911: DC Police Accolades

[Guest guest]

I know this is coming kind of late, but I have been on

vacation the past several days and so not online as

much as I typically am. AFAIK, there are no DC dispatchers

on the list so I feel obligated to point out the good job that

department did on two separate occasions recently that drew

national attention.

The first was the demonstrations against the World Bank and the

International Monetary Fund. Everyone seemed to expect a repeat

of Seattle, but it just never happened. DC Police kept the city

functioning and the World Bank/IMF officials held their meetings

without interruption. Planning and joint cooperation with other

agencies accomplished this success. DC Police conceded some

intersections to the demonstrators at certain times but then

strictly enforced dispersal orders at other times. The headquarters

of the demonstrators was shut down for fire code violations. The

city stayed open altho Federal workers in the affected area were

given a couple of days off.

The DC police chief sought out and recd help from other police

agencies, both those located within the District and those of

surrounding jurisdictions in land and Virginia. The bridges

crossing over the Potomac River are in the District but responsibility

for them was delegated to other agencies, including Arlington County

Police whose officers where given special commissions with the US

Park Police to give them jurisdiction for the bridges connecting Washington

with the Virginia side of the river.

Even the Washington Post published an editorial endorsing the department

and its chiefs for the way the situation was handled.

The other incident was the shooting at the entrance to the national Zoo.

This one was personal. I have spent so many hours with family and

friends there. To think that there might be a danger of being shot while

there on a visit is just abhorent. Ahalf dozen kids shot in what was

reportedly a disagreement between members of two different gangs.

DC Police officers were on scene almost immediately after the shots

were reported and had the scene secure for DC Fire/EMS so they could

treat and transport the victims. The accused shooter was in custody with

24 hours of the shooting.

The DC Police Dept. has been knocked around a lot in recent years and

rightfully so in some cases, but they did themselves proud in these instances.

From a former DC Police dispatcher and a former Arlington County police &

fire dispatcher; --

-jackie

Jackie McElroy

y Creek Fire Dept.

Walt Disney World, Florida

(I speak for me and only me.)

http://www.reedycreekdispatch.webservepro.com

http://sites.netscape.net/mcjackie/index.html

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