with the Ward 7 Education Council and State Board of Education, I have witnessed the remarkable potential of our young people when provided with the right guidance and opportunities. Early identification of risk, coupled with targeted interventions, is vital in averting criminal behavior. Preventing disengagement from education and providing beneficial alternatives can effectively decrease youth recidivism.
Despite the use of the recent uptick in crime to discredit criminal justice reform, D.C. is ready for a more effective approach. By prioritizing prevention, rehabilitation, investing in early intervention and providing support systems, we can break the cycle of crime and foster positive youth development.
Eboni-Rose Thompson, Washington
The writer represents Ward 7 on D.C.’s State Board of Education.
The Post’s April 4 front-page article “Bill from D.C. mayor targets youth violence and truancy” discussed Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s plan “to address a crisis among young people in the District.” She is right to be concerned. Last year, 106 children and teenagers in D.C. were shot. Sixteen of them died. Carjackings in the city nearly doubled in 2023, and the average age of those arrested for carjacking was 15. Guns were used in the commission of half of these crimes. And 37 percent of all D.C. school students last year were truant.
The mayor’s plan to get tougher with violent juvenile criminals is commendable. But I want to also applaud her for wanting to hold parents accountable if their children do not go to school. Fine the parents or put them in jail if their children are habitually truant. It’s the law, but, as The Post reported, no such penalties have been imposed in D.C. “in recent years.”
Recently, we learned that three D.C. individuals had been arrested and charged with the horrific beating to death of an elderly man with disabilities. The suspects are three girls ages of 12 and 13. According to The Post, all three had long-standing truancy issues. One of the girls reportedly did not attend a single day of classes this year. During their court hearings, The Post reported, “the girls’ parents sat in the back of the courtroom.” It appears that these parents, and many others in D.C., have for too long taken a back seat when it comes to raising their children.
The writer is president of Citizens Behind the Badge.
Don’t make crime someone else’s problem
The Post’s March 18 editorial, “Crime is falling almost everywhere except D.C. Who’s responsible?,” argued that “crime in Washington isn’t just the mayor’s problem, or the council’s. All of those with power to improve the situation owe the city more.” I would like to add some people and organizations with the power to make a difference to The Post’s list.
1. Parents and guardians. Some children are out of control, and adult supervision at their homes is either too lax or absent. Parents and guardians must be strongly encouraged to seek professional help for their wayward kids if they need it.
2. Schools. Parental engagement needs to be strengthened. There are schools that have no viable parent-teacher associations or equivalent organizations. Schools and the communities they serve should partner to develop more co-curricular and extracurricular activities to help students expand their interests and find their passions.
3. Churches. There are nearly 800 places of worship in D.C. Many youths see the inside of these houses of worship only when there are funerals. The pastors need to be more involved in community activities and open the doors of their churches to community for more than worship services.
4. Advisory neighborhood commissions. The members of the commissions should be more involved in organizing constructive and safe activities for our youths. The ANCs should recruit high school students to serve as interns and receive community service hours toward graduation.
5. Civic associations. Some D.C. civic associations are older than home rule. These organizations can play critical roles in establishing a sense of community place, pride and tradition. Unlike ANCs, which are governmental entities with restrictions, civic associations can operate with more flexibility. Unfortunately, there are east-of-the-river neighborhoods that have no civic associations and associations that are struggling to stay afloat or are poorly led.
6. The community at large. The code of silence in our community is killing people. There are many people who have information that could close homicide cases but will not come forth even though they can do it anonymously.
I realize that, like The Post Editorial Board, I am engaging in finger pointing. I feel that at the community level, if we are to engage in finger pointing, we should form a circle. We must all challenge one another to do more. We particularly owe that to the children.
Philip Pannell, Washington
The writer is executive director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council.
MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, December 26th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.
MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. Up next, WORLD commentator Cal Thomas on a bad Christmas tradition in Washington D.C.
CAL THOMAS: When Washington politicians speak of a Christmas tree this time of year, they are not referring to an actual tree. It means they’ve loaded up a bill with another kind of “green,” the kind that’s decorated with money.
