Two weeks ago I declared a new beginning for the Metropolitan Police Department. As with any new beginning, there will be changes. These changes will be significant and far-reaching, but they will also be informed and carefully thought out. Over the next few months, I will be taking a series of steps to prepare the MPDC for the important changes that lie ahead. During this period, the focus will be on three key areas:
- Assessing the Critical Needs of the Community and the Department
- Building Leadership Capacity
- Developing a Plan of Action for the Future
As the first chief in three decades selected from outside the MPDC, I personally need to get a feel for the problems and issues facing our Department. I need to see and hear—first hand—what our strengths and weaknesses are, as well as those key areas where change is needed most. I plan to accomplish this by continuing to open up lines of communication within the Department and between the Department and the community. Much of the next few months will be spent hearing directly from those individuals with the greatest stake in our future: the members of the MPDC and our customers in the community. Only by assessing their needs and concerns can our Department lay a solid foundation for change.
In the meantime, our Department must continue to live in our current house, even as we work toward building a new and better structure. If there are immediate problems that need repair—and I know there are—I will make those short-term fixes that keep the MPDC moving forward. But our objective over the next few months remains steady: to get the MPDC ready for the significant changes that will take place in our policing philosophy and in how we provide service to the people of the District and in the organization itself.
Assessing the Critical Needs of the Community and the Department
In order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the MPDC, as well as those key areas where change is needed most, we will gather information using a variety of methods. These methods will include: open and candid discussions with Department members, community residents and key stakeholders; a review of existing information from reports and management studies; and third-party fact-finding activities. The outcome of this effort will be a detailed description of the nature and extent of MPDC problems. To achieve this outcome we will:
Assess Customer Needs
Conduct town hall meetings to identify the crime and disorder problems of most concern to the community, their opinions of current police service and their views on the role of police and community.
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