The following statement was presented by Chief of Police Cathy L. Lanier to the District of Columbia Council Committee on the Judiciary, Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chair, on February 25, 2008, at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, members of the Committee, and guests. I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss with you the performance of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) over the past year. The full text of my statement is available on the Department’s website at www.mpdc.dc.gov.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the District of Columbia are stronger than ever. Throughout the past year, the Department has demonstrated its commitment to a strategy of community policing, with collaborative efforts, a responsiveness to community concerns, and intelligence-led policing serving as its hallmarks. The dedicated men and women of MPD have been working together with extraordinary partners in our neighborhoods, in the business and non-profit community, and in the government to continue on a path that will help us nurture a safe and thriving city for everyone.
The important work of the Department begins and ends with the sworn and civilian men and women who serve our city with such dedication. Their work demands long hours and more flexibility in their scheduling than most careers. I am very grateful to all of MPD’s employees and their families for the sacrifices they make every day for our city.
Unfortunately, as we have been reminded many times in the past year, sometimes our members make far larger sacrifices in the line of duty. It is important to remember that MPD members in the field are exposed to danger every day. To put this danger in context, nationally, assaults on police officers increased 40 percent last year. Other than 2001, when 72 officers died on September 11th, 2007 was the deadliest year for law enforcement officers since 1989. In 2007, both fatal shootings of officers and on duty traffic fatalities increased by a third. Sadly, in 2007 the Metropolitan Police Department lost a member, Officer Wayne Pitt, in a vehicle crash. In addition we have had several other officers severely injured in the line of duty. We recently had several brazen assaults on our police officers. Just a few weeks ago, a 15-year old in a stolen car intentionally targeted and ran down two mountain bike officers outside of an elementary school in NE, causing serious injuries to one officer that almost cost him his life. And less than two weeks ago, an MPD officer was shot in the face as he approached a subject wanted on an outstanding warrant.
I started off today talking about these dangers for two reasons. First and foremost, I would like to publicly thank our members and their families for all that they do and sacrifice for the city. Secondly, as we talk about other important issues today, I hope that you will recognize what is always on my mind: one of my primary responsibilities as the Chief of Police is to do what I can to keep MPD officers safe.
I want our officers to know that not only do I take this issue very seriously, but the District Government and city do as well. I also want to thank the members of our community who have provided information to assist us in apprehending those responsible for these horrendous attacks and for sending hundreds of cards, letters, and emails expressing their support for our officers.
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Community Policing
When I became Chief of Police in January 2007, I pledged to the city that the Department would work to build relationships and forge trust in the community so that we can more effectively address challenges together. I hear each and every day from people throughout the city that we are building more collaborative relationships and are more responsive to the community—and these changes are bringing results.
Community members have been clamoring for years for increased police visibility in the neighborhoods. But what exactly does this mean? MPD has increased the number of full duty members in patrol substantially in the past decade. According to an independent 1997 analysis of MPD staffing, only 1,171 full-duty members were assigned to patrol activities in the neighborhoods. At the end of fiscal year 2006, there were 1,813. By January, we were up to 1,873 full duty members in patrol. Yet merely adding more police to the streets is not going to address the community’s concerns. The community wants to feel that they have a relationship with their police. It seems to me that if you know the name of even just one officer in your neighborhood that you see regularly, and if you have talked to the officer and feel that you can call him or her, this officer will be far more “visible” than three police cars driving around your neighborhood. We could continue to add hundreds and even thousands of more officers to the streets, but if people do not know who they are, they can seem “invisible.” Because of this, I have emphasized improving the quality of police contacts, and not just the quantity of members. Over the past year, I have testified in detail about some of the initiatives that I launched to increase positive interactions with the community. These include:
- Five phases of All Hands on Deck;
- Implementation of Operation Full Stride, which put nearly 200 officers on foot in our communities;
- Operation FREE (Focuses Redeployment Enhancement Effort) which deployed nearly 200 recruits citywide to enhance our relationship with the communities we serve and educate our newest officers on the importance of building these relationships;
- The Summer of Safety Program, which provided 72 full days of safe, supervised summer activities for children around the city; and
- The Community based homicide investigation project which deployed homicide detectives in regional teams to improve their familiarity with the communities and residents they serve.
