Metropolitan Police Department: New PSA Boundaries (effective May 2, 2004)

On May 2, 2004, the Metropolitan Police Department implements a major restructuring of its Police Service Areas (PSAs), a basic building block of community policing in the District of Columbia. The new structure is designed to enhance police services in DC neighborhoods and to increase community involvement in community policing. This is accomplished by aligning the PSAs more closely with DC neighborhoods, improving police coordination with other city services in addressing problems that impact crime, and by giving PSAs the staffing flexibility to fight crime more effectively at the neighborhood level. (View a summary of the key issues comparing the new PSA plan with the old structure.) The restructuring plan reduces the number of PSAs from 83 to 44, thus creating new boundaries for all of the PSAs as well as for several police districts. The plan was developed following extensive public discussion and a 60-day review by the DC Council.

Under the Policing for Prevention strategy, uniformed patrol officers are currently assigned to 83 Police Service Areas (PSAs). These 83 PSAs are organized into seven police districts, which are configured into three Regional Operations Commands (ROCs). PSA teams are led by a lieutenant, who is assisted by one or more sergeants. Working together, the PSA team (lieutenant, sergeants and officers) is responsible for responding to calls for service on the PSA and working with the community to identify and solve crime and disorder problems.

Over the past year, the MPDC has held a series of community meetings, as well as discussions within the Department, on the strengths and weaknesses of the current PSA structure. Based on an analysis of those meetings, as well as other data and information, the Department is changing the PSA structure. The PSA restructuring plan will:

Reduce the number of PSAs from 83 to 44. The boundaries of several police districts are also changing to support changes to the PSAs.

More closely align the PSAs with DC neighborhoods, so as to improve coordination with other city services and increase community participation in Policing for Prevention.

Establish a minimum number of officers for each PSA, but provide more officers in those PSAs with greater demands for neighborhood police service.

Support the PSAs, through greater staffing flexibility, in carrying out the full range of crime-fighting activities in DC neighborhoods, including answering calls for service, targeting crime "hot spots" and engaging the community in neighborhood problem solving.

Provide for strong and consistent leadership on all PSAs.

Maps and Staffing Levels

View a citywide comparison of the new and old PSA and police district boundaries.

Select an area on the map at right, or use the links below, to view the new PSA boundaries for that district.

Planned staffing* levels for the new PSAs.

* This document is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. Download a PDF reader or learn more about PDFs.