Top Democrats are criticizing U.S. Park Police leaders over a new policy allowing officers to chase down more people suspected of crimes.
House Natural Resources ranking member Jared Huffman of California and Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee ranking member Yassamin Ansari of Arizona sent a letter Thursday to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Park Police Chief Scott Brecht laying out their concerns with new chase guidance and other policies amid the administration’s increased law enforcement push in the nation’s capital.
The lawmakers pointed to “reckless and misguided” orders from the president. They say the administration’s actions “raise serious questions about the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) commitment to lawful policing, accountability, and the protection of civil rights.”
The letter comes after the Park Police was involved in 10 car chases in Washington, six that caused crashes, since mid-August, according to reporting by The Washington Post. The pursuits coincided with the president’s crime crackdown.
