[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6638919,"mediaKeyId","2567668-67917274060b82f54049d95d39513e67","parentId",2567668,"title","Office of Police Complaints records all‑time high complaints in FY24; director urges funding, expanded authority","audioSeconds",4436,"startMs",664000,"endMs",5100000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2567668-67917274060b82f54049d95d39513e67&start=664&end=5100","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2567668-67917274060b82f54049d95d39513e67/thumbnail_664000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6638919/Office-of-Police-Complaints-records-alltime-high-complaints-in-FY24-director-urges-funding-expanded-authority","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638919-0e27babb5d2032d5fb086d2891e442ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157380&Signature=eI9iNtrAddQGYAxn3yZ1U4Nkk~2Pg-K8KSlnQbOnCHh1TmY7jEshJIVJix1~RAIga3kUVQWLSmdr8383hqcqgs-URscRfr4Q36dkgWsFx0vRuWvvJwGbXblpIH8GxFCg53S~BkqLDlzSV8bMq75fumDLrF3rd245gautGHGtVOJ9Tl0zfQsuj5G32SYA2-x8~d~TykRycCFzGl~xDAuXQobLKTzEzKgTjb707FklrPqKA3fq-V7TWTZkzG2lqy9-fx6U5wLgnwTBqN3REsRe7JPC05enZb9B2KeQevtg2eDnNgAy33XXfjgGWpokfECo6jQa3SFCEqQfp9nDcVrLxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","District of Columbia (Judiciary and Public Safety)","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Office of Police Complaints received a record 942 complaints in fiscal 2024, Executive Director Michael Tobin told the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety at a March 11 oversight hearing, stressing that the agency is operating with historically high caseloads and limited staff.

Why it matters: City oversight of police misconduct is both a check on department behavior and a public‑trust mechanism. Tobin and public witnesses told the committee that OPC needs additional funding and statutory authority to publish officer disciplinary records, make binding disciplinary recommendations, and expand proactive policy review. Without those changes, witnesses and OPC officials said the system leaves residents feeling unheard and limits civilian oversight.

Tobin, the agency’s executive director, told the committee that OPC recorded “an all time record high” of 942 complaints in fiscal 2024. He said OPC opened 423 new investigations on top of a backlog and conducted roughly 492 interviews last year, including compelled interviews of officers. Tobin said OPC resolved 83% of its investigations in fewer than 180 days and that the average case in 2024 took about 85 days from open to close; he attributed timelier work to staff effort and technology such as Axon body‑worn camera transcription tools that speed reviews.

Tobin laid out three priorities he said would improve oversight: (1) funding and publishing a public misconduct database so residents can see an officer’s complaint history; (2) statutory authority to make recommendations about the appropriate level of discipline when OPC finds misconduct; and (3) a funded role for the Police Complaints Board to review draft department policies before they take effect so the community can weigh in. He said two of those items have statutory language that was not funded.

Public witnesses backed Tobin’s plea for greater authority and funding. Kathy Henderson, an advisory neighborhood commissioner and 5D Court Watch coordinator, urged greater public use of OPC and stronger accountability, saying, “When it works, it works very well. And when it doesn't work, it doesn't work in a way that leaves residents feeling heard, seen, or that the issue that brought them to the complaint process was actually resolved.” Sheila Thomas, a former MPD officer, described delays she experienced when her arbitration and court steps stretched out and were affected by statutory changes. Brent Sullivan, a public witness, pressed the committee on why OPC has not investigated particular cases he and others raised; Tobin and committee members noted the office's statutory jurisdiction limits some investigations to Internal Affairs or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On funding and implementation, OPC fiscal officer Dan Proudfoot told the committee that three positions tied to statute changes were budgeted but not created in the payroll system; Tobin added that there were additional non‑personnel costs — notably software for a disciplinary database — and that some MPD budget commitments affect how quickly a fully functional public database and disciplinary‑recommendation process could be implemented. Tobin estimated modest non‑personnel development costs and said the department could implement the database in a fiscally responsible way if the council and executive act.

Tobin also reviewed OPC’s outreach and policy work: OPC reported more than 25 outreach events in 2024, five published reports last year (including guidance on involuntary emergency hospitalizations and protective pat‑down searches), and tracking of body‑worn camera compliance — which he said still shows a substantial minority of cases with some noncompliance (officers not notifying subjects, turning cameras on late or off early, or equipment problems).

What the committee asked for and next steps: Council members signaled they will review OPC’s funding requests as part of the budget process and asked staff for more detail about the costs and MPD’s role in implementing a disciplinary database. Tobin told the committee he is available to work on statutory changes, and Proudfoot said the budget for personnel exists in layers but the positions themselves have not been created.

