D.C. City Council Member Letter On Training Police In Israel

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING 1350 AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004 David Grosso Committee Member Councilmember At?Large Health . Chairperson, Committee on Education Human Serwces Judiciary and Public Safety September 7, 2017 Peter Newsham, Chief of Police Metropolitan Police Department 300 Indiana Ave., NW, 5th Floor Washington, D.C. 20001 ChiefNewsham, As you know from my recent letter, I am concerned that-we are not doing enough to prevent the militarization of law enforcement in the District of Columbia. As a result, I am troubled by the planned participation this week ofa Metropolitan Police Department leader in a training with military forces and intelligence services in Israel, known as the National Counter?Terrorism Seminars. While I believe strongly in cross?cultural exchanges and the importance oftraining for our law enforcement officers, learning from military advisors is not what local law enforcement needs. Indeed, numerous watchdog organizations, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, have documented human rights violations by Israeli police and security forces. Although MPD participation in this program is longstanding, I encourage you to reconsider it and instead focus officers? time and other departmental resources on trainings that emphasize non-violent conflict resolution, and community relationship building. Ifthere are similar exchanges with otherjurisdictions, outside or inside the United States, I ask that you re-evaluate them as well, to ensure that they are in keeping with D.C. values. I appreciate your attention to this matter. Sincerely, David Grosso Council ofthe District of Columbia Chairperson, Committee on Education