June 15, 2007
Morning Roundup: Money Talks Edition
Happy Friday morning, D.C. If you're like us, today is payday, and maybe you're feeling pretty good about the number of digits in your bank account. Perhaps you even plan to go out and make a major purchase this weekend, like say, finally upgrading that crappy stereo system you bought from K-mart before you started college. Maybe you're even smiling at your desk right this second, thinking of how proud you are to have saved up enough money to get this thing you've been wanting for months. But then you open the Washington Post, and realize that you are making chump change compared to the area's Senators. Senators Webb, Warner and Cardin probably blow their noses on the amount of money you've been struggling to save up. They laugh at your sad little stereo plans. It's OK to cry about it a little. Just don't let your boss see. And now for today's headlines.
Lanier to Break Up Gay and Latino Units: We linked to the news about plans to decentralize the MPD's Gay Unit yesterday, and this morning the WaPo reports that Chief Cathy Lanier intends to disperse the Latino Unit as well, in an effort to expand services across the city rather than keep the units clustered in one small area. Critics say the changes will spell the de facto end of those units as identifiable entities within the force.
Street Festival Driver Waives Hearing: Tonya Bell, the woman who is charged with aggravated assault for driving her car into a crowd of people at the Unifest street festival in Southeast at the beginning of the month, has waived her right to the preliminary hearing in D.C. Superior Court and agreed to continue to be held without bond while the case proceeds.
Briefly Noted: Four killed in tractor-trailer Capital Beltway crash overnight ... Friendship Heights condos gain preliminary approval ... Four-alarm fire on Woodley Place NW ... Former building official gets two months for attempted bribery.
This Day in DCist: In 2005 the National Zoo was speculating about a panda pregnancy that eventually led to our little Butterstick, and in 2006 we learned that City Paper editor Erik Wemple would be staying at his job after all.
Photo by Kyle Walton
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what was going on 14th/F and south this morning?
The gay unit mostly served as a PR unit. The former sqt. of the unit was charismatic. Did the unit ever solve a crime?
No mention of the high-school dropout story from the metro section today? an interesting (and depressing) article that sheds light on why this city seems to churn out so many young criminals.
I think the function of the unit was more about literally having a liaison within the MPD than about solving crimes per se, and yes, Brett is homegrown and charismatic. But I don't think that spreading the unit out among the various districts gets us any closer to a culturally competent or careful handling of LGBT-sensitive cases, either. And given the different populations among the districts, it might be difficult for some people who aren't out as LGBT to ask for the additional help of the unit, especially since there won't be a central unit to ask for -- how are citizens supposed to know who can help them with their case? I guess this is one time Rick Rosendall and I agree on something -- will wonders never cease!
Ev's nailed it. Without a central office and commander for either unit, there's no real unit there, just individual officers who report only to their local district office. This would eviscerate both units. Having a central, visible presence is what makes these units effective in their communities. The Chief's plan stinks on ice.
shelley: link?
To the person who said the GLLU didn't solve crimes: they handled over 500 cases last year (2006), in all 7 districts, and spread out among only 5 officers.
Next time, do your research before posting.