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By ERIN HENK
Staff Writer

When Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey took office in 1998, he created an "executive assistant chief" position and initiated the formation of three Regional Operations Command (ROC) centers, with each staffed by an assistant chief.

The executive assistant chief oversees the Metropolitan Police Department’s day-to-day functions. The three ROCs – North, Central and East – divide oversight of the city’s seven police districts. Previously, all seven districts were supervised by one patrol bureau commander.

For the past five years, the Second and Fourth Police Districts have reported to the ROC North assistant chief. The First, Third and Fifth Police Districts report to the ROC Central assistant chief, and the Sixth and Seventh Police Districts fall under the ROC East’s command.

According to many who work within the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the regional operations command assistant chief positions have greatly improved the city’s policing system.

But Kevin Morison, MPD’s director of corporate communications, said comparing the difference between the two systems is like comparing "apples and oranges." Morrison said the ROC system creates more geographic accountability and that three assistant chiefs overseeing the districts makes coordinating problems within the districts easier and more manageable.

Other higher-ranking officials express positive attitudes about the creation of the ROC assistant chief positions. Seventh District Commander Winston Robinson said he views the ROCs as a way to ensure that MPD has proper resources for its mission.

Seven districts "is a bit much for one person to manage," Robinson said. He also noted that the seven districts are very different, and what may be a major consistent crime in one district may not be as large a problem in another district.

Third District Commander Larry McCoy said he feels that the ROC commanders help to better delegate the responsibility of the seven districts. When one chief is in charge of three districts instead of seven, it is easier to manage, he said.

While Chief Ramsey has become a familiar figure throughout the District, with his recent salary increase to $175,000 a year sparking heated controversy, the men and women of his command staff are less well known. Most cooperated with The Common Denominator’s attempt during the past few months to learn more about them. The results of our survey are published here.

Executive Assistant Chief
Michael Fitzgerald
Salary: $141,400

As a result of Fitzgerald not returning repeated calls from The Common Denominator, the following information was taken from MPD’s website:

Fitzgerald has been with MPD for 32 years. He served as a squad sergeant in the Fifth District and was promoted to lieutenant in 1982 and captain in 1985, with additional leadership assignments in the Sixth District, the Narcotics and Special Investigations Divisions and as director of the Court Liaison Division. In 1995, he was promoted to inspector and returned to the Fourth District as commander. Fitzgerald was then promoted to assistant chief in charge of the former Support Services Bureau, with additional oversight in the Technical Services Bureau. In 1998, he was promoted to ROC East assistant chief until Chief Ramsey appointed him as executive assistant chief.

ROC North Assistant Chief
Ronald Monroe
Salary: $141,400

Monroe, 47, has been with MPD for 25 years. He began as an officer in the Third District. Monroe was lieutenant of the Special Investigations/Narcotics Division, during which he worked with the Repeat Offender Project, specializing in targeting repeat and violent offenders. He was captain in the Fourth District, where he worked several administrative positions with information services, recruiting, training division and budget. Afterward he was appointed to commander of the Fourth District and in 1998, became the assistant chief of ROC North. A D.C. native, Monroe has lived in the District his whole life, except for two years he spent in New Jersey in the Army. In 1991, he graduated from the FBI National Academy. In 1996, Monroe graduated with honors from the University of the District of Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in the administration of justice. In 1998, he received his master’s degree in management from Johns Hopkins University.

ROC Central Assistant Chief
Brian Jordan
Salary: $141,400

Jordan, 43, is a 20-year veteran of MPD. He has worked in six of the seven districts. From 1998-2000, he was assistant chief in charge of Special Services, after which he headed the Office of Professional Responsibility until 2001. He has worked on various criminal investigations involving robbery, homicide and on the Violence and Gang Task Force. Jordan has been assistant chief of ROC Central for two years. A native of Chicago, Jordan earned a degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice from Howard University before he joined MPD and has lived in the District ever since. He completed his master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama in 1997 and is an FBI Academy graduate.

