Metropolitan Police Department: Review of the MPD Recruitment, Deployment and Outreach in the Latino Community-Page 1

Review of the MPD Recruitment, Deployment and Outreach in the Latino Community (Cont.)

Charles H. Ramsey
Chief of Police
Metropolitan Police Department

Chief Charles H. Ramsey delivered the following statement to the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Latino Affairs and Property Management, the Honorable Jim Graham, Chair, Committee on the Judiciary, the Honorable Kathy Patterson, Chair, Council of the District of Columbia on July 11, 2002.

Chairman Graham, Chairperson Patterson, guests and staff … thank you for the opportunity to present this prepared statement, prior to answering your questions on this important topic. As a reminder to you and our viewers on Channel 13, the complete text of my testimony will be posted on the Metropolitan Police Department's website: mpdc.dc.gov.

The Metropolitan Police Department has a long tradition of diversity within our own ranks and of working to provide quality, community-oriented services to the District's many diverse communities. Today, the Metropolitan Police Department remains the most diverse major city police department in the nation - and the most reflective of the communities it serves. I recognize that, compared with the District's Latino population, our force remains underrepresented with Latino officers. I also recognize that we have a lot of work to do in enhancing our services to, and strengthening the bonds of trust with, Latino residents. My overall message today is that the MPD is strongly committed to both of these goals - to recruiting, hiring and retaining more Latino officers, and to improving our level of service. My testimony outlines some of programs and reforms we have undertaken.

I do want to offer one caution, however: As we strive to enhance diversity and improve service, we need to avoid the tendency to "compartmentalize" police services. I strongly reject the notion that only Latino police officers can effectively police Latino communities … just as I reject the idea that only black officers can police predominantly black communities, or only white officers can police predominantly white communities. Yes, our Latino communities present unique challenges for the police, in terms of language, culture and other potential barriers. And we are committed to meeting those challenges through a variety of hiring, training, deployment and outreach strategies.

But in the long run, we will best meet the challenges of policing a diverse city by maintaining a diverse, well-rounded, well-trained community-oriented police force.