D.C. police brass say they’re keeping neighborhoods safe by recycling detectives and administrators and putting them on the street.
Critics say the program ought to be trashed.
Once every seven weeks, officers in special assignments leave their desks, put on their uniforms and “redeploy” to the other districts to help patrol hot spots, watch drug houses or do anything else that’s needed.
“I don’t think you can ever have enough policemen out on the street,” police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said in an interview with The Examiner.
Ramsey says the redeployment program keeps officers fresh and drives the crime rate down.
But many critics — including most rank-and-file officers — say the program is ineffective, designed merely to assuage public sentiment.
“It’s purely P.R.,” said police union chair Kristopher K. Baumann, a veteran of the violent 7th police district.
Privately, many officers agree with Baumann. They say that officers on redeployment routinely cut out early or only approach their assignments half-heartedly.
For instance, redeployed officers often set up roadblocks. But they rarely assign “chase cars” that will run down those motorists who peel away from the roadblocks.
In part, this is because promotions and bonuses in the department are based on how well officers do their main job — that is, how many cases a burglary detective solves, how many drug arrests a narcotics unit officer makes. Officers don’t get consideration for work they do on redeployment.
Therefore, officers say, there’s actually a disincentive to make arrests on redeployment.
“You’re stuck with something that impedes your main job,” one veteran detective said, asking not to be identified for fear of retribution. “Nobody’s trying to nab anybody. They’re just doing it because it’s mandated.”
Some neighborhood activists have picked up on this.
“Overnight, there are only four officers on patrol,” Joe Martin, an Advisory Neighborhood commissioner in the gentrifying Petworth neighborhood, said in an interview last month. “That’s a problem when we have very active, open-air drug markets in a couple of places. There was a homicide a couple of nights ago.”
Some elected officials share Martin’s disappointment.
“Chief Ramsey has … made a lot of improvements, but we have a long way to go,” said District Council Member Adrian Fenty, who represents the Petworth area.
Fenty says he’s not sure that Ramsey is the man to finish the job.
“I think the police department, like a lot of government agencies, could use an infusion of new energy,” he said.
Ramsey says the redeployment program “isn’t perfect,” but it’s vital to increase police presence in the evenings when criminals are most active.
“I know it’s not popular,” he said. “But it’s just that we have to take a look at how many people [we] can put out there — particularly in the summer.”
“You’ve got to stay flexible,” he said. “Criminals adjust to what we do, too.”
Baumann says redeployment isn’t just a burden on the officers; it also leaves the victims of crimes and their families in the lurch.
“If your son or daughter is killed in an accident, do you really want the detective to be taken off the case for a week so he can go out and write traffic tickets?” Baumann said. “Let the specialists do their job.”
Ramsey said Baumann’s line of criticism “is bull****.”
“I’ll guarantee you that officer hasn’t lost a day of leave. Everything’s so important when he’s up for redeploy, but he’s still taking his leave,” Ramsey said. “If it’s that important, man, don’t even take leave — just work 365 days a year.”
Redeployment is determined by the morning’s crime briefings, Ramsey said. Authorities look at crime trends to decide where the extra officers ought to be. An officer scheduled for redeployment reports downtown in the afternoon and is given his or her marching orders. The redeployed officers are under the command of the superiors in the districts where he or she is assigned.
Redeployment used to involve even more officers. Public pressure forced Ramsey to make the homicide unit and the youth division exempt from redeployment. His public relations unit is also exempt.
The chief says the department will review the redeployment program this summer and may change some of the exemptions.
“I’m under no illusions that everybody breaks their tail every minute that they’re working,” Ramsey said.
But, he says, it’s vital to maximize the department’s numbers.
“I’m not asking them to fight a fire. I’m not asking them to repair a power outage,” he said. “I’m asking them to do police work. Last time I checked … that was part of the job description.”
UNITS EXEMPT FROM REDEPLOYMENT
Every week, about 70 officers are redeployed. Exempt units include:
» Homicide
» Youth division
» Canine
» Public information office
