D.C. auditor releases report on MPD Use of Force

 D.C. Auditor, Kathy Patterson, recently released a new report, The Durability of Police Reform: The Metropolitan Police Department and Use of Force, 2008-2015 at a press conference. The report, authored by former U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael R. Bromwich, evaluates whether the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has remained a “best in class” agency on use of force policy and practice. The review includes 38 recommendations to strengthen both policy and practice so that MPD continues to serve as a national leader. Speakers at the press conference, in addition to Patterson and Bromwich, included Police Chief Cathy Lanier and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. You may view the report in its entirety at dcauditor.org.
This is the first detailed look at the durability over time of use of force reforms mandated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) pursuant to its legal authority to investigate local police departments on civil rights issues, including use of force. The District entered into a voluntary agreement with DOJ to review MPD’s use of force after a 1998 series in The Washington Post documented more officer-involved fatal shootings in the District over a 4-year period than in other, larger departments. Bromwich served as the Independent Monitor for a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the District and DOJ, initiated by former Mayor Anthony Williams and former Chief of Police Charles Ramsey, and in effect from 2001 to 2008.
The current review found that MPD and its overall policies on use of force generally continue to be consistent with best practices in policing and with the provisions of the earlier MOA. At the same time, it identified some deficiencies that need to be addressed.
You may view the report in its entirety at dcauditor.org.