Communities are what make our Nation's Capital great. Across the city, residents with a wealth of diversity and talent are transforming their neighborhoods into places where children, senior citizens—all people—can live without fear. The community and the Metropolitan Police Department have the same mission: to prevent crime and the fear of crime as we work with others to build safe and healthy neighborhoods throughout the District of Columbia.

The Police Service Area model, implemented in 1997, supports the Department's policing strategy—Policing for Prevention. This strategy works to prevent crime through problem solving partnerships among community, police, and other city agencies.

Beginning in 1998, we set out to train police, city agency representatives and residents in our Partnerships for Problem Solving process. Now the success stories are pouring in as community residents work with police and other city agencies to eliminate crime and disorder problems in their neighborhoods.

What can you do to get involved? The answer is simple: organize your community to take action. Attend your Police Service Area's monthly community meetings and bring a neighbor. Offer your resources to the community groups in your area.

Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Sometimes the first step can be as simple as picking up a broom to clean the streets and sidewalks in front of your home. One person with a broom can set the example for the whole neighborhood.

Our policing strategy is about working with community to prevent crime; not just to catch the criminals after the fact. Explore the links in this site to learn more about Policing for Prevention and how you can get involved to help make each and every neighborhood in our city a great place to live, work, and visit.

Charles H. Ramsey
Chief of Police