She sounds about as on top of things as that lady who was in charge of New Oreans police when the car ramming attack happened, and sounded unaware that barriers exist to prevent an attack like this. Trump is putting a stress test on everything, and everyone. He will likely specifically target those he considers a DEI hire, which of course he does with Smith. Sometimes Trump might even be right.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith walked into the Seventh District station Tuesday night to take questions from rank-and-file officers for the first time since President Donald Trump seized control of her department.
Many officers hoped that Smith, after more than a week of near silence, was there to make clear she was still their boss and not subordinate to the White House.
Instead, Smith was soon joined by a cadre of Trump administration officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole, the man whom Trump had named to displace her. The meeting further muddled the chain of command, officers said in interviews, as D.C. police struggled to understand who, if anyone, was actually in charge.
“Everyone is still wondering who the chief is,” said one D.C. police officer, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional retribution, “because it doesn’t appear to be her.”
This account of a department in turmoil is based on interviews with a dozen current and former D.C. police officers, as well as half a dozen officials at the White House, the mayor’s office and elsewhere in city government. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters and because of the tense relationship between D.C.’s elected officials and the federal government.
The question of who is in command of the D.C. police department is central to an existential fight over the future of Washington, as the White House and D.C. government vie for control. The Trump administration last week tried to effectively replace Smith with Cole, leading D.C. officials to go to court to keep its chief in charge.
Smith, as a central figure in that struggle, has emerged as a symbol of the city’s independence. In an interview, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser strongly defended the chief, whom she handpicked just two years ago.
But at times during the past two weeks, the chief has disappeared amid the pressure and alienated her staff, 10 current and former police officers said in interviews.
Even before the federal incursion began, criticism of Smith within the department had mounted, and some officers who had initially supported Smith turned against her.
Smith became known for berating her staff at crime briefings and meetings of the command staff and executive staff, embarrassing commanders over minor missteps or behavior she perceived as a slight to her authority, eight current or former D.C. police officers said.
Smith transferred high-ranking officials to less desirable shifts and positions after they raised concerns about her policies, moves that some of the rank and file perceived as retaliatory and resulted in a chilling effect across the department, according to three current and formerofficers.
The challenge that hit the department with Trump’s Aug. 11 order asserting federal control amplified those concerns — though some officers sympathized with the difficulties of her position.
WaPo
D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith walked into the Seventh District station Tuesday night to take questions from rank-and-file officers for the first time since President Donald Trump seized control of her department.
Many officers hoped that Smith, after more than a week of near silence, was there to make clear she was still their boss and not subordinate to the White House.
Instead, Smith was soon joined by a cadre of Trump administration officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole, the man whom Trump had named to displace her. The meeting further muddled the chain of command, officers said in interviews, as D.C. police struggled to understand who, if anyone, was actually in charge.
“Everyone is still wondering who the chief is,” said one D.C. police officer, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional retribution, “because it doesn’t appear to be her.”
This account of a department in turmoil is based on interviews with a dozen current and former D.C. police officers, as well as half a dozen officials at the White House, the mayor’s office and elsewhere in city government. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters and because of the tense relationship between D.C.’s elected officials and the federal government.
The question of who is in command of the D.C. police department is central to an existential fight over the future of Washington, as the White House and D.C. government vie for control. The Trump administration last week tried to effectively replace Smith with Cole, leading D.C. officials to go to court to keep its chief in charge.
Smith, as a central figure in that struggle, has emerged as a symbol of the city’s independence. In an interview, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser strongly defended the chief, whom she handpicked just two years ago.
But at times during the past two weeks, the chief has disappeared amid the pressure and alienated her staff, 10 current and former police officers said in interviews.
Even before the federal incursion began, criticism of Smith within the department had mounted, and some officers who had initially supported Smith turned against her.
Smith became known for berating her staff at crime briefings and meetings of the command staff and executive staff, embarrassing commanders over minor missteps or behavior she perceived as a slight to her authority, eight current or former D.C. police officers said.
Smith transferred high-ranking officials to less desirable shifts and positions after they raised concerns about her policies, moves that some of the rank and file perceived as retaliatory and resulted in a chilling effect across the department, according to three current and formerofficers.
The challenge that hit the department with Trump’s Aug. 11 order asserting federal control amplified those concerns — though some officers sympathized with the difficulties of her position.
WaPo
