Public Oversight Hearing on Current Policies and Practices of the Metropolitan Police Department Related to Demonstrations within the District - Statements

Chief Charles H. Ramsey delivered the following statement to the Council of the District of Columbia, the Honorable Kathy Patterson, Chair, on December 18, 2003, at the Council Chamber, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Madame Chair, members of the Committee, staff and guests – I appreciate the opportunity to read this opening statement into the record and, along with Deputy Mayor Kellems and Assistant Chief Al Broadbent, to answer your questions. For the benefit of the audience watching on Channel 13 and others, the text of my statement is posted on the Police Department’s website: www.mpdc.dc.gov.

Let me begin by acknowledging the work of this Committee in preparing for these hearings. I respect the oversight role of this Committee and the scrutiny that comes with that role. Under my leadership, the Metropolitan Police Department has cooperated with this Committee, as well as others who have examined different aspects of our policies, procedures and operations. We have approached these particular hearings in the same spirit of cooperation.

And beyond cooperating with the Council and other outside bodies, our Department has engaged in a rigorous process of self-examination, especially when the issues involve things so fundamentally important as the defense of Constitutional rights and the protection of lives and property. I believe that it is only through careful examination and close scrutiny that any organization can hope to continuously improve and become more effective. And I can assure the Committee that no aspect of our operations has received more self-scrutiny over the past few years than our handling of demonstrations in our city. As a result, our Department, which has always been recognized as one of the best when it comes to managing large-scale events, has gotten even better.

I appear before this Committee today extremely proud of the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department … proud of the sheer number of demonstrations and other major events that we support each year in our city … and proud of the manner in which we manage these events – efficiently, professionally and safely. Safety, of course, is a consideration that has taken on added urgency in the post-9/11 environment. I am proud that in any given year our Department is there to protect the Constitutional rights of more demonstrators than any other police department in America – and proud that we are able to do so without the type of disruptions, property damage and even violence that have occurred at similar events in other cities. I am proud of our Department’s willingness to scrutinize and challenge our current procedures, and to make improvements where improvements are needed.

Am I suggesting that the Metropolitan Police Department is “perfect” when it comes to managing demonstrations in our city? Absolutely not. We are not perfect – we can always improve. But I am here to tell you and tell our residents that when it comes to managing demonstrations and supporting the First Amendment rights of large numbers of people, espousing the whole spectrum of ideas and causes, the Metropolitan Police Department is among the very best – and we continue to get better.