Dateline: Washington, D.C.

One of the more disturbing complaints we received by email, also outlined as a comment on our website is from a DC citizen who is accusing an OUC supervisor of sending harassing and threatening text messages by way of her government issued cell phone. She also informed us that you were previously advised of this matter but have yet to take any punitive action.

https://theconcernedcitizen.net/2016/07/07/seriously-chief-dean/#comment-175,

The HR officials we contacted advised that several supervisory employees at the OUC, as well as other agencies in the District, were previously terminated for unbecoming conduct involving the misuse of their government issued phones. They also stated that supervisory government officials are held at a higher standard of integrity and should never participate in this type of activity on or off the job.

So, concerned citizens would like to know how you plan to proceed if the accusation is in fact true? We ask because city residents will most surly suffer another undue tax burden if a suit is filled and won by those former city supervisors, who were in fact terminated under similar circumstances, when they learn that the same disciplinary action “Was Not” rendered in this case.

Incidents like this can easily turn out to be another embarrassing mark on the City, the Mayor, and her administration. Remember, full disclosure and accountability in DC government is fundamental and a core value.

ps. we recently emailed the Director for her comment before this publication; however, she has yet to respond.

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Hey folks, before we get started reading all your email, we felt the following incident needed to be shared. Click both links to watch the entire video and read the comments. Twitter is at 5000+ hits and still counting…

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/191738331-story – https://twitter.com/MacAndCheeks/status/765273920266235906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The actions of the police officer seen in the video above are a perfect example of why African American, Hispanic, and other minorities across the United States of America don’t trust the police.

Chief Lanier, is “Dangling” a new form of interview technique being taught now at the Police Academy? It wasn’t when I was on the job, and it seems as though “Community Policing” is dead in the District of Columbia.

This little lady obviously posed no threat to that officer or anyone else. But even if she was a prostitute like he thought or had committed some type of offense, when did hanging a suspect on the side of a squad car like you hang a painting on the wall become an authorized interview technique? What happened to this officer’s common decency and respect toward another human being, attributes that all police officers are supposed to exhibit? If DC police officers want respect they need to give respect regardless of a citizen’s race, creed, color or station in life, especially in these troubled times.

At the very least, this police officer abused his power of authority and exhibited behavior unbecoming in my opinion. Our staff lawyer seems to think that he may even be guilty of assault. Officers like this will only serve to place a dark cloud over the entire Metropolitan Police Department, and our city could eventually erupt in the same type of civil unrest, rioting, and violence witnessed now in other cities across the country.

Most certainly the District of Columbia will end up using our tax dollars to pay for damages awarded in any law suit that may result from this incident. This type of law suit hurts our city’s credibility, not to mention the hit taken by city residents in the form of increased taxes to pay for the senseless mistakes of city officials. The folks on Capitol Hill are probably sitting back, looking at this incident and other issues of governmental abuse and agency mismanagement across the city, laughing among themselves in private saying “so DC wants statehood, that’s a joke”.

Mayor Bowser, DC residents don’t want this type of policing to be allowed to permeate in the Nations Capital as it has in so many other cities across the country, so we urge you to send a swift and decisive message in this case by ordering the immediate termination of the officer seen in the video above. A posthaste and expeditious action on your part will serve to warn every sworn member of the Metropolitan Police Department that this type of aggressive activity will certainly Not be tolerated, and may ultimately incur prosecution under the law.

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Filed under: Public Service

WMATA General Manager, Paul Wiedefeld, announced in an in-house email, that the firing of 20 non-union managers Friday, in what the agency’s top executive described as a step toward “restructuring”, was effective immediately. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said those terminated managers were among approximately 650 “at-will” employees of the transit agency, meaning they could be let go at the general manager’s discretion.

It appears that DC finally has at least one Agency Head/Public Servant who has the courage to due the right thing for the safety of our citizens and visitors who use the transit system daily to traverse the Nation’s Capital.

The Concerned Citizen applauds and supports Mr. Wiedefeld for taking this decisive and long overdue action.

Filed under: Public Service

Today, as DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx considered issuing an order to shut down the entire subway system, Metro’s new GM, Paul Wiedefeld, met with 650 of the agency’s mid and senior level managers in a closed door meeting. During the meeting, he ordered them to put safety first.

Weidefeld told his managers that certain phrases being stated such as; “They didn’t tell me”, “That’s not the way we do it”, and “This is the way its always been done” are now banned from Metro vocabulary.

At the close of the meeting, a flyer was handed out to each manager as he or she walked out and he reminded them that they are At-Will employees who can be terminated at any time without notice.

As Wiedefeld was leaving, he told members of the press that Metro managers now know exactly where I’m coming from. I laid out very specifically the types of things I’m expecting, so if they can manage to that level fine. If they can’t, they’re probably not a good fit for Metro and will be let go. The Concerned Citizen has learned that some managers are already pounding the pavement.

Maybe now Metro will finally turn a new leaf with Paul Wiedefeld at the helm.

Filed under: Public Service

On Thursday, January 7, 2016, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the appointment of Karima Holmes as interim Director of the DC Office of Unified Communications, better known as DC-911.

In a public hearing held today, by the Committee on the Judiciary, regarding resolution PR21-0545, Karima Holmes was confirmed as Director, to serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.  Congratulations!

Ms. Karima Holmes, Director, DC Office of Unified Communications.

Filed under: Public Service