Concerned Washington, D.C. residents and small business owners have united to initiate the removal of a Democratic councilmember amid a current surge in crime. This marks the second recall effort launched in the district within months.
The recall effort against Councilmember Brianne Nadeau was launched on Tuesday due to her relaxed criminal justice reform policies. This comes as the district faces a surge in crime in recent years, causing turmoil for some business owners and leaving many residents feeling unsafe.
The announcement mirrors a similar push to remove fellow Councilmember Charles Allen, which has garnered support from Democratic political fundraisers and congressional staffers. They have helped raise over $56,000 for the campaign.
“The historic rise in crime is not just mere numbers; they represent shattered lives, eroded trust, and a community living in fear,” the Nadeau recall effort’s chairwoman, Diana Alvarez, said last week.
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Alvarez, a small business owner in Nadeau’s district, stated that she was motivated to launch the campaign after her smoke shop experienced three violent robberies.
“My employees were terrorized, and my security costs have become astronomical,” she said in the statement. “I know that I am one of many people and businesses in this dire situation.”
While crime has decreased in some major cities nationwide, the nation’s capital concluded 2023 with a 26-year high in homicides, recording 274 murders, according to Metropolitan Police Department data. Additionally, robberies increased by 67%, thefts by 23%, and motor vehicle thefts nearly doubled.
The escalating violence has prompted several district businesses to relocate or cease operations entirely. For instance, a nearly 10-year-old wine bar closed its doors in December after enduring five burglaries in five months.
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Additionally, in Nadeau’s district, a series of 10 robberies within a few weeks last year heightened anxiety. This resulted in significant losses for some business owners and residents in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, as reported by ABC7.
“I understand people’s concerns about crime,” Nadeau told WUSA9 in response to the recall campaign. The three-term councilmember said she’s spearheading three bills to address public safety concerns, including legislation aimed at improving the city’s 911 center and police cadet recruitment.
“I will focus on doing the work that I was sent here to do by Ward 1 voters, and I will keep doing that regardless of any recall efforts,” Nadeau told the local outlet. But Alvarez accused Nadeau of allowing an environment for criminals to thrive as violence escalated.
“Brianne Nadeau has fundamentally failed to take any consequential action to reduce crime, and it is time she is held accountable,” Alvarez said.
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The recall campaign attributed blame to Nadeau for purportedly emboldening criminals through her backing of progressive legislation in recent years. Notably, the council member voted to cut $15 million from the police budget in 2020.
Additionally, she supported a revision to the city’s criminal code in 2022, which would have reduced the maximum penalties for certain offenses, such as burglaries and carjackings, had Congress not blocked it.
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