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October 2015 Newsletter
1. DC Police Union Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 6
1
CONTENTS
1. Engaging the Community
2. Integrity Versus Loyalty
3. AHOD Update
4. Dues Increase FY 2015-16
5. Politicians Control Your Wages
6. Quality Customer Service
Makes a Difference
OCTOBER 9, 2015 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 6
1
Engaging the Community
By: Marinos Marinos, Secretary
Since the beginning of the current Executive
Council’s term we have been trying to build
stronger ties with DC residents. Our first
mission was to complete CrimeDC.com, which
is an interactive website where citizens can
easily look up crime statistics for where
they live and work. The feedback we have
received from citizens has been very strong.
The citizens have told us how much they
appreciate CrimeDC and how much it helps
them learn about the surge in violent crime.
The Executive Committee has also built a
strong relationship with Advisory
Neighborhood Commissioners (ANC) across
the city. ANCs are valuable allies because
they have a strong line of communication with
both citizens and other elected officials.
Our newest initiative is to make sure the
underprivileged youth of the District have the
proper clothing for the upcoming winter
season. The D.C. Police Union has purchased
$1,000 worth of winter apparel and has sent
letters to citizens, businesses, and civic
groups asking for their assistance.
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The D.C. Police Union believes that by
showing the citizens of the District that
we care deeply about the community, it
will improve our relations with them. In
turn, citizens will be more inclined to
support the members of D.C. Police
Union, as we lobby for better working
conditions. Please keep in mind that we
want the Metropolitan Police
Department to be a desirable workplace
again, and we believe that a methodical
approach that engages the community
is the best way to experience this long-
lasting change.
Integrity Versus Loyalty
By: Delroy Burton, Chairman
Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier is
often portrayed by an admiring media as
an almost uniquely popular and effective
law enforcement leader, who has made
the District safer than ever by putting
together one of the most effective big
city police departments in the country.
Sometimes what is reported is the
result of spin and public relations rather
than fact. District police officers had an
opportunity in August to express an
opinion of Chief Cathy Lanier. Of those
who voted, 97.5 percent cast a “no
confidence” vote. The results were
released on Aug. 31 by the D.C. Police
Union shortly after Chief Lanier had told
a WAMU radio questioner that she
“was taking the vote seriously.” Her
attitude changed significantly once the
results were known, however,
demonstrating once again to those who
look to her for leadership why the vote
came out as it did.
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After the results were published, The Washington
Post weighed in supporting the chief, dismissing
the vote as “misguided” and questioning the
wisdom of the union in even holding such a vote
and three days later, publishing a piece by D.C.
Police Commander Ralph Ellis, one of Chief Lanier’s
staunchest allies within the department, titled
“Why I support Chief Lanier.”
The public had to have been confused by why
almost all of those who voted expressed no
confidence in such an effective leader, but any
attempt to tell “the other side of the story” was
ignored by many in the area media.
The Post’s editorial position could have been
predicted in advance as the paper’s editors have
backed her since she first became chief in 2007.
Whenever Chief Lanier’s integrity, judgment or
leadership has been questioned, The Post has
weighed in on her behalf. There are many reasons
for rank-and-file dissatisfaction with Chief Lanier’s
leadership, but the controversy surrounding her
decision to dismantle the department’s drug and
vice squads has been a major factor. The paper’s
Sept. 1 editorial dismissed the union’s criticism of
the chief’s decision to dismantle the District’s drug
squads, arguing that the squads had proven
ineffective and claiming that “drugs do not seem to
be a driving factor in the increase in homicides.”
The evidence suggests that the chief’s argument
on this score was more fantasy than fact. The drug
squads had been remarkably effective and anyone
familiar with the increase in violent crime in D.C.
and elsewhere knows better than to dismiss drugs
as a primary cause.
On Oct. 24, 2014, Chief Lanier issued a Teletype
message to the force (the teletype is part of an
internal communication system used to announce
department-wide changes or publications),
numbered TT-10-111-14. That message read the
following: “All District Vice Lieutenants shall ensure
that all current and ongoing vice operations are
closed out, or transferred to the Investigative
Services Bureau, Narcotics and Special
Investigation Division (NSID), by January 4, 2015.
On that date, all district drug enforcement
operations will be centralized and conducted out of
NSID. Additional details are forthcoming.”
And yet, on Aug. 26, the chief provided Mayor
Muriel Bowser “facts” on drugs and crime in the
District for inclusion in the mayor’s newsletter
alleging, among other things, that: “The productivity
of the vice units had dropped precipitously. In the
first four months of 2015, non-marijuana drug
arrests had decreased by 31 percent. Search
warrant and gun recoveries by these units were
also declining. Those were telling signs that we had
to modernize our approach and change our
tactics.”