Ending: The committee recessed OPC testimony after community witnesses and agency leaders spoke at length; members said they would take witness concerns into account in the coming budget deliberations and during continued oversight of how OPC and MPD implement complaint‑resolution and policy‑review reforms.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","District of Columbia (Judiciary and Public Safety) - Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety, Annual Oversight Roundtable, Brooke Pinto, Chairperson - Mar 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Office of Police Complaints received a record 942 complaints in fiscal 2024, Executive Director Michael Tobin told the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety at a March 11 oversight hearing, stressing that the agency is operating with historically high caseloads and limited staff.","taxTitle","Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Committees, Legislative, District of Columbia","taxId",15949,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6638915,"Chief Smith: Violent crime down 35% in 2024; MPD cites technology, task forces and partnerships while staffing and transparency remain concerns",9555,5081000,14636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2567668-67917274060b82f54049d95d39513e67&start=5081&end=14636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2567668-67917274060b82f54049d95d39513e67/thumbnail_5081000.jpg","/articles/6638915/Chief-Smith-Violent-crime-down-35-in-2024-MPD-cites-technology-task-forces-and-partnerships-while-staffing-and-transparency-remain-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638915-8c9c1e54f86930ab4ee22a106d167ec3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157380&Signature=j8qDS0vcRVVI3TlDZk4hak4DugsqOL84DqnBxxIvjfTpJf1tHL4LJWDf5~r7tRnu3P1LYevWcOijk6eMKKDKWDYzynYX483O068ybuLNBHDzQc~c2-siWUnowEuH7WlbVy~6b28zY~MznbYd5C-x912t7YDPtdmgCPrVMBee9QSKsb6dZe4t0Xzee-h-RSJUDMgGUo91xQeSDPSop1OKgZeQBmcgTt2BOC2jzSUN6JGg~h~FOwHWhMDCzikR~vdeqIbCWJbLKUO0NTVOcTC0YU9nrHDe92fhOmHMAJ6KoUd-w12hnKXg~NCLJcSW0E9ujQxdkrNByURyy~yB88~c6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith briefed the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on March 11, saying 2024 produced a historic decline in violent crime even as the department struggles to refill sworn ranks and answer public demands for accountability and transparency.

Why it matters: The department reported significant year‑over‑year drops in violent crime categories, but hearing witnesses and committee members pressed for answers on staffing, overtime use, the handling of sensitive evidence and public access to body‑worn camera video. Several public witnesses raised the high‑profile issue of two officers who were convicted, later pardoned, and then reinstated to MPD — a reinstatement that committee members said has eroded public trust.

Chief Smith told the committee that 2024 ended with a 35% reduction in violent crime overall compared with 2023, including a 32% drop in homicides, a 39% decline in robberies and nearly a 50% reduction in carjackings. Smith credited a mix of data‑driven operations and partnerships: Operation Thrive (a focused homicide reduction effort in neighborhoods such as Rosedale and Anacostia), a Robbery Suppression Initiative that recovered hundreds of firearms and generated arrests, a Carjacking Task Force, and an “Operation Atlas” quality‑of‑life effort that has removed stolen vehicles, recovered guns and issued citations.

Smith highlighted the department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), expanded surveillance camera deployments and new aerial resources as force multipliers. The chief told the committee the RTCC helped investigators to produce suspect images and surveillance leads rapidly, and cited a case in which RTCC video helped recover a murder weapon and arrest a homicide suspect.

Staffing and overtime:

- Chief Smith said MPD’s sworn strength was approximately 3,236 officers; she described the force as the lowest sworn level in decades and said recruitment and retention remain a top priority. The department reported an increase in recruit hires in 2024 and a larger cadet pipeline (132 cadets, with roughly 100 candidates in background checks).
- Union testimony from Gregory Pemberton, chairman of the DC Police Union, said membership has fallen to 2,953 and described sustained, very high overtime use. Pemberton told the committee that MPD used about 1,800,000 overtime hours in FY24 at an estimated cost exceeding $133 million and that hiring has lagged separations.

Community concerns, transparency and discipline:

Public witnesses across the ideological spectrum praised officers while also pressing for greater transparency and accountability. Multiple witnesses — including Kanithia Alston, who urged more transparency after her son’s 2018 death — criticized policies that allow officers to review body‑worn camera footage before writing reports and asked the committee to preserve exceptions for serious use‑of‑force incidents. Robert Becker of the D.C. Open Government Coalition charged that MPD resisted statutory disclosure requirements and that the department has been slow to produce full, unredacted video and disciplinary documents in some high‑profile cases. Melissa Millar from ZEDEC DC told the committee that MPD inconsistently accepts identity‑theft reports, which can harm victims seeking recovery; she cited D.C. law that she said creates a mandatory duty to take an identity‑theft report.

Reinstated officers and internal review: Several witnesses and council members pressed Smith over two officers who had been convicted in federal court of obstruction‑related charges tied to a 2020 incident, were later pardoned, and were subsequently reinstated to MPD. Smith said the criminal convictions were vacated or dismissed with prejudice after pardons and that MPD completed an internal policy review. She told the committee the department found administrative policy violations and is applying discipline consistent with MPD’s table of penalties; she said the two officers are not assigned to front‑line patrol and that they must complete required training and other conditions before returning to full duty.

Mental‑health and co‑response: Smith described MPD’s co‑response (CORE) teams — officers paired with behavioral health clinicians — and said the units have been deployed to crisis calls and, by her account, reduced arrests in those incidents.

Ending: Chief Smith asked for continued council support during the budget cycle to sustain expanded cameras, staffing priorities and technology investments. Committee members said they would follow up on staffing, overtime, transparency and the reinstatement discipline process during budget deliberations and further oversight hearings.","Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith told the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on March 11 that 2024 produced a 35% decline in violent crime compared with 2023 and credited targeted task forces, a real‑time crime center and technology — even as the department reports a multiyear staffing shortfall and faces public scrutiny over reinstated officers and transparency.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Office of Police Complaints records all‑time high complaints in FY24; director urges funding, expanded authority

Chief Smith: Violent crime down 35% in 2024; MPD cites technology, task forces and partnerships while staffing and transparency remain concerns