Welcome Message from Chief Cathy L. Lanier   Welcome to the website of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. I am excited and honored to serve as chief of police in our Nation’s Capital. And I am committed to making Washington, DC, a safer, more livable and better prepared city for our residents, workers and visitors alike.   Working together, we have made a lot of progress over the past several years in driving down the District’s crime rate and lifting up the hopes and spirits of our residents. But there is still a long way to go before we have achieved our goal of having a city in which every resident, in every neighborhood, can feel safe and secure. Getting there will require that police and community work even more closely and more cooperatively than ever before. This website is just one of many ways in which the Metropolitan Police Department is working to engage the community in the type of dialogue and information exchange that are critical to our success.   On our website, you will find a host of information about the MPDC, as well as many features that allow you to get directly involved in the safety of your community. Our News Room includes all MPDC news releases, as well as newsletters and statements. You can sign up to receive email alerts on MPDC news releases and newsletters through the DC Docs service. On our website you can also find a variety of statistics regarding recent crime and police activity. And through our online Crime Mapping application, you can now create maps and other graphical displays of crimes taking place in your neighborhood or anywhere else in DC.     Our website includes calendars showing the times and locations of Police Service Area (PSA) and other meetings, as well as rosters and contact information for each of the seven police districts and other units in the Department. An online Sex Offender Registry, extensive safety tips and traffic safety information are just a few of the other features on our site.  And, of course, for those individuals interested in becoming part of the Metropolitan Police Department, you can find out about career opportunities – both sworn and civilian – and even submit your police officer application online. Thank you for your interest in the MPDC and the safety of your community. The Internet and related technologies will never replace the need for our police officers to be out in the community, working face-to-face with residents, community leaders, business owners and others. But these technologies can help bring people together, and they can enhance our ability to fight crime and solve neighborhood problems. I hope you find our website interesting and useful, and I hope you come back often, as new content and features are added regularly. And, of course, I welcome your thoughts and ideas on how we can improve our website and police operations in general. Cathy L. Lanier Chief of Police