Matthew J. Fitzgerald currently serves as commander of the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) in the Metropolitan Police Department's Homeland Security Bureau. The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) is a dedicated space staffed 24/7 with personnel responsible for monitoring and responding to criminal activities as they occur. Fitzgerald was promoted to to commander by Police Chief Pamela A. Smith on January 5, 2024.
Commander Fitzgerald began his career with the Metropolitan Police Department in April 2012. After graduating from the academy, he was assigned to the Sixth District and the following summer was assigned to PSA 602 to assist with the Summer Crime Initiative of 2013. In April 2015, Fitzgerald was assigned to the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division where he utilized intelligence led policing strategies while deploying citywide. He employed various investigative methods to effectively suppress violent crime while working with internal and external partners. He successfully recovered illegal firearms and engaged in precision-based law enforcement to reduce violent crime in the most affected communities. During this assignment, Fitzgerald received a medal of achievement for responding to a shooting with several team members where he rendered first aid and helped save the life of a young victim. In April 2016, he was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to the First District where he worked in the Nightlife unit as the Chinatown supervisor. This 18-member unit comprised of proactive officers, helped achieve double digit reductions in violent crime, earning a Unit citation. Fitzgerald also conducted emergency response and Metro Transit active shooter training and mentored newer officers on patrol.
In June 2019, he was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the Fourth District. He simultaneously managed the Fourth District administrative office and Sector 1 patrol operations. He also served as an incident commander during multiple critical incidents. Fitzgerald implemented crime plans and deployment strategies that were focused on crime reduction through community engagement and developed strong relationships with community members and outside agency partners. During the pandemic, he also developed a young group of newly promoted evening sergeants. As a lieutenant, while managing PSA 403, his PSA received the award for PSA of the Year for 2021. Additionally, Fitzgerald was the Civil Disturbance Unit 41 Platoon Leader, responsible for leading the unit through numerous deployments of First Amendment activities, civil unrest, and directed mass arrests during the Insurrection on January 6, 2021. As platoon leader, his unit received a ribbon of valor for their response to the Capitol.
Promoted to captain and assigned back to the Sixth District in October 2021, Matthew Fitzgerald helped manage the Minnesota Avenue Corridor Taskforce initiative and managed the Homicide Reduction Partnership initiative, which seeks to bring a cohesive approach to combatting violent crime in Sector 3, encompassing PSA’s 603 and 604. He also managed all Special Mission units within the Sixth District, which included Crime Suppression, Auto Theft, Environmental Crimes, Civil Disturbance Unit, and the Hotspot Patrol program. During the fall of 2021, he led the Sixth District Fall Crime Prevention Initiative, which resulted in significant crime reduction along the Minnesota Avenue Corridor. These results led PSA 603 to receive the Sixth District’s overall crime reduction award.
He was promoted to inspector in March 2023 and assigned to the Sixth District, which encompasses the Northeast (east of the Anacostia River) and Southeast quadrants of the city and is home to the Kenilworth, Deanwood, Capitol View, Ft. DuPont, Penn Branch, Marshall Heights, Benning Road, and Hillcrest communities. He moved to the Homeland Security Bureau in November 2023.
Matthew Fitzgerald received his Bachelor of Arts in May 2008 and graduated from the DC Police Leadership Academy in January 2023.