[Mintwood-place] To Clarify --- More Police at Late Night BarHours

[Jim Graham]

For a non alcohol business, this a part time job for the officer, and thus
it proceeds like any other part time employment. I am with this email asking
Chief Lanier to provide further details on the higher hourly rate for the
MPD program.

  _____  

From: Forman, Matthew C [mailto:Matthew.C.Forman at hud.gov] 
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 4:07 PM
To: Forman, Matthew C; Jim Graham; mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org
Subject: RE: [Mintwood-place] To Clarify --- More Police at Late Night
BarHours



Oh - upon re-reading, I now see that  you were saying that the non-ABC
businesses can hire "directly" without going through the MPD program.  How
does that work - if you're a business, you can just see an officer on the
street and hire them directly without going through MPD as middleman, i.e.,
the program?  And if you hire someone off the street, the rates are whatever
you negotiate with the individual officer, which is on average $28 per hour?
But if you go through MPD, they charge you a 100% markup?  What's the
rationale for that?  Why would any rational non-ABC business agree to pay
double? Assuming they wouldn't, then your original posting remains
essentially correct - non-ABC businesses pay $28/hour while ABC business pay
$56 because of the MPD's bureaucratic rules.  Again, this begs the question
of why MPD doesn't simply cut their own rates, instead of charging a huge
markup, only to be subsidized by another agency with added bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, it's very telling that ABC businesses can't hire directly while
non-ABC ones can.  Again, MPD appears to believe that there is inherent
danger regarding ABC establishments. 

 

  _____  

From: mintwood-place-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org
[mailto:mintwood-place-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org] On Behalf Of Forman,
Matthew C
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 3:20 PM
To: Jim Graham; mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org
Subject: Re: [Mintwood-place] To Clarify --- More Police at Late Night
BarHours

 

I don't understand.  What do you mean that officers hired under the MPD
program cost about twice as much as direct hires?  Direct hires by whom?

 

  _____  

From: mintwood-place-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org
[mailto:mintwood-place-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org] On Behalf Of Jim Graham
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 2:59 PM
To: mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org
Subject: [Mintwood-place] To Clarify --- More Police at Late Night Bar Hours

 

Dear Friends:

 

We need to clarify this message (see below).

 

Our original email may have suggested that, under the MPD cost reimbursable
program, a higher hourly rate is charged for alcohol licensees than other
businesses.  Such is not the case.

 

The charge for ALL businesses using MPD cost reimbursable officers is $56 an
hour.  However, MPD policy prohibits bars from directly hiring police.  They
may only use the MPD program.  On the other hand, businesses that do not
sell alcohol ARE allowed to directly hire off-duty police officers.

 

Officers hired under the MPD program cost about twice as much as direct
hires.

 

Our subsidy program cuts the cost of MPD reimbursable officers in half to
encourage alcohol licensees to better protect the public.

 

Bests, Councilmember Jim Graham

 

 

 

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

Dear Friends:

 

The ABC Board and MPD have taken the final steps to implement a program to
fund the deployment of more police officers to protect the public outside
bars at late night hours.  The ABC Board announced the start of a subsidy
program this week to encourage the use of these officers.  

 

I authored $1 million in the 2008 budget to fund the police reimbursable
detail subsidy program.  As a result, the ABC Board will now provide up to a
50% subsidy for the use of police officers outside bars at closing times.
Rules have been established for this program's operation.

 

In 2005, after various violent crimes in and around bars, I had authored the
initial law to allow alcohol licensees to pay MPD to deploy officers outside
bars.  That law allows bars, independently or in a group, to pay for these
officers through MPD.  The officers are not stationed inside the bars.  They
are stationed outside in the public area.

 

However, these officers are expensive.  The hourly rates are almost twice
(about $56 per hour) what an officer makes patrolling establishments that
don't sell alcohol. 

 

The subsidy program will encourage the hire of officers by reducing these
costs.  As a result of the program, more officers can be deployed in Adams
Morgan, U Street, or other DC entertainment areas to protect the public
outside bars during late night hours. 

 

Bars or BIDS do not directly hire the officers. Instead the hiring is done
through MPD.  The officers (who would otherwise be off duty) have full
police powers and are focused on the entertainment area needs. The Adams
Morgan Business Improvement District has been using reimbursable details
successfully.

 

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.  Bests, Councilmember
Jim Graham



-- 

I typically answer emails before 9 AM on weekdays. If you email me after
that, it is likely that you will hear from me the next weekday. If there is
a need to communicate prior to that, you may wish to call me.

Jim Graham, Councilmember, Ward One, 1350 Pa. Ave., NW, #105, Washington, DC
20004. 202-724-8181; 202-724-8109 (fax).

Chairman, Committee on Public Works and the Environment (including alcohol
regulation). Main Committee Number: 202-724-8195. 1350 Pa. Ave., NW, #116,
Washington, DC 20004.

Website: www.grahamwone.com 

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