News Room February 25, 2002 FY2001 and FY2002 Performance (Cont.) Customer Service The last area I want to touch on this afternoon is customer service - because, when all is said and done, it is how well we serve the community that really matters. During February 2001, our Department conducted a comprehensive survey of recent crime victims.* The results of that survey have just been published. In many respects, the findings are encouraging. Seventy-nine percent of victims surveyed indicated that they were either very satisfied (that's 51 percent) or somewhat satisfied (28 percent) with the services they received from the MPD. We got particularly high marks on the quality of the initial responding officers - the compassion and concern they showed to victims. The survey also revealed, however, areas where we need improvement. In particular, victims reported that in following up on their cases, officers and detectives did not always offer victim compensation or crime prevention information - information that could help victims in the future. And the survey found that 13 percent of the victims interviewed were re-victimized during the ensuing 90 days from the original offense. So we clearly need to do a better job of empowering victims to prevent repeat victimizations and to access the resources they may need in the recovery process. One other area we continue to focus on in FY 2001 and 2002 is use-of-force reform. In June 2001, the District signed an historic Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Justice Department on implementing a comprehensive program of use-of-force reforms. This MOA codified many of the efforts we had already begun, and it identified some new areas for change. To ensure that we are fulfilling our end of the agreement, I promoted earlier this month an Inspector to head up our entire use-of-force reform effort. Among other responsibilities, he will manage a new Compliance Monitoring Unit that is charged with overseeing implementation of all aspects of our MOA. One other important step we have taken is the recent expansion of our Force Investigation Team. Previously, the FIT team focused solely on use of deadly force. Now, it is investigating incidents in which officers use less-than-lethal force as well. This expansion of the FIT unit will help us better investigate and monitor all use-of-force incidents, which in turn will help us with ongoing policy development, equipment acquisition and training. Use of force is one of the most important and sensitive aspects of our job as police officers. We have made tremendous strides in the last few years, and I fully intend to keep us moving forward in this area. Results The various programs and reform efforts I have touched on this afternoon are just part of the MPD's performance during the previous and current fiscal years. All of our efforts are geared toward the bottom-line goal of reducing crime and making our neighborhoods safer. 2001 presented unique challenges to our Department - with certainly the greatest and most unexpected being the terrorist attacks of September 11th. I am proud of how our Department responded to that challenge, while continuing to address crime problems in our neighborhoods. Preliminary figures for 2001 indicate reductions in five of the eight Index crime categories, including homicide, sexual assault and aggravated assaults. There were increases last year in robbery, burglary and stolen autos - crimes that we are now targeting through our PSA efforts and focused mission teams. Our city did experience a "spike" in crimes - including homicides - in the weeks immediately following the "Nine-Eleven" attacks. I am pleased to report that "spike" was apparently short-lived. Thus far in 2002, we have experienced reductions in seven of the eight major crime types, including homicide. This trend is particularly encouraging, for it has taken place even as our homeland security responsibilities have remained significant. This is an indication of our Department's ability - through hard work and effective management - to handle our additional responsibilities in the post-Nine Eleven world, without diminishing our primary commitment to neighborhood safety. The times ahead are bound to be even more challenging and unpredictable. But I believe we have in place the people, the infrastructure, the technology and the strategies to get the job done. I thank you for your strong oversight and your continued support. Page 6  of 6        1   2   3   4    5   6 * 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.