|
April 10, 2003
Emergency Preparedness in the Nation's Capital
Charles H. Ramsey
Chief of Police
Metropolitan Police Department
Chief Charles H. Ramsey delivered the following statement to the United States House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, the Honorable Tom Davis, Chairman, on April 10, 2003.
Mister Chairman, Congresswoman Norton, other members of the Committee, staff, and guests – thank you for the opportunity to update you on the state of emergency preparedness in the District of Columbia from the perspective of local law enforcement.
Through the leadership and efforts of many people – including the President, the Congress, members of this Committee, Mayor Williams and his Administration, and, especially, our police officers – I feel very confident today in stating that law enforcement in our region is better prepared than ever before, for a large-scale emergency – whether that emergency be a terrorist attack, a natural disaster or something else. I base that assertion not on wishful thinking or over-optimistic reports from other people; I base it on my own personal involvement with the emergency preparedness process over the past 19 months. Law enforcement in our region recognizes that the stakes are very high. We understand and appreciate the need for cooperation, coordination and information-sharing. And most of all, we have pulled together as never before around a common goal and mission – securing the homeland by protecting our nation’s capital.
That is not to suggest that we have somehow completed our work in this area. We have not. The emergency preparedness and law enforcement arena continues to change very rapidly, and we in law enforcement need to remain vigilant and flexible in our response. But I am pleased that, even as conditions continue to change, we have built a solid foundation among the law enforcement community in the DC area – a foundation of trust, cooperation and partnership that will serve us well for years to come.
My testimony today will discuss law enforcement developments in five critical areas related to emergency preparedness in our region.
- First is cooperation among various agencies and governments.
As I said, I am very pleased with the depth of cooperation that exists among law enforcement in this region. I know that major city police chiefs in other parts of the country have, at times, expressed frustration with their relationships with their local FBI field offices and other federal agencies. But thanks to the leadership of Assistant Director in Charge Van Harp of the FBI Washington Field Office, as well as other federal officials in our region, our experience here in DC has been just the opposite. Here in our region, communication and cooperation are taking place at the executive level, at the senior manager level and at the operational level.
The MPD is actively involved in both the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Anti-Terrorism Task Force. Our Department’s Joint Operations Command Center continues to serve as a critical communications and operational hub connecting various federal and local agencies during periods of heightened alert or for major events such as the anti-war and anti-globalization protests expected this upcoming weekend. And I am in regular contact with Assistant Director Harp, and receive timely information and support from the WFO.
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5  |