The feedback from the increased community contact has been extraordinary. I have attached to my testimony a small sample of the positive emails we have received. I will share a few of those comments with you:
- From the Seventh District: “Officer Schmidt is doing a great job with his presence on his footbeat. He walks the blocks and checks up on us everyday that he is at work. He is a valuable asset to the department and his presence makes a difference in the community. I would like to commend you on this program and how much I appreciate the police presence.”
- From the Fifth District: “I am writing to commend Office Robert Matos to you. I have seen him frequently walking the streets and he has been very helpful. I would like to tell you how much we appreciate his dedication to the safety and well-being of our neighborhood. Officer Matos has been wonderful, a real foot soldier, and I am extremely glad that he has been patrolling our neighborhood.”
- From the Sixth District: “Last evening my parked car was struck. Two of your officers, J. Paskalis and S. Hickman responded and were wonderful. They were engaging, thorough, professional and overall respectful. I write to tell you and them thank you. I am . . . pleased to know that the officers of this city are out walking the beat.”
- Also from the Sixth District: “I wanted to let you know that the neighborhood policing program in area 602 is terrific. When Officer Duncan Bedlion was on foot patrol he noticed me coming out of a building that I recently purchased. This building has been vacant for at least a year. He approached myself and business partner and introduced himself. We informed him that an abandon vehicle was in the back yard, he immediately called in to see if it was stolen, and it was not. So I wanted you to know your officers are very concerned and doing a fantastic job for the neighborhood community.”
- From the Third District: “Now for the good news about community policing. A potential robbery was occurring on 10th Street, while sidewalk cleaning I noticed this and noticed our Community Police Officers Reid 1921 and Brown 3152. They immediately responded. The potential mugger fled. . . . A welcome occurrence!!”
In November, Mayor Fenty launched the Focused Improvement Area (FIA) Project, a pilot initiative aimed at reducing criminal activity and improving the quality of life in at-risk communities by providing a combination of City services in the targeted areas. The objectives include increasing employment opportunities, engaging youth in meaningful activities, increasing school attendance, and improving neighborhood appearance. The pilot project is targeting three neighborhoods which are located in the Third, Fifth, and Seventh police districts. Within the Focused Improvement Areas in a little over three months, MPD has recovered more than 30 firearms, and made 274 arrests for serious, Part I crimes. We have also conducted more than 150 home visits with curfew violators, and almost 200 accountability checks with the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA).
More importantly, with the support of community based groups we are pointing the social service agencies to homes where human services—such as alcohol or substance abuse treatment, mental health services, or employment services—are desperately needed. Having grown up with some of the same challenges the families in our city face, I believe the Mayor’s FIA Initiative offers one of the most complete and comprehensive approaches to helping those families in need. Although the overall goal of the program is increased public safety and reduced crime, the focus on identifying and delivering human and social services will be what ultimately brings success to these goals. While MPD’s role in crime fighting, arrests and other valuable law enforcement tactics are important, the Mayor has allowed us to help identify the other critical issues that we see in our communities daily as our duties take us into the lives and homes of those who need social and human services the most but are not sure about how to go about getting them. Through this initiative the entire administration is committed to bringing the much needed government and community services to those who need them so we can reduce their risk of becoming involved in or being the victims of crime.
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Intelligent Policing
Of course, just working with the community and other partners does not, in and of itself, solve the crime problems in the city. The Department still needs to be more effective. Overall, I do not think MPD needs to work harder; the Department has some of the hardest working people I know, both sworn and civilian. But to be more effective, the Department can work smarter. As you know, I am committed to ensuring that the Department has and uses information and the tools to work more effectively and efficiently.
The Strategic Crime Briefings that I launched upon coming into the Department are one example of using information to better target resources. Instead of just looking at recent crime so that we can respond to it, the Department is evaluating data not traditionally used by police departments. This holistic approach includes data that makes each community unique, such as population density, demographic trends, projected economic development, physical infrastructure, types of businesses, and victim analysis.
You have heard me talk about automation and technology improvements since I took office. Technology is about improving police operations and response. It is about keeping police officers on the streets, reducing out of service times, closing criminal investigations, and enhancing information exchange. As I’ve mentioned, between necessary planning, appropriate funding and procurement cycles, technology improvements take longer than I had hoped. But we are beginning to see the impact of the improvements.
