This page reviews my conversations with local police, politicians, community activists, researchers, business leaders, prosecutors & defenders, victims of violent crime, and incarcerated individuals.

Police Ride-Along in Chinatown

On Friday, September 15, I joined a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) patrol in Chinatown through their ride-along program. It was a late night patrol, running 10:00pm-2:00am, starting from the 1st District Station. I spoke with Officer Jabdiel Fuentes, Officer Ibrahim Suleiman, and Officer Marco Dracopoli. They respectively had 10, 2, and 1.5 years of experience with MPD.

Key Takeaways:

  • MPD needs more officers. The organization has a little over 3,000 officers, but requires at least 4,000. MPD and police departments across the country have had difficulty recruiting officers since the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, which highlighted illegal police violence. The lack of officers appears to be a primary MPD concern. It limits police presence, widens patrol requirements, forces officers to engage in overtime work that is costly for DC, and discourages officers from confronting criminals or drug users gathered in larger groups for fear of attack.
  • MPD is the main DC police force, but several others exist. These include the Metro Transit Police, Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division, FBI Police, and National Park Service. Some neighborhoods, like The Wharf, have hired private security companies. The MPD does not frequently work with other departments, but it appears there are opportunities for collaboration. For example, the Metro Transit Police could park their cars closer to hotspots to increase police presence, even if their officers do not conduct arrests outside of Metro stations.
  • MPD presence deters criminal activity. The Chinatown patrol will typically include at least three MPD cars, with one car stopped at the hotspot corner of 7th & H Street, and two cars circulating around the neighborhood.
  • MPD has a Chinatown Task Force, but the team has decreased from 18 to 3 officers over the past few years. MPD formerly maintained a business liaison team across Chinatown and Navy Yard, but this team was disbanded.
  • MPD has a pilot crisis response team that deploys officers with crisis responders from the DC Department of Behavioral Health. The program began in June 2021 and has reportedly been successful.
  • There is tension between MPD and DC prosecutors. MPD officers report that DC prosecutors fail to prosecute serious crimes, such as possession of a firearm.
  • MPD officers are limited in several key ways. Officers cannot chase suspects on foot or by car, with this rule established to avoid collateral damage. Officers also cannot conduct "stop-and-frisk" actions, even for pedestrians wearing ski masks. DC removed anti-loitering laws, so officers cannot disband larger groups from gathering in front of public spaces unless a business owner or citizen calls to complain.
  • Chinatown cameras may have limited use. Criminals will frequently use ski masks as they conduct armed robberies or car theft, and only remove the masks when away from the crime scene. I had suggested proliferating cameras across Chinatown businesses, but if most criminals are this careful, more cameras may have limited use.
  • Arrests require significant resources and paperwork. During my ride-along, I watched officers arrest an elder man for refusing to leave Union Station after being denied bus service. Managing the situation and processing the arrest required three MPD officers and one Union Station security officer. The officers did not want to arrest the elder man because he was clearly intoxicated and not a threat to society. The paperwork required to process an arrest also takes around three hours to fill.

