Chief
of Police Charles H. Ramsey
today announced changes in the Metropolitan Police Department's command
ranks, including the promotion of a new Commander for the Fourth
Police District . The following promotion and reassignments are effective
immediately:
- Cathy L. Lanier
is promoted from the rank of Inspector to Commander in charge of the
Fourth District. Lanier joined the Department in 1990 and quickly
moved up through the ranks. She was promoted to Inspector in 1999
and has commanded the Major Narcotics Branch/Gang Crime Unit for the
past year. She spent most of her career in patrol, including previous
assignments in the Fourth District as an officer, master patrol officer
and lieutenant. As a lieutenant, she also served on the reorganization
teams that oversaw the development and implementation of the Department's
community policing strategy.
- Commander Abraham
Parks is reassigned from the Fourth District to the Court Liaison
Division. Parks has served in a variety of patrol, investigative and
administrative positions during his 27 years with the Department,
including two years as Inspector in charge of the Youth and Family
Service Division. He was promoted to Commander in March 1999, serving
first in Operations Command and, for the last nine months, as Commander
of the Fourth District.
- Inspector Ira Grossman is reassigned from Court Liaison to the
Quality Assurance Unit, where he will oversee the design and implementation
of cutting-edge technology and quality control efforts. Grossman joined
the MPD in 1983. In September 1998, he was promoted to Inspector heading
up the Recruiting Section, and last year was put in charge of the
Court Liaison Division.
"These command-level changes are part of my continuing effort to maximize
the leadership capacity of our Department and improve our service to the
community. Cathy Lanier has distinguished herself in the areas of community
policing and major narcotics investigations, and I am proud to promote
her to commander of a police district where she already has extensive
knowledge and experience," Ramsey said.
"At the same time, the broad experience of Abraham Parks will be critical
in the Court Liaison area, as we push forward with innovations such as
night papering of cases and the re-establishment of night courts. Ira
Grossman's technical skills and project management experience will be
extremely valuable as our Department continues to implement new technology
and quality control initiatives that directly support street-level operations,"
the Chief added.
Captain Mario Patrizio is acting commanding officer of the Major Narcotics
Branch/Gang Crime Unit.