Curfew Update
The Mayor announced a curfew for tonight starting at 11:00 pm and ending at 6:00 am. Essential workers and members of the media are exempt from the curfew. Curfews are typically enforced with respect to individuals engaging in or attempting to engage in illegal activity. Those with concerns about enforcement of the curfew should direct them to MPD.
Security Update from Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMA)
We remain committed to ensuring that individuals and groups can safely exercise their rights, while protecting our community from unrest. In collaboration with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, public safety and emergency management officials continues to pay attention to the events unfolding throughout the District in order to identify potential public safety threats that may emerge from these events or target these events, and that may interfere with those seeking to exercise their First Amendment-protected rights.
Last night, the level of looting and property damage was considerably lower than the prior two nights, with more than 5,000 people participating in peaceful protests throughout the city. As for today, we are aware of one ongoing event and two additional events slated to occur in the District. These events are largely peaceful protests, and there are no known public safety threats to these events or associated with these events. That said, we remain alert to the potential for unrest, violence, and the destruction of property.
We reiterate our recommendation to take proactive measures to protect businesses. These measures reduce opportunities for violence and the destruction of property. These include secure loose items outside buildings, locking dumpster lids, and checking for damage to masonry or facades, which may become sources for projectiles or improvised weapons. The stockpiling of improvised weapons, particularly bricks or stones and pieces of wood or metal, remain a concern. If these are observed, please report them immediately. Suspicious activity can be reported via MPD’s iWATCH website at iWATCHDC.org.
Our public safety and emergency management officials have identified tactics used in recent unrest throughout the country, which may be used to target law enforcement, landmarks, and businesses in the District. We are looking for any information, including threats, plans, or the acquisition or pre-positioning of materials, relating to the following tactics:
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Arson
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Throwing Projectiles (rocks, fireworks, bricks, water bottles, and frozen water bottles)
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Vandalism and Looting
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Lasers
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Molotov Cocktails
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Chemicals (as weapons)
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Vehicles (for vehicle ramming attacks, either against demonstrators, law enforcement, or critical infrastructure)
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Communications Impacts or Cyberattacks
We remain concerned about the presence and sharing of disinformation and misinformation, which can contribute to the escalation of tensions, violence, or the destruction of property. If you observe or become aware of any of these tactics in use in relation to the ongoing events in the District, please report it via MPD’s iWatch website at iWATCHDC.org.
As to the question about MPD deployments and their impacts, asset deployment is both proactive and reactive, based on the judgments of incident commanders assessing events as they unfold. As Chief Newsham reported earlier today, yesterday’s events were far more peaceful than in the prior days, and the number of arrests declined.
Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) Update
DCRA continues to provide support for property owners and businesses with boarding up buildings and connecting owners and businesses to contractors. The agency is also providing plywood and other needed services without charge.
Reported property damage from the evening of 6/2 was 5 buildings, which is lower than the 63 buildings Saturday night, 122 Sunday night, and 35 Monday night.
None of the buildings damaged Tuesday night were in the downtown area, and thus it is important for businesses to be aware and prepared even in areas far from protests at least through this weekend. There are individuals not participating in protest activities who are taking advantage of the situation to damage and loot businesses.
If you need assistance, please contact dcra@dc.gov or dcra.abatement@dc.gov. Requests for assistance in securing properties are being handled on a priority basis, so please disregard the standard 3-day form response.
Department of Transportation (DDOT) Update
DDOT is an active participant in the District’s efforts to ensure the safety of our residents, businesses, and those individuals exercising their First Amendment protected rights to protest peacefully. DDOT reported the following actions in response to the protest activities.
Site Security
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DDOT has secured its work zones to prevent leaving materials that can be used as projectiles.
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DDOT has notified private contractors, utilities, and developers to secure their sites and to remove materials that can be used as projectiles. Public Space Inspections continues to monitor these sites and address them individually as needed.
Asset Repair
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Traffic signal and Streetlight safety issues (foundations, broken systems) have been fixed. Graffiti and other non-safety related items will be addressed in the future when conditions permit.
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Signs are being fabricated to replace damaged and missing signs. We expect to have this completed this month assuming the protests do not continue.
Transit Operations
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Circulator & Streetcar are returning to COVID-19 Modified Operations, closing at 9:00 PM.
Public Space Fees
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There have been discussions with DCRA & DDOT to waive public space usage fees for restaurants and other summer gardens and sidewalk cafes, but this is not yet confirmed.