Those of us on the force found this interesting. The
squads had been disbanded as of Jan. 4 and were
here being blamed for poor performance during
the next quarter. One can imagine the internal
reaction among officers familiar with what had
actually happened.
The facts according to the Department’s own
records, are that in 2014, the last year of their
existence, District vice units recovered 279 illegal
guns, executed 355 search warrants, made 3,960
arrests, and seized $292,289.68 in U.S. currency.
Officers who served in these units and our
colleagues on the streets were proud of these
statistics and were shocked both when the units
were disbanded and by the chief’s denigration of
those who put so much effort into making them as
effective as they were.
It was this performance on her part along with a
new deployment strategy that relegated police to
simply standing guard at light towers, standing
under tents handing out fliers, and being assigned
to fixed posts from which they were forbidden to
depart without the express permission of the
watch commander that led to the vote of no-
confidence.
Sadly, this was not the first time Chief Lanier has
been caught misleading the public or the D.C.
Council. When it was revealed that the department
had, provided a police escort for actor Charlie
Sheen, Chief Lanier made public and sworn
statements that the MPD provides escort to the
president, vice president and dignitaries only. After
investigating the incident, however, the inspector
general for the District of Columbia concluded,
contrary to Chief Lanier’s claims, the department
was almost routinely providing such escorts to
celebrities and sports teams.
It would be absurd to claim that Chief Lanier is
without friends or supporters within the
department, but those who have given her
outspoken support are officers who, like
Commander Ennis, have little experience on the
streets of the District, but who have been part of
her immediate staff. Loyalty is an admirable quality,
but not when it requires one to sell a false
narrative to the press and the public on behalf of
one’s superior.
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Volume 1, Number 6
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AHOD Update
2007: The first of a series of group grievance was
advanced to arbitration in July after efforts to
resolve the matters with the MPD failed. One of the
group grievances was briefed and we are awaiting
an award from the arbitrator.
2008: An arbitrator was recently assigned after
efforts to resolve the matter with the MPD
failed. The arbitration hearing is being scheduled in
the Fall 2015.
2009: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and prevailed in arbitration. The MPD did not
appeal the Arbitrator's decision. The MPD and the
Union are scheduled to return to the Public
Employees Review Board (PERB), so the PERB can
determine what type of payments should be
ordered for the Enforcement Order in DC Superior
Court.
2010: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and prevailed in Arbitration and was upheld by the
PERB Board. The MPD did not appeal the decision,
but refuses to pay the award and the matter is
currently before the PERB in an enforcement
proceeding.
2011: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and prevailed in Arbitration and was upheld by the
PERB Board. However, MPD appealed PERB's
decision, which is currently pending on appeal in
DC Superior Court.
2012: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and is scheduled for arbitration on January 8,
2016.
2013: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and is scheduled for arbitration on November 24,
2015.
2014: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and is scheduled for arbitration on November 18,
2015.
2015: The DC Police Union filed a Class Grievance
and is awaiting a date for arbitration.
Dues Increase FY 2015-16
By: Gregg Pemberton, Treasurer
As we wrap up fiscal year 2014-15, a number of
reviews and year-end reports will be created. As
the Treasurer of the DC Police Union, it’s my job to
evaluate our financial situation and determine the
health of our accounts, budgets, and coffers.
While the state of our accounts and budget are
excellent, and our overall performance fiscally is
well above par, there is one item that concerns
me—our legal budget. In 2011, a legal and political
assessment was voted on and approved by the
membership, doubling your dues and giving the
Union ample funding for legal matters like trial
boards, arbitrations, and medical retirement
challenges, along with monies to align ourselves
with political candidates that share our perspective
on how valuable police officers are in this city and
how to recruit, retain, and compensate them
competitively.
This funding was essential given the fact that top-
notch representation at trial boards, arbitrations,
and medical retirement appeals are tremendously
expensive. Any member that was subject to these
hearings was provided a highly effective attorney
affiliated with a powerful law firm and was able to
receive all the benefits of such representation and
in most cases, had a successful outcome.
That special legal and political assessment expired
over a year and a half ago in March 2014. While a
considerable balance remains from this
assessment, those funds are projected to be
depleted and the DC Police Union will be back to
operating on just revenue from our regular
membership dues. This means that we will have to
cut back on the amounts we spend on legal fees.
For example, members facing termination in a trial
board may have to be represented by a Union
official, not a law firm. Additionally, the number of
cases we elect to send to arbitration will have to be
attenuated considerably, diminishing our capacity
to put pressure on the department to act within
the contract and within the laws. Further, many of
you know members who have been improperly put
up for medical retirements. Legal resources for
those cases will also have to be reduced.
