The issue still remains that they will need additional training and that they will need to have regular meetings with the GLBT community and the other communities they serve to discuss the issues facing the community and so they will understand what is happening in the community.

The argument that many including myself had with this plan was that it was ill thought out and no real disucssion with the community was held before it was put into operation. There is an arrogance to doing things this way which generates distrust and skepticism. That is sad because it can usually be avoided by a little bit of trust- and that trust has to be a two way street- and it is generated by ongoing communication.

I know I and many of the others in the GLBT community are hoping this will work and are willing to help make it work. But we are faced with increasing levels of hate crimes, and increasing violent crime in general across the City. No one knows why the murder rates have gone down and one murder is one too many- and murder rates have gone down across the nation- even though DC still has one of the highest murder rates per 100,000 population in the nation.

But it is hate crimes and violent crime that still impacts so many people day to day and creates a feeling of fear in many neighborhoods.

It will take the MPD working closely with the community to help bring those numbers down and make people feel safe on the street and in their neighborhoods.