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Police log: September 9
The following incidents were reported by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit:
On Sept. 5, while in the 1900 block of Minnesota Avenue, S.E., a man reported that he was approached by two black males who began to call him homophobic epithets. Complainant then advised that he ignored the suspects who were on bikes, at some point Suspect-1 got off his bike and punched Complainant in the face, suspect two approached from behind and punched complainant as well. Suspect one took complainant’s property. Both suspects fled on bikes.
On Sept. 5, at 3:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Chaplain Street, N.W., a man reported that he and a suspect had a verbal dispute over their relationship. Complainant reports that the suspect then became upset and struck him in the face with a closed fist.
On Sept. 5, at approximately 4:20 p.m. in the 5000 block of B Street, S.E., a woman reported that she and her girlfriend were involved in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical assault. The suspect choked and then struck the woman with a broom. The suspect was arrested at the scene. Complainant was provided government and non-government resource agency information.
On Sept. 2, members of the First District requested assistance at 4th and K streets, N.W., in reference to a notice of infraction issued on a member of the GLBT community for a pedestrian violation. The pedestrian was advised of the reason for the issuance of the ticket as well as the options available to contest the ticket.
On Sept. 2, members of the First District requested assistance at 1st and K streets, N.W., in reference to an arrest made of a member of the GLBT community. The citizen was stopped and issued a notice of infraction for a pedestrian violation. A background check revealed that the citizen had an outstanding bench warrant for her arrest. The suspect was arrested and transported to the district for processing.
On Sept. 2, in the 1500 block of Butler Street, S.E, a woman reported that her domestic partner assaulted her by choking her and slammed her against the wall. Suspect was arrested and taken to the district for processing.
On Sept. 2, in the 1600 block of Argonne Place, N.W., a citizen contacted police because earlier in the day he had a verbal altercation with his neighbor. The neighbor thought the complainant knocked on his door. The neighbor used homophobic epithets against the complainant. The complainant walked away with no further incident.
Tagged with Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, GLLU, Metro D.C. Police, Metropolitan Police Department
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Why did any of these incidents warrant action by a specially-dedicated GLLU?? Routine, and mostly minor, altercations/incidents that could easily have been handled by regular DC police. Yet, we in the gay community have to have the GLLU to protect our rights and advocate on our behalf!! Phooey.
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We understand that ‘phooey’ is what you do, laurelboy. But you might want to try to learn something, too.
Specialized police units are common in PDs all over the world. And what MPD’s SLD units do is not advocacy (but for overall public safety, of course). Rather, SLD units interact with ALL communities in DC to help residents and police, both, understand cultural, language and other differences that can be barriers to effective community policing.
A GOOD EXCERPT ON COMMUNITY POLICING…
When an agency claims to have “implemented” community policing last week, that’s a pretty good indication that it has not. Individual programs or projects that form part of this change may be implemented, but community policing is not implemented. You don’t start it at the beginning of the fiscal year. It is a process that evolves, develops, takes root and grows, until it is an integral part of the formal and informal value system of both the police and the community as a whole. It is a gradual change from a style of policing which emphasizes crime control and “crook catching,” to a style of policing which emphasizes citizen interaction and participation in problem solving.
You can’t tell whether community policing exists in a city on the basis of the press release, the organizational chart, or the annual report. Rather, it can best be discerned by observing the daily work of officers. It exists when officers spend a significant amount of their available time out of their patrol cars; when officers are common sight in businesses, schools, PTA meetings, recreation centers; when most want to work the street by choice; when individual officers are often involved in community affairs-cultural events, school events, meetings of service clubs, etc., often as an expected part of their job duties. It exists when most citizens know a few officers by name; when officers know scores of citizens in their area of assignment, and have an intimate knowledge of their area. You can see it plainly when most officers are relaxed and warmly human-not robotic; when any discussion of a significant community issue involves the police; and when few organizations would not think of tackling a significant issue of community concern without involving the police. The community-based police department is open-it has a well-used process for addressing citizen grievances, relates well with the news media, and cultivates positive relationships with elected officials.
–Tom Casady, Lincoln NE PS Director
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Thanks Brian for the explanation. So the takeaway is that SLDs/community policing add “fluff” to the police department. What we need is dedicated, hard, boots-on-the-ground policing. Fluff costs too much and adds little to the mission of the police which is to protect the public form crime. “Nuff said.
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Laurelboy, you are mistakenly applying a military combat mission metaphor (‘boots on the ground’) to a local policing mission. The missions of the U.S. Armed Forces and DC’s MPD are hugely different.
The mission of MPD is to maintain public safety through patrolling, investigations, and through enforcement of the Criminal Code of the District of Columbia– including existing codes against hate crimes, homicides, assaults, harassment and threats.
That is the LAW in DC. That is so NOT “fluff.”
The overwhelming majority of the LGBTQ residents in DC understand that. And they expect a robust, effective GLLU to help MPD accomplish its mission.
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You wrote: “The overwhelming majority of the LGBTQ residents in DC understand that. And they expect a robust, effective GLLU to help MPD accomplish its mission.” The mission of MPD should be to counteract and prevent the inordinate crime that occurs within the District, not participate in “touch-feely” exercises with tomorrow’s thugs.
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