The other funding that will no longer be available
will be monies for political activity. While I know that
many members question getting involved in politics
and don’t always agree with certain positions of the
various parties, I have to say this: Politicians control
your … CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 …
4. DC Police Union Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 6
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… CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 … wages,
benefits, retirements, working conditions, and most
importantly, the person who is going to call
themselves the Chief of Police. In order to preserve
and improve those very important quality of life
issues, we as an organization must participate in
politics. It is the single most important thing we do
as a Union.
Our Union must be a factor in thirteen City Council
elections as well as the Mayoral and the Attorney
General elections. These positions control the level
of law enforcement services dedicated to the
community, how you do your job, and the benefits
you receive.
We must participate in order to effectively protect
the rights of our members and preserve everything
we have fought so hard to achieve for our
members and our chosen profession. We must
elect politicians who will support us and fight to
keep public safety a number one priority.
Political action gives us a voice when it comes to
the issues that are most important to public safety
and the safety of you and your loved ones. I know
that politics is distasteful to so many of us in law
enforcement. We have all chosen this profession
to protect and serve our community—not to play
politics.
But politicians have been using an unlimited supply
of taxpayer money to attack us. The result of the
last contract arbitration decision is a great
example. Creating a Political Action Committee will
allow us to command respect from our
government officials when they know we will have a
hand in campaigns and voting blocs.
A dues increase would allow us to create and fund
a Political Action Committee. We, of course,
understand that not everyone will want their dues
to go to political activity in DC government.
Because of this, each member would have the right
to opt out of the PAC donations. Everyone would
still be charged the same increased dues amount,
but those opting out of the PAC would have their
entire dues payment directed to the operating
budget and have none of their monies contributed
to the PAC fund. The PAC fund and the operating
budget will be completely separate accounts and
PACs are governed by very strict laws, reporting
requirements and oversight.
Secretary Marinos and I have been conducting
research on this topic and have compiled that data
for our members to review, comment upon, and
engage in an open, informed discussion.
In the attached charts, you can see where the DC
Police Union dues charges stand against 21 other
police unions in the country, including comparable
major departments like New York City, Chicago,
Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Las Vegas,
Phoenix, Boston, Seattle and several others. You
can see on the first chart labeled (CURRENT) that
the DC Police Union ranks second to last in amount
of dues collected. You can also see that most
agencies charge 1% or 2% of a top officer’s
salary, while DC Police Union takes 1% of a
starting officer’s salary. This puts our Union
$38.62 below the average dues amount collected
by large metropolitan unions.
On the second chart, labeled (PROPOSED), you can
see that going from 1% of a starting officer’s
salary to 2% of a starting officer’s salary puts our
Union at a position much more consistent with the
industry average while doubling our revenue. At
2%, members would be paying $41.34 cents per
pay period, just 84 cents above average.
Of that $41.34 bi-weekly contribution, $5.16 of
that amount (12.5%) would go into our PAC,
allowing us to fund an aggressive political agenda
geared toward improving the MPD for all
members.
While a doubling of the dues from 1% to 2% might
sound like a lot, I believe that $42 per check is a
reasonable amount to contribute to fund and
strengthen your Union.
Over the past six months, the DC Police Union has
been aggressively challenging MPD management
and District government leadership. You have
probably seen us in the media highlighting the
ineptitude and multiple failures of management.
These tactics have been successful, but the most
powerful part of our agenda has been
communicating to citizens about why the police
department is in a state of crisis. We’ve given
presentations at ANC meetings, civic groups, and
non-profit organizations. We’ve written articles for
blogs and list serves. And we’ve answered an
untold number of calls and emails due to our
community outreach; however, we could expand
this arm of our agenda exponentially literally
overnight with access to mainstream media like
commercials, billboards, sponsorship, and public
service announcement campaigns. Rallying the
support of the community, in my opinion, is by far
the most effective method to achieving our goals of
changing the direction of how this agency is
managed. Let’s just not fool ourselves into thinking
it can be done on the cheap.
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If you want to continue and expand this fight, it
must be well funded. Media appearances and
confidence votes are only the beginning of the
battle. We must continue with not only an
aggressive legal front handled by the best law firms
we can find, but also an unrelenting political and
social campaign to inform and rally citizens and
help to elect upstanding candidates that support
our positions. This is the only way we can move to
unseat the venality that is our command staff and
create a new and improved department that is the
pinnacle of policing, with the best trained and well
equipped police officers in the nation; along with
improving working conditions and enhancing our
compensation.
Because of these above stated facts, I am
proposing an increase from 1% to 2% of a starting
officer’s salary. This would make each member’s bi-
weekly contribution (after the 3% raise in October)
$41.34.