One example of the simple power of technology was a quick homicide closure using one of our recently deployed tough book computers just a few weeks ago. Earlier this month, homicide detectives were able to use the new technology to get positive identification and an address for a suspect before they even left the hospital. The detectives were then able to go to the address on record and made an immediate arrest. Without the laptops, the detectives would have had to go back to the office, make arrangements to meet with the relevant people for identification, and later attempt to arrest the suspect. This process normally would have taken days and given the suspect plenty of time to make good an escape. Having the ability to bring all of those resources to an injured witness without ever leaving the hospital saved invaluable time that allowed us to close a homicide immediately.
Another example of how our technology is improving our ability to fight crime occurred just a few weeks earlier when Officers from the Fifth District were able to quickly apprehend a bank robbery suspect using digital images downloaded to their handheld Treo devices. As the bank robbers had made good on their escape from upper Northwest and traveled to the outskirts of the city, Officers were able to have the surveillance photo from the bank robbery sent to their handheld digital devices, within minutes enabling them to identify a suspect as he attempted to leave the city with the proceeds of the crime.
Technology and science are also coming together with perseverance, good detective work, and grant funding to help MPD address cold homicide and sexual assault cases. One of my priorities this past year has been to reinvigorate MPD’s review of cold case homicides. I’ve seen far too many families shattered by the pain of having a loved one killed. The police can’t take away that pain, but by helping to bring offenders to justice, we can help to bring about closure. The dedicated men and women of our Homicide Branch have made it clear over the past year that while they strive to close every case as quickly as possible It is never too late to help heal a family, and to get a murderer off the streets.
I can tell you personally there was no greater satisfaction in my career than the day I was able to look in Jackie Winborne’s eyes and tell her that Shaquita’s murderer had finally been brought to justice for the murder of her daughter and another innocent person after nearly 12 years. And I know the detectives and the prosecutors who worked so hard to make this happen feel the same.
Technology and scientific advances have played a significant role in addressing other cold cases. For years, a significant technical limitation for MPD has been that, without our own forensic lab, we have been unable to take full advantage of the CODIS system – the repository of DNA samples that has been so beneficial in identifying offenders and solving cases nationally. Currently, the FBI Crime Lab is able to conduct DNA analyses only when we have a suspect in a case. As such, the DNA test is used largely to confirm the involvement of an already identified suspect. That is certainly beneficial, and, in fact, essential in many cases. However, if our department had our own, fully functional crime lab, we would be able to conduct many more “cold-hit” analyses, in which DNA recovered at a crime scene is tested against the national repository. As I will highlight later, the city’s forensic lab is still a few years away. However, by dedicating more detectives to MPD’s Violent Crime Case Review Project (VCCRP), and using grant funding to contract out DNA analysis, we have been able to make important progress on cold cases. For instance:
- After reexamining a 1997 murder of a security guard during an armed robbery, MPD submitted for DNA testing a hat recovered on the scene. The resulting DNA profile led to a CODIS hit, identifying a suspect with a long history of commercial robberies. This hit resulted in an arrest and a closed homicide case.
- In 1987, a husband was charged with murdering his wife by blunt force trauma. Although the husband was convicted of the murder, the case was overturned on appeal. The case was eventually dismissed because the problems seemed insurmountable. A recent MPD review of the case revealed DNA potential in both hairs and clothing items recovered from the scene. The case has been reopened by MPD and the U. S. Attorney’s Office with the resubmission of the evidence.
- In 1993, a known prostitute was found stabbed to death in a stairwell. No DNA work was performed at the time. MPD’s recent review revealed a non-diminishing blood trail leading from the victim. A DNA profile was developed from swabs. The profile has been entered into CODIS, and MPD is awaiting a hit.
Similar analysis of sexual assault cases is also bringing results. After reviewing case records, we identified 266 cases which we thought might yield viable DNA samples. Of the 266 cases, DNA profiles were extracted and typed on more than 80 cases. So far, 50 profiles have been added to CODIS, which have resulted in 15 hits, for an excellent 30 percent hit rate. Two of those hits have led to arrests. Another case has been closed because the suspect is deceased. Arrests are pending in the other cases pending completion of additional investigative work. The rest of the profiles will also be entered into CODIS.
