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LATINO CIVIL RIGHTS FACT SHEETS

Fact Sheet:

Police Interaction with the Latino Community

 

  1. In a customer satisfaction survey, officers in the Third District, which includes Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights and has the largest concentration of the District’s Latino population, received the lowest composite score in any police district for officer demeanor. Residents also gave police the lowest score for job performance in this district. Third District residents were second-most likely to report that police misconduct was “an issue”, coming in behind only District Seven in Anacostia.

 

  1. In 1999, the second greatest number of arrests in any police district took place in the Third District. The Third District held a similar position in the number of arrests during 2000 and the first quarter of 2001.

 

  1. The total number of arrests by the MPD decreased from 1999 to 2000, but during the same period the number of arrests of Latinos increased 25% from 1275 to 1590.

 

  1. After a time period in which no external process for a review of citizen complaints existed, the new Office of Civilian Complaint Review became fully functional in January 2001. During its first nine months of operation, the OCCR received 308 formal complaints, including 14 complaints from Latinos.

 

  1. Under 5% of the MPD’s workforce is Latino, whereas Latinos constitute at least 8% of the District’s population. New MPD hires in 2000 were only 3.67% Latino.

 

  1. Since 1998, no senior management position, including the Chief of Police, Executive Assistant Chief, Regional Assistant Chief or Assistant Chief has been held by a Latino. There is currently only one Latino Commander in the MPD, and there have been no Latino promotions to this position since 1998. There is no Latino representation at the Inspector level. There are two Latino Captains but again there have been no promotions to this position since 1998. Since 1998, the number of Latino Lieutenants has decreased by one to five Latinos, and no Latinos have been promoted to this position since 1998.

 

  1. Only one certified Spanish-speaking employee is employed as a 911/311 operator. During a recent three-month period, for example, a commercial language assistance line was used 117 times to assist Spanish-speaking callers.

 

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