One year after being named the District of Columbia’s top law enforcer, Police Chief Cathy Lanier has had to answer some hard questions about the rise in violent crime and homicides.
As she sat before the D.C. Council last week, D.C. Council Member Phil Mendelson pointed out that New York City was on track to have the fewest homicides in more than 40 years, while the nation’s capital has already suffered more murders than it did all of last year, and asked her: What was the District doing wrong?
“I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong,” Lanier snapped. “We’ve driving down the homicides in D.C. for the last 10 years. I think we’re doing a lot right.”
The curt response was one of several she gave to council members during the hearing. The testy exchanges signaled a growing shift in the way Lanier is being perceived by council members.
The honeymoon she enjoyed a year ago during which she was lauded as the city’s first female chief and as an energetic and innovative leader has begun to fade.
Council members questioned whether her methods were working and voiced the concerns of city residents who say that they felt less safe.
When Lanier was asked whether crime was up or down, she said she couldn’t give an accurate answer because the department’s crime databases were not up to date and precise.
Still, she conceded that statistics show a 10 percent increase in robberies. And homicides are up — from 169 for all of last year to 175 so far this year.
Lanier has been trying to cut crime and increase the visibility of the police force without relying on the expensive crime emergencies used by her predecessor that cost tens of millions in overtime pay and burned out the rank and file.
But her solution, the “All Hands on Deck” initiatives, have been criticized as ineffective publicity stunts by officers and some residents.
Lanier has emphasized foot patrols to increase the visibility of officers. But so far that hasn’t paid dividends in lower crime rates.
Reviews of Lanier’s first year are mixed.
Rob Halligan, president of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, said he was skeptical of Lanier’s promotion at first but has been impressed at the way she patiently brought in her leadership team, upgraded police technology and sought long-term crime-fighting solutions.
“There’re not just chasing fires,” Halligan said.
Kristopher Baumann, head of the police union, said he’s concerned Lanier hasn’t focused on long-simmering problems such as officer retention.
“I’m still pulling for her,” Baumman said, “but it’s time for things to start happening. We need some tangible results.”
