After a 12-year hiatus, the Potomac Conference met on July 9 to discuss the region’s economy, transportation, and security, focusing on one key component – public safety.

The Conference – co-hosted by the Greater Washington Board of Trade (GWBOT), the Greater Washington Partnership, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), and the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area (Consortium) – brought together leaders from the region’s government, law enforcement, non-profit, private, and academic sectors to address the critical issue of ensuring safe communities while strengthening economic growth.

The morning began with welcome remarks from Kathy Hollinger, CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, who set the agenda for the day before introducing Acting U.S. Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer to deliver the keynote address. Mr. Mizer provided an overview of the national landscape and climate of public safety, as well the U.S. Department of Justice’s significant investments in community violence intervention programs in this region.

Andrew Flagel, President and CEO of the Consortium, offered insight on the role of the region’s universities in promoting public safety before introducing a data-driven discussion on violence impacting the region, presented by Hanna Love of the Brookings Metro’s Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking. Love’s research measures the perceptions and realities of crime in the region. While local perceptions of crime spoke to a fear of its intensification, crime trends in downtown D.C. are in fact showing improvement. Love called attention to the importance of a multifaceted approach to reducing crime, focusing on investments in economic stability, housing, access to quality education, and the built environment. 

Take a look at more photos from this event

 

Collaboration for Success Panel

Strategies, Resources, and Building Community Trust for Public Safety 

The Executive Director of COG, Clark Mercer, addressed the importance of partnership between local governments and institutions before introducing a panel that illustrated such cross-sector collaboration. Moderated by Elliott Ferguson, President & CEO of Destination DC, the panel included Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department, Metro Transit Chief Michael Anzallo of WMATA, and President Peter Kilpatrick of Catholic University.

The three panelists answered several questions regarding their roles in public safety and crime reduction and provided insight on what was being done within their institutions to address the issues.

Chief Smith highlighted MPD’s Real Time Crime Center and its new community camera sharing program, CameraConnect DC,  where  anyone can connect their security cameras to help law enforcement more accurately solve cases and obtain footage.

“One of the things that we’ve launched with the Real Time Crime Center is the ability to be able to connect your cameras,” said Chief Smith. “We are asking you, your partners, your business, please connect your cameras to our Real Time Crime Center. If you have a business, mom-and-pop stores, we really want to use your cameras.”

 

Strategizing for a Thriving Region Workshop

Emergency Communications: First Net Case Study 

The workshop portion of the day, focused on coordinating and amplifying resources for a thriving region, was moderated and led by Jack McDougle, President and CEO of GWBOT. The first discussion centered on FirstNet – or First Responder Network Authority – a nationwide communication network for first responders overseen by Congress and AT&T. Melissa Ayala, assistant vice president of government programs at AT&T, provided updates on a new phase of FirstNet, including standalone 5G and expanded coverage. Many attendees expressed the need for closing the communication gap about public safety updates between organizations and law enforcement, reinforcing a core theme of the conference – public safety goes beyond policing.

Prevent Gun Violence: Research, Empowerment, Strategies and Solutions 

The second session focused on gun violence and the role of businesses and communities to provide resources and support for its mitigation. Dr. Joseph Richardson presented data collected through his work as Co-Director of PROGRESS at the University of Maryland, an initiative centered around preventing gun violence with multi-disciplinary, community-based approaches.

Key metrics from Dr. Richardson’s presentation included a sobering view on the differences in life expectancy within D.C. – He noted that one loses 21 years of life expectancy in a 41-minute metro ride across the city from Northwest D.C. to Southeast D.C. Contributing factors that lead to this stark divide include disparities in economic investments and violent crime.

Dr. Richardson also shared severe discrepancies in the cost of homicides versus investment in research and implementation, with gun violence costing America over $500B per year – while only $25 million was invested in 2020 by the federal government in prevention research.

Attendees shared local stories about companies that are determined to combat this issue by providing afterschool programs and gainful employment opportunities, giving those at risk another option beyond resorting to gun violence. Many affirmed that businesses have a responsibility to provide opportunities, such as increasing involvement to the community and opening hiring to non-traditional hires.

Barriers to Retaining and Attracting Business to the Region 

The final workshop began with remarks from Colleen Hawkinson, Executive Director of the DC BID Council, and Shawn Townsend, President & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

Hawkinson reflected on the importance of public-private partnerships being led by DC’s Business Improvement Districts., Townsend relayed the hospitality industry’s continued post-pandemic struggles, but also the sector’s focus on economic development and safety.

The workshop produced suggestions such as promoting downtown safety and economic growth by recovering vacant spaces, making these vacancies attractive for businesses. There was further discussion on providing accessible jobs for youth and creating pathways within those jobs for credential building, school programs, and career growth.

We appreciate everyone who joined us at the Potomac Conference to facilitate cross-sector dialogue in the region and explore innovative, actionable approaches to enhancing community safety and economic stability.   

Thank you to presenting sponsor AT&T, host sponsor Catholic University of America, and our media partner the Washington Business Journal for being a part of the Potomac Conference and helping promote the Greater Washington region.