Transparency of the Metropolitan Police Department will be the focus of the 2022 D.C. Open Government Summit March 16 at 6:30 p.m., via Zoom. Chief Robert J. Contee III, who took the helm at the Metropolitan Police Department last year, has confirmed his invitation to attend and discuss community and media concerns about public access to information and body-worn camera videos, and officer discipline proceedings. A panel discussion will follow, including nonprofit and private-sector experts and activists speaking about their experiences seeking information from the MPD.
This year’s Summit, held during Sunshine Week, is co-sponsored by the D.C. Open Government Coalition, the Washington, D.C., Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the D.C. chapter of the NAACP, and the District’s Office of Open Government.
There is no charge to attend this virtual program, but you will need to register. Use this form to do so, and also contribute ideas for panelists as well as advance submission of questions for speakers.
SPJ DC Pro hosted a Sunshine Week panel, “Complexities of reporting with body-worn cameras,” on the topic of body-worn cameras in the MPD in 2017. Here is more information on the status of accessing videos from the cameras used in policing nationwide, per a report released around that time.
2022 Open Government Summit
When: Wednesday, March 16, 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom
Agenda:
- 6:30 p.m. Conversation with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
- Chief Robert Contee, MPD
- Thomas Susman, DCOGC President
- 7:00 p.m. MPD Transparency Panel (moderated by Ginger McCall, DCOGC board member)
- Naïké Savain, DC Justice Lab
- Michael Perloff, ACLU DC
- James Berry Jr., MPD’s Citizens Advisory Councils
- 7:45 p.m. Emerging Open Government Issues (this is where we hear from you!)
More information about the program and registration is available here. The information there will be updated as we confirm participants. You may also get updates when you register.