To be sure, maybe some of those LGBT residents were on the way home, driving through or skirting by Eckington, that very early Sunday morning, just after midnight, and may have seen something.

The truth is, if Chief Lanier really cared about closing this hate crimes case she would not be allowing a MPD-5D listserv surrogate to be misleading the public, claiming the victims said things in their TV interviews that they clearly did not say.

Come to think of it, Chief Lanier would not have emailed me last week with misleading misquotes of what she claims the victims told TV news interviewers. Lanier used amazingly similar language in her email to me last week as was used subsequently by a ‘spontaneous’ poster on her MPD-5D listserv. What a coincidence.

Frankly, that can amount to MPD communications resources being used to re-victimize the two gay victims in this case. But to what end? To what purpose? To deny that an anti-gay hate crime occurred?

Anti-LGBT hate crimes also victimize our LGBT communities– engendering fear and intimidation in our LGBT residents, too. So in a very real sense, Lanier’s Communications Office is using MPD resources– taxpayer-provided let’s not forget– to re-victimize DC’s LGBT community, as well.

On a brighter note, I want to thank MPD Fifth District Commander Andy Solberg for conducting another police canvass of the crime scene area just last Monday, handing out some 200 flyers, seeking the public’s help. Hopefully Solberg’s 5D team will get some leads. But it also raises a community’s visibility to the issue of anti-LGBT hate crimes. It can provide teachable moments for parents regarding bullying and hateful behavior, as well as providing police/ neighbor introductions and future community policing opportunities.

That should be standard operating procedure throughout the city, when dealing with any violent hate crime. And to add visibility and truly get perpetrators to turn on one another, MPD ought to be offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to convictions in this hate crime case. That, too, should be standard operating procedure for MPD in dealing seriously with violent hate crimes in DC.

These are pretty inexpensive ways to deal with the rising rate of anti-LGBT hate crimes — since 2007. These practices are known to, and practiced by PDs and sheriff’s departments all across the country. It’s really not a lack of resources or know-how that is preventing MPD from dealing effectively with the rise in anti-LGBT hate crimes since Lanier became chief. It’s simply a lack of will.

Finally, it should also be noted how amazingly the Eckington neighborhood has responded with both outrage and loving concern for the victims. LGBT residents throughout Ward 5 know how special nearly all of our neighbors are. But the residents of Eckington deserve a special shout out for wrapping their community arms around Michael and Michael these past two weeks.