| Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs) |
| Q: |
When did
the new PSA boundaries take effect? |
| A: |
The new
boundaries began on Sunday, May 2, 2004.
|
| Q: |
How
many PSAs/districts are there? |
| A: |
The Department has reduced the number of PSAs from 83 to 45.
(Note that the original plan called for 44 PSAs; however, on
October 1, 2004, PSA 605 was divided in two, and a new PSA 607
was created.) There are still seven police
districts and three Regional
Operation Commands (ROCs), although 3D is now in ROC
North.
|
| Q: |
Have the
substations changed? |
| A: |
The old
"4D-1 Substation" on Park Road, NW—housing PSAs
301 and 302—is now called the 3D-1 Substation, and PSA
404 is now located at the ROC-North facility on Shepherd Street,
NW.
|
| Q: |
What
PSAs and districts are most affected? |
| A: |
All of the PSAs and most of the district boundaries have changed—the
only district boundaries that remained the same were those for
6D and 7D.
The largest changes were in the lower portion of 4D
(which is now in 3D),
and the western portion of 5D
(which is now in 1D).
|
| Q: |
Why are
the PSAs changing? |
| A: |
The DC
Council mandated a few years ago that the MPDC review the
PSA boundaries. During this project, the Chief of Police decided
that if we were going to change any boundaries, we might as
well make across-the-board changes to increase flexibility in
deployment decisions and better match PSAs to neighborhood boundaries.
|
| Q: |
Aren’t
the new PSAs too big? |
| A: |
Some
of the new PSAs are geographically large. The Chief has authorized
each commander, working with his captains and lieutenants, to
identify how best to manage patrol activities and accommodate
different community needs.
|
| Q: |
What was
the process for deciding how the PSAs would change? |
| A: |
The MPDC
first announced a public version of the proposed boundaries
at the Mayor's Crime Forum II in May 2003. The MPDC spent the
next 12 months soliciting comments on the changes from within
the Department, DC Council, and community leaders and members.
|
| Q: |
What is staffing like in the new PSAs? |
| A: |
Each PSA has at least one lieutenant. A captain oversees PSAs
that have two lieutenants. Each PSA (except for PSA 707, which
is largely comprised of Bolling Air Force Base) has at least
21 officers.
|
| Q: |
How were
decisions about staffing made? |
| A: |
The Office
of Organizational Development (OOD) analyzed crime and calls
for service information to determine estimates of workload by
geography. Staff then applied a consistent formula to determine
the number of officers, sergeants and lieutenants in each PSA.
There is approximately one sergeant for every nine officers,
one lieutenant for every four sergeants and three captains per
district. These recommendations were then reviewed, modified
and approved by the ROC assistant chiefs and the executive assistant
chief. Most of the assignment changes for the rollout involved
moving members from one PSA to a new PSA. Members were moved
based on geography—for example, members previously in
PSA 413 (Columbia Heights) are still working in that same neighborhood;
their PSA number has just changed to PSA 302.
|
| Q: |
Do
the PSAs have more officers as a result of the rollout? |
| A: |
In
late September 2004, the MPDC reached its authorized strength
of 3,800 officers, up from about 3,650 a year before that. Newly
hired officers are being assigned to the PSAs in order to meet
the staffing plan announced at the rollout of the PSA restructuring.
In addition, the Department is making progress in reducing the
number of officers on extended sick leave and limited duty,
which means more officers available for neighborhood patrols.
|
| Q: |
What are
the new responsibilities of PSA members? |
| A: |
The roles
and responsibilities of PSA members have not changed significantly.
PSA members are still responsible for answering calls for service
and for implementing the Policing
for Prevention (community policing) strategy within their
PSA.
|
| Q: |
How
are community meetings and PFP affected? |
| A: |
Again,
the restructuring of the PSAs has not resulted in dramatic changes
in the day-to-day activities of the PSAs. Each PSA is still
resopnsible for holding community meetings and engaging residents
in other ways, in order to further the Policing for Prevention
strategy within the community.
|
| Q: |
How can
citizens find out what new PSA they live/work in? |
| A: |
As part
of the citywide DC
Guide initiative, individuals can enter an address and find
out the police district and PSA in which address is located.
The DC Guide also provides information on a wide range of resources
available in the community near that address. In additions,
maps of the new district
and PSA boundaries have been posted on the MPDC website. Individuals
who do not have Internet access or aren't sure of their new
PSA can contact Anne C. Grant. |
| Q: |
To
whom can I direct additional questions about the boundaries? |
| A: |
Anne
C. Grant, Office of Organizational Development, can
be reached via email at anne.grant@dc.gov
or phone at (202) 727-0915. Her office is located at MPDC Headquarters,
300 Indiana Avenue, NW, Room 4152, Washington, DC, 20001. |
Agencies