The “bipartisan” bill passed just before midnight last Friday, minutes before a government “shutdown” would be an embarrassment to anyone but the politicians who voted for it. Like Christmas, this scenario gets played out almost every year with no regard for the growing debt.
The first bill was more than 1,500 pages. Elon Musk denounced it and suddenly it shrunk to over 100 pages, but that was too little for the big spenders. What passed last week at 118 pages may take days to digest, but you can be sure of one thing: pork is part of it. Always is.
For the last ten years, Republican Senator Rand Paul has published what he calls a “Festivus” report on just some of the wasteful spending in which our Congress is engaged. His latest – and you should Google it to see it all – includes the following:
Some of the highlights – or lowlights as I like to call them — include funding for the National Endowment for the Arts to subsidize ice-skating drag queens and promoting city park circuses. Additionally, the Department of the Interior invested in the construction of a new $12 million Las Vegas Pickleball complex. Interior also allocated $720,479 to wetland conservation projects for ducks in Mexico. This year, the Department of State is featured eleven times, with expenditures including $4.8 million on Ukrainian influencers, $32,596 on breakdancing, $2.1 million for Paraguayan Border Security (what about security at our border?), $3 Million for ‘Girl-Centered Climate Action’ in Brazil, and much more!
Hey, it’s not their money, it’s our money.
At least this time a pay raise for members didn’t make it to the final bill. Members should be having their pay cut, not raised, for under-performing.
Perhaps Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk can do something about the misspending that has led to the unsustainable $36 trillion dollar debt with interest of $1 trillion dollars just this year.
Others have tried and failed to break the spending habit. Maybe they will succeed this time, but the odds are not good. It’s not called “the swamp” for nothing.
I hope you had a Happy Christmas. Your politicians did.
I’m Cal Thomas.
WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.
Sidwell Friends School and St. John’s College continue to headline the District of Columbia girls basketball Top 10 poll.
The undefeated Quakers (7-0 overall) are headed to California to participate in the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic in San Diego while St. John’s (10-0) will be home for Christmas after winning the St. Petersburg bracket at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational in Florida.
The Cadets will host their Holiday Hoopla mixer, Dec. 30 and 31.
Theodore Roosevelt debuts in this week’s poll at No. 10.
Previous rank: 1
The Quakers will play at the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic in San Diego starting Thursday.
Previous rank: 2
The Cadets won the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational championship in Florida.
Previous rank: 3
The Frogs, winners of three straight, next plays at the Christy Winters-Scott Invitational Dec. 31.
Previous rank: 4
The Colts will play Archbishop Carroll at the Title IX Classic Holiday Invitational in Maryland Friday.
Previous rank: 5
The Cubs will play at the Candy Cane Classic at Thomas Johnson (Md.) Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 6
The Ramblers will play at the Beltway 8 Holiday Classic in Houston starting Friday.
Previous rank: 7
The Bulldogs will play Charles H. Flowers (Md.) at the Title IX Classic Holiday Invitational in Maryland Friday.
Previous rank: 8
The Tigers will play at the Candy Cane Classic at Thomas Johnson Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 9
The Penguins split with Anacostia and No. 6 Eastern.
Previous rank: Not ranked.
The Roughriders will play KIPP School at the Title IX Classic Holiday Invitational in Maryland Friday.
A technician installs an electrical heat pump at a home in Washington, DC, in August 2024.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
Heat pumps are electric appliances that can both heat and cool your home.
Scientists see them as a climate solution because heat pumps reduce planet-heating emissions. They cut pollution from burning gas for heating, and reduce the use of gas infrastructure that leaks planet-heating methane gas.
And heat pumps are highly efficient, which means less electricity is needed to use them than traditional heating systems like fossil fuel furnaces and boilers. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory calculate that 62% to 95% of households would save money by switching to a heat pump. “ It’s an enormous amount of savings,” says Ari Matusiak, CEO of the nonprofit, Rewiring America. “That’s just a fact of the technology being superior.”
The Biden administration’s 2022 climate legislation introduced new federal tax incentives of up to $2,000 for heat pump equipment and installation costs. Many states as well as cities and utilities offer additional financial incentives.
So what money is available right now for a prospective heat pump buyer? And how might a second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress impact this money?
