We Stand With Chief Cathy Lanier

Over the past week or so, the crisis over the District of Columbia’s rapidly rising number of homicides and violent crimes appears to have reached a tipping point, in which the mayor and the chief of police find themselves under fire.

When Mayor Muriel Bowser announced new initiatives in response, the occasion turned into an unruly event, with protesters, including members of the national “Black Lives Matter” movement, attempting to counter the thrust of her proposals, such as increasing the number of police officers.

The protesters became vocal enough to cause Bowser to raise her voice above the din, saying, “I will not be shouted down or scared away.”

That was Thursday. On Friday, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier issued an “all hands on deck” order, meaning an increased police presence throughout the weekend. The crime stats were jarring, and not a little embarrassing given the large deployment of police officers. Two men were killed and eight people wounded in multiple shootings.

The deaths pushed the number of homicides in the District to 105, a 43 percent increase, matching the city’s total number of killings in 2014.

By then, the D.C. Police Union, which had been at odds with its chief over how to combat the violence, called for a no confidence vote for Lanier. On Aug. 31, it was announced that more than 1,100 members of the union voted that they had “no confidence” in the chief’s ability to manage the department and keep the public safe. Only 28 members voted “yes.” It should be noted that the union represents more than 3,600 officers.

The “no confidence” vote has no legal standing, but nonetheless increased tensions between the union and the chief and added to the crisis atmosphere.

On Monday, Bowser issued a statement that concluded: “I have every confidence in Chief Lanier.”

It should be clear by now that the D.C. is not alone. Other cities are facing similar surges. Like D.C., Baltimore has exceeded its 2014 total. There have been increases in Chicago, New York and elsewhere, confounding police and officials.

The factors contributing to the surge in the District are several and disputed. Police union representatives and a number of officers have protested the dismantling of vice units and disagreed with the chief over tactics for battling the violence. The mayor will present her proposals to the District Council soon.

In the meantime, the violence is not likely to stop, as was evidenced by the shootings over the last weekend of August. The wrangling between the union and the chief is not likely to stop either.

We have been impressed with Chief Lanier’s smarts, commitment and performance “under fire.” If she has made decisions that need to be revised or reversed, we believe that she will make whatever course corrections are required. We are therefore taking this opportunity to give her our vote of confidence.

We stand with Police Chief Cathy Lanier.