Attorney General Schwalb Commends DC Council for Continued Investment in Office of the Attorney General

Additional Resources in FY25 Budget Will Enhance OAG Efforts to Combat Crime, Reduce Truancy & Support District Children and Families


WASHINGTON, DC – Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today commended the DC Council for delivering on the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Fiscal Year 2025 budget priorities, including provisions which will provide critical resources to support OAG’s efforts to improve public safety and support District residents.

“I am grateful that the DC Council has approved funding for critical resources at the Office of the Attorney General, which will increase our ability to prosecute juvenile cases, hold reckless drivers accountable, expand our truancy-reduction efforts, and support District youth,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “I especially want to thank Chairman Mendelson and Chairwoman Pinto for being responsive to our requests for additional support regarding both criminal prosecutions and front-end public safety preventive efforts, as well as Councilmember Allen for championing the STEER Act, which is a critical step towards making DC’s streets safer for all who live, work, and visit here.” 

The District’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, passed today by the Council, includes provisions for:

  • Prosecutorial Resources: OAG’s juvenile prosecution team faced unprecedented resource demands given last year’s spike in violent crime, with attorneys handling significantly higher caseloads than in neighboring jurisdictions. The FY2025 budget funds one additional juvenile prosecutor and one additional juvenile paralegal.
     
  • Truancy Reduction: OAG’s truancy reduction program, ATTEND (Addressing Truancy Through Engagement and Negotiated Dialogue), currently operates in eight elementary and middle schools across Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. The FY2025 budget funds one additional ATTEND case manager to expand the impact of this work.
     
  • Cracking Down on Dangerous Drivers: The STEER Act, passed earlier this year, gives OAG new authority to hold reckless drivers – including those from outside the District – accountable. The FY2025 budget funds two new attorneys to support this work.
     
  • Tobacco Use Cessation Fund: Last year, OAG announced that JUUL Labs, Inc. would pay $15.2 million to the District to resolve claims that it lied to consumers and preyed on children for profit through its dangerous e-cigarette products. The FY2025 budget directs funds towards efforts to mitigate the public health damage inflicted on District youth.

Attorney General Schwalb’s FY2025 budget testimony is here.