Technology and a better alignment of resources is helping MPD to support more robust collection and analysis of intelligence on gangs and crew members in DC. In 2007, I consolidated the intelligence units so that they could be used more strategically. Now, our intelligence units can provide a coordinated approach to gangs and crews, as well as 24-7 coverage citywide. Intel is able to assess and analyze information real time, allowing the newly formed Rapid Response Teams to respond to crime scenes, and quickly canvas the area for potential suspects. The Rapid response teams now respond to the crime scenes displaying message boards on their vehicles alerting witnesses of a phone number to call in order to provide confidential information.
Of course, our community residents are more familiar with another key piece of technology: the neighborhood CCTV system. As our recently released report details, the CCTV cameras are helping MPD to prevent, deter, and investigate crime. Violent crime dropped sharply around CCTV cameras. Within 250 feet of the cameras, there was a 19 percent reduction in violent crime. Although there has been some question as to whether that crime was merely displaced, we don’t see evidence of that. Even out to 1000 feet—more than three football fields away—violent crime dropped by 4 percent. We have also seen a 30 percent reduction in calls for service for drug activity around the cameras. The cameras have captured valuable information in 144 crimes, including ten homicides.
Another accomplishment was the success we have realized with the reestablishment of the Gun Recovery Unit. Since the reestablishment of the Unit in November of 2007, they have arrested over two hundred and twenty five persons for mostly narcotics and weapons offenses, and have seized over one hundred and twenty five firearms. The department also reestablished the District Vice Units. These Units focus on open air drug markets and the violent crime associated with those areas. They are specialized and maintain a high level of skill associated with this sort of enforcement.
I firmly believe that a large reduction we are seeing in gun related offenses, this year, are related to the reestablishment of these two Units’. To date we have noticed a 56% reduction in Homicides committed by guns, a 16% reduction in robberies committed by guns, and a 34% reduction in Assaults with a Dangerous Weapon committed with guns.
Results
I hope that talking about some of these cases has given you a better idea of what we are doing rather than just providing numbers. That said, I know that the numbers are important. Across the nation, violent crime has been rising since 2005, and the District of Columbia is no exception. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, nationwide robberies increased 7 percent and homicides 2 percent from 2005 to 2006. Violent crime overall increased by 2 percent. Unfortunately, we are seeing these trends mirrored here in DC. For the second year in a row, there was an increase in crime in the District. In 2007, DC Code crimes in the District increased by 4 percent over 2006, a slightly slower pace than in 2006, when crime increased 5 percent overall. In 2007, violent crime increased just 1 percent, while property crime increased 5 percent.
For violent crime, the good news is that there was an 8 percent decrease in assaults with dangerous weapons, and a 21 percent decrease in sexual assaults. The bad news is that we saw an 11 percent increase in robberies. We also experienced an increase in homicides, finishing out the year with 12 more homicides than in 2006. Without a doubt, this is 181 homicides too many, and is unacceptable. But to keep this in perspective, in 2006 we recorded the fewest homicides since 1985. This past year (2007), DC had the second fewest homicides in over 20 years. The biggest jump in homicides was experienced in June when we had 27 homicides – a trend similar to 2006 when we had 24 homicides in July. And although homicides rose 7 percent, there was actually an 18 percent decrease in juvenile homicides; I believe our efforts to keep youth in the city safer contributed to this.
The increase in property crimes was largely driven by the 11 percent jump in thefts. Some of the trends that contributed to this are prevalent nationwide: increased theft of cell phones and other small electronics, as well as thefts from offices. These thefts exclude thefts from autos, which increased 2 percent, as did stolen autos. The number of burglaries remained the same.
Although this is certainly not what I had hoped to be able to report after one year, there is some very good news. For one, for the first time in a decade, MPD reached a 70 percent homicide clearance rate, jumping well above the 65 percent clearance rate of 2006. This is even more remarkable given national trends. For comparably sized cities, the clearance rate has been dropping since 2003. In 2006, it was just 52 percent. Anecdotal data indicates that this trend did not change significantly in 2007. The work we are doing in the community has helped to increase confidence and trust in the Department, which in turn leads to information and arrests.
As I stated above when speaking of the Gun Recovery Unit and the District Vice Units recent crime trends involving weapons offenses year to date are extremely promising.
Compared the to the same period last year, there has been a 33% reduction in homicides. Violent crime overall is down 7 percent.