Here are the answers to your heat pump and money questions.
Before we get to money, remind me, how do heat pumps work?
Heat pumps are “basically this magical two-in-one device,” Matusiak says.
For cooling, heat pumps work like air conditioners. They run on electricity and use refrigerants. For heating, heat pumps also use refrigerants. The refrigerants absorb bits of heat from outdoor air and bring them inside to warm up a home.
Some types of heat pumps are specifically designed for extra cold climates, and heat pump sales are booming in countries like Norway, Finland and Sweden.
What kind of money can I currently get from the federal government to buy a heat pump?
The U.S. federal government is currently offering up to $2,000 for homeowners buying heat pumps. The money comes in the form of a tax credit, which lowers your final tax bill, says Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a research organization working on saving energy.
Nadel notes not all heat pumps are eligible for the federal tax credit. The heat pump has to have a high efficiency rating from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, a nonprofit. Some manufacturer websites list tax credit-eligible equipment, as does the ENERGY STAR Product Finder. Nadel says to check the Department of Energy’s website to see which heat pumps qualify for federal tax credits.
James Tucker with an efficient heat pump for his home near Oakland, Calif.
Julia Simon/NPR
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Julia Simon/NPR
What about states, cities, and my local utility? Can I get money from them?
Many homeowners can get additional money for heat pumps from their local utility, state, or city. Some states, cities and utilities have incentive programs they pay for themselves. There’s some additional money for states from the federal government and the 2022 national climate legislation.
Some states offer heat pump money as tax credits. Some money comes in the form of “point of sale” rebates. That means the money comes off the top of the price of equipment or installation. Utilities often offer post-purchase rebates.
Rewiring America and another nonprofit called The Switch is On have online tools that use people’s zip codes and income to search for which federal, state, local, and utility incentives consumers qualify for. Nadel encourages prospective buyers to check in with their local utility to see if it offers additional money.
I’m a renter and want to buy a heat pump. Can I get money too?
More than a third of Americans rent. While some renters are not in a position to, say, swap out their homeowner’s furnace, some renters with flexibility might be interested in a portable heat pump. Portable heat pumps can go into a window much like a window air conditioning unit and plug into the wall for power.
Matusiak says window heat pumps may soon be eligible for more of these rebate programs, so he encourages prospective buyers to also check out Rewiring America’s online tool.
What do the incoming Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress mean for current heat pump incentives?
Shuting Pomerleau, director of energy and environmental policy at the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, is not optimistic about the future of federal heat pump money. “ Those incentives, whether they’re tax credits or, rebate programs are likely to go away under the upcoming Republican trifecta,” Pomerleau says.
The incoming Republican-led congress will be looking for revenue to pay for tax cuts, says Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the center for energy, climate, and environment at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington. They will likely get rid of spending programs from Biden’s 2022 climate legislation, she says, including the tax credits for heat pumps.
The Trump transition team did not respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Pomerleau notes that while federal heat pump money is at risk of drying up, some states may choose to continue their incentive programs using other money.
Matusiak says that heat pump rebate programs have been popular in red and purple states as well as blue states. He notes that after the election, states including Texas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio applied for federal money for their heat pump rebate programs.
A technician removes a gas water heater from a home in Washington, DC. Researchers see heat pumps as climate solutions because they often replace appliances that run on fossil fuels like gas. Heat pumps run on electricity that’s increasingly powered by renewable energy.
BASTIEN INZAURRALDE/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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BASTIEN INZAURRALDE/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
So if I’m thinking about getting a heat pump, does it make sense to get one sooner rather than later?
Nadel and Matusiak say before you rush out and buy a heat pump, think about what you already have in your home and how well it’s working.
“If you have a perfectly functioning furnace that you bought two years ago, you shouldn’t go get rid of it,” Matusiak says.
But if it starts to die, he says, then buy a heat pump.
Pomerleau says it may make sense to buy that heat pump sooner rather than later to be sure to access federal money. She thinks it will take Republicans some time to make changes to the tax code, but she suggests buying a new heat pump before the end of the 2025 calendar year to be more sure of qualifying for a federal tax credit.
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