And, if you are interested in recruiting a trans officer, hey let me know! I am thrilled to see a female police chief! Really I am. As a trans female that began transitioning in hospital security, I was amazed at how I quickly de-escalated many disturbances by being tough but female sweet. It worked like a charm. In fact, it made the hospital a much safer place. Being female comes naturally and men at their worst responded to me no different than any female because unlike the male security officers, they didn’t feel challenged to compete.

Please focus on LGBT hate crimes at D.C…and if you need an able-bodied trans officer…I am right here!

BTW, do you still favor “breaking up” GLLU’s core unit???
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/07/18/goproud-head-attacked-in-anti-gay-assault/#comments

However, complaining to this Chief of Police — whose credibility has rightly long been suspect by DC’s LGBT community — is rather like suggesting we chickens complain to the area’s chief fox.

That applies to complaining to the Chief’s *Office of Police Complaints*, as well.

Concerned LGBT residents should understand that MPD is a *chain-of-command* organization. It is run, like our armed forces, top down, by its Chief of Police. Many believe MPD has been managed by this Chief with confusing messages, and an erratic iron fist — creating, with blatant fear-mongering, low morale throughout MPD.

Moreover, IMO, this Chief has deliberately all but killed GLLU’s core unit over years in office– pretty much exactly as the Chief wanted to do when she began her tenure in 2007. It has been death by a thousand bureaucratic stings.

Not stopping with GLLU, just months ago, the Chief also quietly and inexplicably replaced a capable MPD *CAPTAIN* of GLLU’s parent unit, SLU, with a *CIVILIAN*, having no policing and arrest experience — and (just as importantly) likely no serious credibility among MPD rank and file officers. (See the Blade’s article of May 26, 2011.)
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/26/civilian-bureaucrat-to-head-police-liaisons/

Any of us can imagine being a young, new, straight MPD police officer, looking to a 20-year career with MPD, and trying to do the right thing. But then that rookie officer is warned by MPD buddies of the Chief of Police’s apparent disdain for GLLU and her incredible downgrading of SLU’s command from a CAPTAIN to a civilian.

Again, these actions were deliberate by this Chief. IMO, they have sent, from MPD’s highest levels, a not-so-subtle, but terrible message throughout MPD. It is a clear message of disdain and disrespect for GLLU and SLU– and by implication, the LGBT residents and vistors said police units were created to serve and protect.

Rather than using an existing, world-renowned, award-winning GLLU unit to seriously protect DC’s LGBT community from assaults, hate crimes and murder, this Chief has inexplicably been hell-bent on destroying GLLU as a credible, effective policing unit. IMO, this Chief has, through her own mistaken policies and direction, fostered an atmosphere of fear of retribution within MPD, as well as one of de facto discrimination, including de facto institutional homophobia and transphobia.

So we ought to give great pause to complaining to this Chief of Police — and the MPD complaint office under this Chief’s command.

How do we know these 7 MPD officers did not think they were doing what their Chief of Police and her Partrol Services Assistant Chief expected them to do? Indeed, how do we know how well LGBT police officers within MPD are being treated under this Chief’s command? Why aren’t LGBT officers being actively recruited to train their fellow officers in LGBT sensitivity and patrolling?

The fact is, the buck truly stops with Mayor Gray and the Council. No buffers, please. The public safety of LGBT citizens and LGBT visitors to this capital city, once again deserve THEIR direct, unfiltered attention and oversight.

More to blue-heron’s larger suggestion, when I get the time.

Chief of Police Cathy L. Lanier
(202) 727-4218

Office of Police Complaints
(202) 727-3838

Mayor Vincent C. Gray
(202) 727-6300
eom@dc.gov

Chief Lanier’s ‘off-with-their-heads’ management style is well-known among MPD’s rank and file. Likewise, her telegraphed contempt for GLLU/ SLU. Add to them the city’s acknowledged LGBT civil rights and public safety activists.

If Chief Lanier wants to fire 7 MPD officers, perhaps in fear of losing their jobs for following what has become her institutional discriminatory policing practices over 4 years+, that’s just fine in this instance. But she should fire herself, as well.

Wrong. I guess it IS the kind of service the DC police provide, since there are five victims, one passerby who called 911, one assailant was detained but released, seven policemen on scene and the police had to be intimidated into taking a report days later. There should be enough of a paper trail alone to establish the facts.

Lazy? Just LAZY? How about adding: unprofessional, homophobic, uncaring, reprehensible, vile, irresponsible and dereliction of duty for starters. Maybe there should be another, ABETTING a Hate Crime. You don’t have to take the risk of committing a hate crime yourself if you can comfortably let others do it for you.

Fire the cops and get rid of their chief.