So far in 2008, arrests are up 4 percent, including a 21 percent increase in juvenile arrests. Crime trends usually change gradually; our challenge is to make sure that this one sticks.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, we are working on many initiatives and projects that are helping to build a better department now so that we can continue to improve public safety in the future. The most significant of these are increasing the size of the force and in building the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory.
A year ago, in February 2007, MPD received the funding to increase the size of the force from 3,800 to 3,900 sworn members. We were able to hire all of these new members, while keeping up with attrition, and reached our goal in September. Since then, the force has grown to 3,938 members, compared to 3,809 at this time last year. The new recruits spend about seven to eight months undergoing comprehensive, rigorous training in our police academy before becoming full members of MPD. I am very pleased to report that the first 34 new hires above 3,800 have graduated from the academy, and I have assigned all of them to patrol, my top staffing priority. At the moment, we have 225 recruits in training who are eager to begin serving the city. This year, we will continue our aggressive hiring efforts in order to eventually increase the size of the force to 4,200 members. To be clear, we will not sacrifice quality in order to increase quantity. Our recruits must meet strict hiring and training standards set by the Police Officers Standards and Training Board, an independent entity.
Recruitment is a continuing challenge for the Department, as it is nationwide. The Department has been working extensively to increase the visibility of our recruitment campaign. This past year you may have heard our radio spots on major stations in the region. A month ago, we launched an interactive recruiting website. The new website includes testimonials from officers throughout the Department, including officers in patrol, canine, air support, and emergency response, and homicide and career criminal detectives. It also offers a self-assessment questionnaire to help visitors determine if their interests and qualifications match the department’s needs and expectations. The website will be a significant tool leading into what are traditionally our peak hiring months – April, June, and August. I encourage you to visit it at www.DCPolice.jobs.
Lastly, since it is so important to the future of MPD and the city, I would like to mention the Consolidated Forensic Lab. Since the Lab Director, Dr. Bill Vosburgh, testified before you just two weeks ago, I will keep this brief. The Council is familiar with the critical need for this facility and its function. Currently, MPD has some forensic capabilities: an Evidence Collection unit, Firearms Examination Section, Latent Fingerprint Unit, and Photography Unit. These units are not housed in the same location, which decreases efficiency and effectiveness. But of course the bigger challenge is that the city does not have the capacity to conduct its own DNA testing and analysis. To support our crime fighting efforts, the District needs its own dedicated crime laboratory, and we need a laboratory that is capable of taking full advantage of the latest in DNA and other forensics technologies.
The new Crime Laboratory will be a full service lab with the following additional services: Evidence Control, Biology (to include Serology and DNA), Trace Evidence, Drug Analysis, Computer Forensics and Questioned Documents. Providing comprehensive services under one roof will enhance efficiency, give D.C. control over D.C. cases, and maximize the scientific information from each case, all of which will help the police solve more crimes, take criminals off the streets faster, and free those exonerated by the evidence. In addition to the Police Crime Lab, the Consolidated Forensic Lab will include the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Public Health Laboratory.
Most of the current work of the project falls upon the Office of Property Management (OPM). The Administration is pleased to report that the project is on time and on budget through the design phase. Of course the work is just beginning, and I look forward to being able to update you in the future as the workload swings from OPM to MPD. And I am even more eager to report in the future the significant contributions the lab has made to solving and preventing crime in DC.
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To close, I am very optimistic about the future of the Department and city. Through continued collaboration, innovation, and commitment, we will all enjoy a safer city and higher quality of life. I look forward to building on what the department is doing right, and continuing to enhance the quality of life here in the nation’s capital. Thank you again for the opportunity to present this statement for the record. I will be happy to answer any questions.
Community Praise for Operation Full Stride
From: J.K.
Sent: Sat 2/9/2008 3:35 PM
To: Maupin, Joel (MPD)
Subject: XXXX 14th Street, SE
Dear Commander Maupin,
I am the business owner of __________ on 14Th Street. Since you began full stride I can see a difference in the activity outside of the store. I know that we have had a problem with people hanging around outside by the wall, but since this program began with Officer Schmidt on the beat people know not to loiter anymore. Officer Schmidt is doing a great job with his presence on his footbeat. He walks the blocks and checks up on us everyday that he is at work. He is a valuable asset to the department and his presence makes a difference in the community. I would like to commend you on this program and how much I appreciate the police presence.