Interviews

  • Ashlin Oglesby-Neal, Senior Research Associate, Urban Institute // Tuesday December 12
    • MPD's workforce: The MPD's claim that they do not have enough officers is difficult to verify. Some reports focus on the number of police officers per capita, which in DC is significantly higher than the per capita figure for NYPD or LAPD. However, this data is insufficient. The figures typically address the total number in the police force, beyond officer and including administrative staff. DC is also unique in its requirements to provide security for political VIPs and major speakers; events, parades and protests; and serve large numbers of workers traveling from Virginia/Maryland as well as tourists from all over. Some but not all of these requirements fall under the MPD's "special activities" division. One alternative method to check MPD's claims is to review the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Also, how many 911 calls are coming in and appropriately addressed?
    • Co-response teams: The MPD's crisis response team may not have sufficient data to evaluate the program. That said, co-response models in policing have a long history since the 1980s, and you can check the literature on how they have worked. Still, it remains difficult to adjust for all the possible counterfactuals: would the incident have been resolved without a social worker? Are the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) referrals higher when a social worker is present? What exactly are the trade-offs for social workers attending these incidents rather than working with their regular clients?
    • Types of policing: Consider how much of MPD's attention is dedicated to problem-oriented policing (911 calls) versus community policing, in which a business owner, clergy member, or other community stakeholder helps police disrupt criminal activity over the long-term. Hot-spot policing, wherein a patrol will arrive at known areas of concern for 10-15 min at random intervals, has also proven effective for disrupting and deterring criminal activity.
    • Police authorities: This will be difficult without a legal background. For an officer to make a stop, they need "reasonable suspicion." A ski-mask may not fall under this category. There is also a difference in stopping (high-requirement) and scanning or casing (low-requirement).
    • Cameras: The police can pull up CCTV footage for use after a criminal action to find the criminal and build the prosecutor's case against them. Drone technology, however, has even more community push-back regarding oversurveillance. There was one company, called Persistent Surveillance Systems, that tried and failed to enter this market. They said their systems could be used to analyze traffic patterns.
    • Joint policing efforts: The coordination problem is tough. The same problems that exist between MPD, Capitol Police, Transit Police, and other DC-based organizations are likely even larger between MPD and police agencies in Virginia and Maryland. Criminals take advantage of these state border distinctions. Some, like MPD and PG County Police, have worked hard to improve coordination.
    • Deterrence > punishment: Criminology academics have proven that the immediacy of apprehension is a stronger deterrent against criminal activity than larger levels of punishment should they be caught.
    • Suggestions:
  • Emily Tatro Cassometus, Director of Government and External Affairs, DC Justice Lab // Friday, December 8
    • Security theater: DC Justice Lab and their staff do not believe in the trade-off between being safe and being free. When people think about being safe, they envision being in community with one another. Security is the theater of safety, with police cars on the corner and cameras everywhere.
    • MPD personnel: DC has by far the most officers per capita. There is an entire Homeland Security Department within MPD. Perhaps that should be branched off so that we can better understand whether the per capita figures are appropriate.
    • Local policy proposals: The DC Council and Mayor Bowser believe they have to do something. It might not be evidence-based, but it will give DC citizens a feeling of security. But it won't work. Locking people up pre-trial has been shown to increase the rate of repeat offenses. Policies like stop-and-frisk deteriorate community relations with the police. The Gun Violence Strategic Reduction Plan, however, is important. There are only a few hundred people who lead these shootings (although the total "gang" database includes around 2,000).
    • High-crime perception: Stealing cars became a fad with the Kia and Hyundai vulnerabilities. But there are also eight cryogenics factors that drive crime in individuals. As we came out of the pandemic, those factors, like financial difficulties and lack of support, have increased. During the pandemic, for example, people were not allowed to be evicted. Food stamp policy was stronger. Additionally, the crime perception is bad when looking at the past five years. But if you're looking 30-50 years, it's not historically bad.
    • DC court issues: Judges at DC courts are federally appointed, and because of Congressional disfunction, around a quarter of our bench is empty. This means they cannot process cases.
    • Oversight: The MPD's pilot response team began in 2019, but has reportedly dwindled to an extremely low rate. The case closures were very high when it was functional. The performance oversight season runs February-March, during which each agency has to speak at the DC Council. Anyone can review the numbers that agencies submit at that time. You can also email the Committee on Health, Christina Henderson.

