The D.C. police commander reassigned for making racially sensitive remarks after a meeting over a Georgetown murder has been reinstated as head of the second district and will create a lesson plan for recruits based on the Oscar-winning movie “Crash.” Police Chief Charles Ramsey told Cmdr. Andy Solberg Saturday that he had been thinking about Solberg and the movie, which explores the issues of race and police, Solberg said. Ramsey said he wanted to show the movie to all recruits going through the police academy and has assigned Solberg with creating the lesson plan.
Solberg said he was also given an official reprimand, the highest level of punishment below suspension.
Solberg called his comments “awful” and said the embarrassment and punishment have been “very humbling.”
“It’s been a painful lesson,” the 19-year veteran told The Examiner. “But it’s going to make me a better, stronger cop.”
Solberg was reassigned earlier this month while police looked into comments he made at a community meeting after the throat-slashing of British political activist Alan Senitt. Solberg warned residents of the affluent neighborhood to be aware of their surroundings and used the suspects who were arrested in the murder as an example: “They were black. This is not a racial thing. Blacks are unusual in Georgetown. This is a fact of life.”
Solberg apologized after he was temporarily moved to school security.
