Public Safety Division

Public Safety Division (PSD) handles cases where young people under age 18 commit a crime in the District of Columbia. PSD also prosecutes selected adult misdemeanor cases. PSD consists of six sections, each described in more detail below.

If you need to contact the Public Safety Division, you can call 202-727-3500.  

Juvenile Section

PSD’s Juvenile Section prosecutes young people (minors under the age of 18) for violations of the DC Code. In other words, the Juvenile Section handles all delinquency matters in the District—cases involving crimes committed by minors—and offenses that can only be committed by a minor—truancy or curfew violations, for example. As required by law, the primary goals of our Juvenile Section prosecutors are to hold young people accountable, rehabilitate them so they can become productive community members, and provide for the safety of the public. In each case, our prosecutors balance the need to protect the public, securing justice for victims, and rehabilitating the young person. Our prosecutors work with other agencies to address challenges facing court-involved youth and to develop tools to safeguard the community and rehabilitate those they prosecute. 

Juvenile Specialty Courts Unit 

The Juvenile Specialty Courts Unit focuses on innovative alternatives to traditional prosecution. JSCU serves parents with school aged children, youth at risk of future court involvement, and court-involved youth with behavioral health needs.  The Unit consists of attorneys, case managers, and program specialists. The Unit houses the following

  • Addressing Truancy Through Engagement and Negotiated Dialogue Program (ATTEND): ATTEND is OAG’s truancy prevention program. ATTEND works with families of middle and elementary school children to address chronic absenteeism and truancy.   
  • Person in Need of Supervision (PINS) cases: These matters involve youth with curfew violations, those exhibiting runaway behaviors, and youth ages 13-17 struggling with chronic absenteeism or truancy. 
  • Juvenile Behavioral Diversion Program (JBDP) staffing: JBDP is a specialty court that handles cases involving youth with mental and behavioral health needs. This court is staffed by OAG prosecutors along with representatives from other agencies that support the youth including Department of Behavioral Health, District of Columbia Superior Court, Court Social Services Division, the DC Public Defender Service, Georgetown University Law School, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), and various service providers including Better Morning, MBI Health Services, Hillcrest, Latin American Youth Center, and Department of Human Services’ HOPE Program 

Criminal Section

The Criminal Section prosecutes adults who commit the following misdemeanor crimes:

  • Traffic offenses such as impaired driving offenses, reckless driving, and leaving after colliding.  
  • Weapons offenses such as unregistered firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition. 
  • Quality-of-life offenses. 
  • Municipal regulation offenses such as housing code violations or professional license or unauthorized practice violations.

For a more comprehensive list of misdemeanor crimes that fall within OAG’s prosecutorial jurisdiction, visit the Criminal Section.

Domestic Violence & Special Victims Section

The Domestic Violence and Special Victims Section (DVSV) focuses on improving safety for survivors of domestic violence and sexual offenses and for vulnerable victims in cases handled by OAG. We protect sexual assault and domestic violence survivors and vulnerable victims of crime through legal actions in Superior Court’s Domestic Violence Division, Criminal Division, Family Court, and Probate Division.  

Restorative Justice Section

The Restorative Justice Section houses two distinct but complementary functions — the Restorative Justice Program (RJ) and Victim Services. RJ is an innovative approach to addressing crime and conflict within the District of Columbia, whereby trained RJ Facilitators work with those harmed by a crime, those who caused harm through committing or participating in a crime, and the supporters of each to resolve harm as a community. Victim Services is comprised of a team of Victim Witness Specialists (VWS) who offer support and services to victims and witnesses to crime and their family members. Specifically, VWS support:

  • Victims (and their family members) of violent crime committed by young people;
  • Witnesses of violent crime committed by young people;
  • Victims (and their family members) injured in traffic offenses; and
  • Witnesses of injurious traffic offenses.

Fraud and Public Corruption Section

The Fraud and Public Corruption Section investigates and prosecutes fraud-related offenses that undermine the public trust. Specifically, the Section prosecutes fraud against the District, tax and welfare fraud, public corruption, and financial exploitation of elderly and vulnerable adults. The Section safeguards public resources, prevents misuse of government authority, ensures accountability, and reinforces confidence in local government.

Mental Health Section

The Mental Health Section protects District residents from harm by facilitating access to mental health treatment. The Section connects individuals to treatment and supports through its representation of the Department of Behavioral Health by seeking: 

  • Involuntary detention for emergency mental health treatment and civil commitment of people who refuse voluntary treatment and are likely to injure themselves or others; The appointment of a guardian or conservator for persons believed to be incapacitated and in need of a decision-maker to assist in making choices about their mental health or medical treatment; and
     
  • To remove firearms from individuals who present a danger to themselves or others. 

The Mental Health Section performs a variety of other critical functions, including:

  • Educating the public about the free services available to residents seeking mental health treatment and encouraging people who need mental health treatment to seek it;
     
  • Working with the District’s criminal prosecutors—from the United States Attorney’s Office and OAG– to ensure that individuals who are arrested for criminal behavior but are legally incompetent to be prosecuted because of mental illness are evaluated for civil commitment;
     
  • Training hospital personnel, mental health service providers, Department of Behavioral Health employees, and the Metropolitan Police Department about the legal process for and the civil rights of individuals detained for involuntary mental health treatment; and
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  • Providing legal advice to the Department of Behavioral Health and its subcontractors to promote the treatment of individuals in the legal mandated least restrictive manner that is consistent with the safety of the public.