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The Police Scandal That Nearly Toppled D.C.’s Government

The Police Scandal That Nearly Toppled D.C.’s Government

07/13/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

It started with a rumor. D.C. police were planning to spy on members of Congress. But within weeks, many Washingtonians weren't just asking if they could trust law enforcement. They seemed ready to scrap the city's government altogether.

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DC
The First Sting: Did a New Tactic by D.C. Police Ensnare Criminals or Entice Crime?

The First Sting: Did a New Tactic by D.C. Police Ensnare Criminals or Entice Crime?

07/08/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1976 D.C. police dressed as cartoon Mafiosos and bought millions in stolen goods from local thieves. They called it "Operation Sting," and soon police across the country were launching "sting operations" of their own. But not everyone was so enamored with the tactic, especially the communities it was being used to target.

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DC
John Layton, the M.P.D., and the 1968 Washington Riots

John Layton, the M.P.D., and the 1968 Washington Riots

04/04/2017 in DC by Richard Brownell

By the time John Layton was named Metropolitan Police Chief in 1964, there was a well-established undercurrent of hostility between the Police Department and Washington's inner city African American community. Layton added resources to the Community Relations Unit and promoted the first African American to the rank of Captain. He created a Public Information Division to better coordinate communications with the public and the media. And, in an effort to recognize the African American community’s complaints about police brutality and harassment, the chief went on record that the Metropolitan police department would not rely on lethal force should they need to put down a riot.

Layton’s actions were put to the test on April 4, 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN that day, and when word reached Washington, D.C., angry crowds began gathering in the streets.

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