D. C. POLICE CHIEF RAMSEY’S DEPARTURE LEAVES LEGACY OF GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT

  As the New Year will soon be ushered in, Chief Charles H. Ramsey of the
Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D. C. will be ushered out of his
job even though he would like to have remained in his position. Mayor-Elect
Adrian Fenty has decided to replace Ramsey with a female commander, Cathy
Lanier, who has been on the force sixteen years. Ramsey , with thirty-eight years
of law enforcement experience behind him, is the longest serving police chief in
the nation’s capitol and is a chief who has been widely respected both in the
Washington Metropolitan region and throughout the country.


                                               Chief Charles H. Ramsey, MPD, DC

Ramsey had a challenging yet rewarding job during his tenure in the
department. He was constantly faced with high homicide rates and other rising crime statistics that needed his expert attention. Being street smart and
experiential savvy, Ramsey knew what needed to be done and he did it. He was
always assertive and proactive in tackling the crime problem even if it meant
making, at times, unpopular decisions.

This past summer (2006), when he instituted a crime emergency, he placed all officers on a six-day workweek with days off cancelled. He saturated the city with extra officers and had an increased visible presence that sent the proper message to both the criminals
and residents of the community. The effects of this detail proved beneficial because crime diminished.

Chief Ramsey has always been a proponent of community policing, and he
instituted specialized units that focus on key population groups that have unique problems related to their individual neighborhoods and the broader community.  He began the Gay Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) and appointed Sgt. Brett Parson—an openly gay cop—to lead the unit. The unit made tremendous progress in alleviating the community’s lack of trust and perpetual fear of the police. The motto of the unit is, “We come to you”.  Proactive in their community policing approach, crime was significantly reduced and members of that community now accept the police and understand they are there to help. The unit recently was distinguished by receipt of the Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University’s Ash Institute.  It was recognized for creating a model for community policing and reaching out to an under-served community.

Chief Ramsey was also instrumental in developing-- in cooperation with the U. S.Holocaust Museum-- a Holocaust education program for police officers titled, “Law and Society”.  He understood the necessity of this type of a program for the Metropolitan Police Department that has now expanded to more than 20,000 officers and recruits throughout the United States.  This program provides officers a poignant awareness and realistic education concerning the history of the Holocaust and the role of the German police in the murder and prosecution of Jewish people.  This program reinforces critical awareness of the need for
officers to respect life and treat individuals with dignity and respect coupled with the requisite human rights involved in law enforcement duties.

Chief Ramsey played an instrumental role in working collaboratively with other agencies and jurisdictions. In the Washington-Metropolitan region, he engaged in a cross-borders initiative with Prince George’s County, Maryland in which his department conjointly worked with officers in that jurisdiction to combat crime that encompassed gang and drug activity.  Officers from the respective departments were able to cross over the border of their neighboring jurisdiction to make arrests and combat the crime that mutually affected each community.  Moreover, Ramsey played a critical role during the D. C. regional sniper attacks, anthrax incidents, and terrorism attack at the Pentagon on September
11, 2001.  He was always cooperative and willing to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement officials. Though Chief Ramsey always had his finger on the pulse of what was happening in the nation’s capitol, he also kept a broader focus on issues, both regionally and nationally, that could impact the public safety of the city.

During Chief Ramsey’s tenure as the top cop in the District of Columbia, he made significant strides in restoring respect to the Metropolitan Police Department .  The reputation of the department has surged because of his leadership, and anyone who works for the agency can now be proud to say so. Chief Ramsey enriched his department and also the city, the surrounding region, and the nation as a whole and, for that, he deserves profound gratitude.

His legacy will be remembered as one of unrelenting achievements and proud
accomplishments.

Copyright 2006 Karen L. Bune


***Karen L. Bune is a Victim Specialist in the State’s Attorney’s Office for Prince
George’s County, Maryland. She is also an Adjunct Professor at George
Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and at Marymount University in Arlington,
Virginia where she teaches victimology.  Ms. Bune is a nationally recognized
speaker and consultant on victim issues. She is Board Certified in Traumatic
Stress and is a Diplomate and Fellow of the Academy of Experts in Traumatic
Stress.  She appears in the 2007 edition of Marquis “Who’s Who in the World.” 
She can be reached at kbune@gmu.edu


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