The city’s crime initiative went from “All Hands on Deck” to “No Hands on Deck,” according to Metropolitan Police Department officers who noticed how thin the ranks were Thursday.
D.C. police spokeswoman Traci Hughes acknowledged there were 20 percent fewer police officers patrolling the streets than in recent weeks.
But she disputed the notion that the decrease left the force dangerously understaffed.
“Absolutely not,” she said.
Some officers who asked not to be named said the city’s contention that only 20 percent fewer police were on the streets was at best a partial truth, since the police ranks were not fully staffed in recent weeks, either. And D.C. police union head Kristopher Baumann said members were reporting shortages all around the city Thursday.
He said he was concerned that the police chief was not providing accurate numbers, which had been a hallmark of Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s predecessor.
For instance, in the 4th District, the police department said there were 28 officers on patrol during the peak hours Wednesday night.
That was probably true, an officer who works there said, but there were only 12 officers in patrol cars, half the amount that are typically used on a normal Wednesday night.
Of those dozen officers, one has to guard Mayor Adrian Fenty’s house, and two more sat at a hospital guarding a juvenile who cut his hand while breaking into vehicles.
On a typical Wednesday, the slowest night of the week, there will be between 20 and 25 officers in patrol cars responding to calls, the officer said.
The figures that Lanier provided to The Examiner likely include foot patrols, which cover a three-block area and are unable to respond in the huge district in Northeast D.C.
Lanier placed every available officer on the streets Monday and Tuesday as part of the third All Hands on Deck initiative to combat the violent crime that spikes during the hot summer months.