The Executive Council looks forward to all input
from our members. Please discuss your thoughts,
ideas, and criticisms with each other and with us.
Secretary Marinos and I will be accepting and
reviewing any emails from those that have
questions or suggestions. Please put “DUES
INCREASE” in the subject line so we can
appropriately review and respond to them in a
timely fashion.
We will be visiting roll calls and specialized units
over the next month to try to inform and have
discussions with as many members as we can. You
can expect an online vote in the next 4 to 6 weeks.
Politicians Control Your Wages
By: Marinos Marinos, Secretary
(With Orange County Sheriff’s Union)
Politicians control your wages, benefits,
retirements and working conditions. In order to
preserve and improve those very important quality
of life issues, we as an association must participate
in politics. It is the single most important thing we
do as an association.
It is time to make the DCPU Political Action
Committee our priority. Political action gives us a
voice when it comes to the issues that are most
important to public safety and you and your loved
ones. I know that politics is distasteful to so many
of us in law enforcement. We have all chosen a
profession to protect and serve our community --
not to play in the world of politics.
Unfortunately, we must participate in politics in
order to not only ensure our communities and
families are safe from the ever-present threat from
criminals, but to effectively protect the rights of our
members and preserve everything we have fought
so hard to achieve for our members and our
chosen profession. We must elect politicians who
will support us and fight to keep public safety a
number one priority.
Our Union must be a factor in thirteen City Council
elections. The Mayoral election and the Attorney
General control the level of law enforcement
services dedicated to the community and how you
do your job and the benefits you receive.
Elections are expensive. Participating in these
countywide races can cost upwards of $1 million
dollars -- for each race. We simply cannot sit
around and hope that the people in power do the
right thing.
Politicians have been using an unlimited supply of
taxpayer money to attack us. The last contract
arbitration decision is a great example. Bolstering
our PAC will force politicians to use their own
money if they choose to continue to attack.
The problems we face today and will face in the
future are political problems. They require a
political solution. We must remain united.
*Research of the PAC provided with the
assistance of Orange County Sheriffs Association
Quality Customer Service
Does Make A Difference
By: Hiram Rosario, 7D Chief Steward
The DC Police Union does not interfere with
Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) rights to
manage. However, District of Columbia (DC),
residents, visitors, business owners, and members
of MPD deserve better. I strongly believe that
Quality Customer Service shall be for all, and not
for some. While, I recognize that the majority of us
provide Quality Customer Service, there may not a
small number of people that forget the importance
of Quality Customer Service. Our primary
customers, which are our citizens, deserve better.
Let me start out with the information that MPD
provides to the citizens which in many cases is not
factual. … CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 …
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… CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 … Because,
providing anything other than factual information is
bad customer service. As professional police
officers, we are held to higher standards. But, too
bad that we cannot say the same for most of the
MPD’s command staff, some of DC elected
officials, and the mayor.
As Union officials we continue, and are committed
to providing our citizens with Quality Customer
Service. But, we are also committed to ensuring
that the rank and file also receives Quality
Customer Service from MPD. I guess that some
individuals may forget that the rank and file
members are also customers, we are internal
customers. I would like to see that the Customer
Service that we get is the same Quality Customer
Service that we provide to our citizens. However, as
we know that is not always the case, because in
many instances the Customer Service provided to
out rank and file members some garbage.
I have to say that happy employees do make a
difference, and in any organization where there is
good practice of providing Quality Customer
Service internally is usually likely that it leads to
the internal customers providing Quality
Customer Service to the their external
customers.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP),
CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS and
TESTING, Part III (Basic Customer Service
Requirements), provides in part, that: “Every
member, regardless of rank, grade or assignment,
is responsible for providing the highest quality of
customer service. Failure to do so may result in
adverse action up to, and including, removal from
the position.”
General Order GO-PER 201.35, (CUSTOMER
SERVICE STANDARDS and TESTING), Part I
(Background), provides in part, that:
The very essence of police business is service.
Every member of the Metropolitan Police
Department (MPD) provides a service – to the
public or a fellow member of the department.
The quality of the service provided defines
whether the action taken was successful.
Every contact between a sworn officer or a
civilian member and the community
determines the public perception of the
Metropolitan Police Department. The
overwhelming majority of MPD members are
professional and courteous in their
communications with others. They understand
that every phone call, visit, and request for
service demands the highest professional
standard.
This General Order and the corresponding
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for
Customer Service sets down the minimal
expectations of all members when
communicating with the public and other
members of the department. It is based on the
simple principles of common courtesy.
MPD employee performance in implementing
customer service standards will be evaluated
by internal and external customer service
checks.
Hiram Rosario, 7D Chief Steward, can be reached
at (202) 276-7115.