Sincerely,
H.L.
________________________________________
From: L.R.
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 10:34 AM
To: Groomes, Diane (MPD); Gilmore, Linda (MPD)
Cc: jim@grahamwone.com; Yuckenberg , Jason (COUNCIL); BBPair@aol.com
Subject: Good news-Community Policing
Now for the good news about community policing.
A potential robbery was occurring on 10th Street, while sidewalk cleaning I noticed this and noticed our Community Police Officers Reid 1921 and Brown 3152. They immediately responded. The potential mugger fled. Officers then even chatted with ANC Commissioner Betty Pair, me, business owners and residents including interviewing us.
A welcome occurrence!!
LR, ANC Commissioner
________________________________________
From: B. W. S.
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 1:46 PM
To: White, Anthony (DOES); Greene, Lamar (MPD)
Subject: Officer Robert Matos
Hello,
My name is C. C. and my husband B. and I own two houses at xx and xx Todd Place NE. I am writing to commend Office Robert Matos to you. I have seen him frequently walking the streets and he has been very helpful. I would like to tell you how much we appreciate his dedication to the safety and well-being of our neighborhood. Officer Matos has been wonderful, a real foot soldier, and I am extremely glad that he has been patrolling our neighborhood. I cannot tell you how happy my husband and I are with the job he is doing.
Thank you,
C. C.
________________________________________
From: L.W.
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 8:40 AM
To: Groomes, Diane (MPD)
Subject: Thank You...
Good Morning Chief Groomes,
I wanted to send a note of thanks for your help in getting the know officers patrolling our community. Officer Hodges attended the Christopher Condominium's monthly condo association meeting. He explained that Officer Walker was unable to attend.
Chief Groomes, I am so excited to tell you how professional, informative and helpful Officer Hodges was during and after our meeting.
He also shared his email address with the association. Because technology is not too 'user friendly' for some of our 'senior' owners, some of us suggested that maybe the officers could be issued 'official' cell phones, so they maybe contacted quicker. It's just a thought.
Again, thank you for your assistance and being so accessible.
Sincerely,
L. W.
Christopher Condo Association
________________________________________
From: J.I.
Sent: Wed 11/7/2007 4:55 PM
To: Contee, Robert (MPD)
Subject: excelltent response and service
Dear Commander Contee,
Last evening my parked car was struck. Two of your officers, J. Paskalis and S. Hickman responded and were wonderful. They were engaging, thorough, professional and overall respectful.
I write to tell you and them thank you. I am a pastor in the community at the Episcopal Church of the Atonement on East Capitol and 52nd st. SE and am pleased to know that the officers of this city are out walking the beat. We will keep you in our prayers and pray God's blessings upon you all.
Rev. H.J.I.
Division Ave. NE
________________________________________
From: Johnson, Angela A. (MPD)
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 11:22 AM
To: Groomes, Diane (MPD); Scott, Melvin (MPD)
Subject: Message: Appreciation of Operation Full Stride and Ofc. Parrish
Good morning Chief:
A Dr. M. called and wanted you to know that him and his neighborhood of Capital Hill – PSA 105 really appreciates Operation Full Stride and the officer assigned in their area. He wanted to give praise to Officer Parrish. He said that she is a wonderful officer with full of energy and a breath of fresh air to the area. He may be contacted at (202) xxx-xxxx. Again, congrats to MPD.
Angela
________________________________________
From: R.H.
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 4:34 PM
To: Bedlion, Duncan (MPD)
Cc: Groomes, Diane (MPD)
Subject: RE: Property on Minnesota Avenue
Dear Commander Grooms,
This e-mail is a follow-up of a letter I received form Officer Duncan Bedlion;
I wanted to let you know that the neighborhood policing program in area 602 is terrific. When Officer Duncan Bedlion was on foot patrol he noticed me coming out of a building that I recently purchased. This building has been vacant for at least a year. He approached myself and business partner and introduced himself.
We informed him that an abandon vehicle was in the back yard, he immediately called in to see if it was stolen, and it was not. So I wanted you to know your officers are very concerned and doing a fantastic job for the neighborhood community.
Yours For Greater Safety
R.H.