Other Resources

Interview Requests & Topics

  • Greggory Pemberton, chairman of D.C.’s police union
    • You said that the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 would lead to “violent crime rates exploding more than they already have.” [WaPo] What were your major objections with this legislation?
    • Your union is characterized as saying "[DC] lawmakers shirked accountability by enacting laws restricting police tactics and shrinking the size of the force, and are complicit in 'a tragic loss of life and a horrific increase in the number of victims experiencing violent crime.'" [WaPo] Can you talk through the laws restricting police tactics and how that limits police action? What force size was the DC Council aiming for, and do you know why they came to that figure?
  • Brooke Pinto, DC Councilmember (D-Ward 2)
    • Thoughts on the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022? Did it stretch the courts as critics worried? In a joint statement with Charles Allen, you said that "the criminal code was 'more equitable and just' but that they were open to consideration of further amendments before it was fully implemented." [WaPo] What kind of amendments were you expecting, and did you agree with them at the time? Why were they not included in the original legislation?
    • You separately said “There is simply too much good in this bill to abandon all of that work, and without any backup plan from the mayor." [WaPo] Do you think Mayor Bowser has done enough for replacement legislation?
    • If the amendment on illegal firearm possession that you introduced in November 2022 had been accepted, do you think Mayor Bowser would have vetoed the bill? [WaPo]
    • You previously said in July that the DC Council would confirm Chief Pamela Smith as soon as possible. [WaPo] When do you foresee that confirmation taking place?
    • According to an April 2023 report, "[MPD Chief] Contee has made it clear that he was frustrated by what he has called the criminal justice “ecosystem” in Washington. He has argued that his officers arrest people only for the courts to release them back to the community without adequate support; and he has come out in favor of stringent sentences for violent offenders at a time when members of the city council were pushing for a revised criminal code, which Congress blocked, that would have lowered the statutory maximum penalty for some crimes." Did you coordinate with Contee and MPD leadership in developing your legislation? What were their objections and where did you all agree?
  • Jinwoo Charles Park, executive director of the D.C. Criminal Code Reform Commission
    • In November 2022, you argued that “Increases in the average sentence for these offenses would have a disproportionate effect on African American defendants...Although it is likely that only a small percentage of defendants would be sentenced to the maximum penalties, changing the penalty classifications could result in an increase in the average sentence for these offenses.” [WaPo] Given the political battle that resulted, in part due to the lessening of max possible sentencing, would you still oppose that amendment today?
  • Paul Butler, a member of the Code Revision Commission Advisory Board and law professor at Georgetown
    • You said that the 2022 bill “would help cure some of D.C.’s vast racial inequities and make every community in our city safer.” [WaPo] What were the major changes this bill did?
  • David Muhammad, executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
    • You worked closely with Mayor Browser. Where does she and the DC Council disagree most clearly?
    • "People of Promise grew out of an analysis performed by David Muhammad, executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, on shootings in 2019 and 2020. The District government paid him $65,000 over two years for a process that included identifying the 230 or so people most at risk of committing gun violence, or being victimized by it. His work began in fiscal year 2021, according to Muhammad and his agreement provided by the city." [WaPo] This program has had some setbacks. Can you walk through what has gone well and what needs to be fixed?
    • "In a report issued Thursday, the institute said it had found that a few hundred people were responsible for up to 70 percent of the city’s gun violence. Most victims and suspects are Black men, the report found, and nearly half had previously been jailed or imprisoned, or were on court-ordered supervision." [WaPo] Everyone can agree that imprisonment is a band-aide, and a bad one at that. But given your findings with this study, what is your response to those worried about decreasing sentences offered by new criminal codes?
  • Nee Nee Taylor, co-conductor for Harriet’s Wildest Dreams
    • Your organization is described as "a local Black-led mutual aid and community defense organization." [WaPo] The same article describes you as a police abolitionist. Is that accurate?
    • You've said we “can’t police your way out of crime. You can’t cage your way out of crime. And so if that’s what they feel … accountability is, D.C.’s in trouble." [WaPo] What is DC doing right, wrong, and okay in your opinion?
  • Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum
    • You had previously tried to recruit Contee to other organizations. [WaPo] What stood out about him?
  • Janeese Lewis George, DC Councilmember (D-Ward 4)
    • Thoughts on past and present criminal legislation?
  • Sabel Harris, Chair of ANC 1B (ANC 1B08, formerly 1B12)
    • You ran as a candidate for DC Council Ward 1. And you've spoken about local crime. [WaPo] What are your thoughts on what the DC Council should do?
  • Patrice Sulton, executive director of the DC Justice Lab
    • Speaking about the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, you said “This isn’t some huge, mass decarceration measure...It’s making the code clear, consistent, and constitutionally sound.” [WaPo] "Supporters of the bill have countered that the reductions in maximum penalties are in line with what judges are actually imposing." If nothing is changing and judges have flexibility, then what's the point of this legislation?
    • At a 2022 DC Council hearing, you were described as having "accused lawmakers of 'abdicating their responsibility and refusing to intervene' while she said police stall on making changes her group recommended." [WaPo] Can you talk through how police stalling tactics? And how should the Council have overcome that?
  • Linda Harllee Harper, D.C. Director of Gun Violence Prevention
    • In a recent Washington Post article, you said “I think it’s to make sure we are all being good stewards of public values…I think people feel like the pendulum has swung too far away from accountability.” [WaPo] What do you think about Councilmember Pinto's new legislation? Is it a step in the right direction, or is the pendulum again swinging too far?
    • In February 2022, you were quoted on the Building Blocks DC program, saying “The mayor recognized, along with the rest of the city, we’re in an emergency and we need to do something and do it now. And that’s exactly what we did, while also trying to figure out what is the best way to approach this long-term.” [WaPo] The program featured a $15 million investment. [WaPo] What is the current status of this program?
  • Ralph Brabham, Aschara Vigsittaboot & Drew Porterfield, co-owners of Beau Thai restaurant in Mount Pleasant neighborhood (1550 Seventh Street, NW)
    • Operating a business in a high-crime environment. What are the issues you deal with, and how often do you have to manage them?
    • The 7/11 that you focused on has been in the news before. September WaPo, among others. Have you seen any improvement in the area? How has MPD justified the lack of officers stationed there?
  • Peter Hermann, crime reporter for the Washington Post
  • Meagan Flynn, DC government reporter for the Washington Post
    • The DC crime debate. Does it reflect reality? Major contributing factors, in your opinion?
  • Michael Thorning, research director at Bipartisan Policy Institute
    • Past and current criminal legislation reform.
  • James E. McCabe, retired New York Police Department inspector and an associate professor of criminal justice at Sacred Heart University
    • You've written on police staffing. [WaPo] Can you tell me why MPD needs so many more officers per capita than cities like NYC, Chicago, and Boston? Are there that many public demonstrations and high-security needs in the city?
  • Robert J. Contee III, former Chief of the MPD
    • According to an April 2023 report, you "made it clear that he was frustrated by what he has called the criminal justice “ecosystem” in Washington. He has argued that his officers arrest people only for the courts to release them back to the community without adequate support; and he has come out in favor of stringent sentences for violent offenders at a time when members of the city council were pushing for a revised criminal code, which Congress blocked, that would have lowered the statutory maximum penalty for some crimes." Do you see this ecosystem improving in recent years?
  • Rana Al-Nahhas, Junaid Sandozi, & Saher Khan, victims of carjackings
    • Their experience, timeline for vehicle recovery, expenses. What was your experience like working with MPD to recover your vehicle? How did insurance handle it?