ROC East Assistant Chief
Jose Acosta
Salary: $141,400

Acosta has been with MPD for 33 years. He has served as commander of the Special Operations Division, the Special Investigations Division, and the Third District before being appointed to his current position in 2002. Acosta was a Marine for two years before he joined MPD. He earned his associate degree from the University of Southern Maryland and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree. Acosta is president of the Police and Fireman’s Society and president of the local chapter of Hispanic-American Command Officials. Originally from Arizona, Acosta came to the D.C. area when he left the Marine Corps and has lived in the District or its suburbs ever since.

First District Commander
Thomas E. McGuire
Salary: $105, 548

McGuire has been with MPD for 23 years. After spending four years (1971-75) in the Air Force, he worked for the Library of Congress from 1975-1976, then in September 1976 began working for the U.S. Secret Service Uniform Division. He later transferred to MPD, where he served as a sergeant, lieutenant and captain and was appointed First District commander in the fall of 2002. A Pennsylvania native, McGuire has lived in the D.C. area since 1973.

Second District Commander
Jeffrey Moore
Salary: $105, 548

Moore, 48, has spent 30 years with MPD. He was a lieutenant for several years in the planning office and has been a captain in the Fifth District. Before being appointed commander, a position he has held for about one year, Moore was director of recruiting for two years. Born and raised in Maryland, Moore has lived in the D.C. area his entire life.

Third District Commander
Larry McCoy
Salary: $105, 548

McCoy, 48, has been with MPD for almost 25 years. He began as an officer in the Seventh District and has held positions in the First and Sixth districts. In 1989, he was transferred to the Special Operations Division (SOD) as lieutenant of the Elite Emergency Response Team, where he was responsible for barricade situations and high-risk search warrants. In 2000, he was assigned to the Fourth District as a captain, and in 2001 he served in the Special Events Branch of SOD. In 2002, he was promoted to Fourth District commander. He assumed command of the Third District on June 1, 2003. McCoy has a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Indiana University in Pennsylvania. He also served one year in the FBI. McCoy is originally from Pennsylvania and currently lives in Virginia.

Fourth District Commander
Hilton Burton
Salary: $90, 111

Burton, 36, spent six years in the Army before beginning his career with MPD 13 years ago. He began as a sergeant in the Third District and moved up to lieutenant in the Fourth District in 1999. He later was promoted to inspector and commander of the Narcotics Branch/Gang Crime Unit until being assigned

to the Fourth District command on June 1, 2003. Burton is working on his bachelor’s degree in administration of criminal justice at the University of the District of Columbia. Originally from Hattiesburg, Miss., Burton came to the D.C. area 26 years ago. He lives in Maryland.

Fifth District Commander
Jennifer Greene
Annual Salary: $112,619

Greene has been with MPD for 19 years. She was promoted to sergeant in 1989 and worked within the Communication Division and the Office of Professional Responsibility. In 1993, Greene became a lieutenant in the Second District. In 1999, she was promoted to captain of the Fourth District for two months, where she oversaw 14 PSAs. The same year, she became inspector in the Office of Recruiting until 2000, when she was appointed Fifth District commander. Greene earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice from Duquesne University. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Harvard School of Government Senior Management Institute for Police and completed George Washington University’s Certified Public Manager Program. Through a satellite program, Greene is pursuing a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. She is a D.C. native and, with the exception of her undergraduate years, has lived in the area her entire life.

Sixth District Commander
Willie Dandridge
Salary: $107, 256

As a result of Dandridge not returning repeated calls from The Common Denominator, the following information was taken from MPD’s website:

Dandridge, 37, has been with MPD for the past 18 years. After serving in a number of assignments, he was promoted to sergeant in 1992 and served as a midnight sector sergeant and tactical unit supervisor in the Seventh District. Dandridge served as lieutenant in the Third District and was commanding officer of the homicide/assault with intent to kill unit for two years. In 1999, Dandridge was placed in charge of the Violent Crimes Unit in the Seventh District. He was promoted to captain of the Sixth District in January 2000 and promoted to Sixth District commander in May 2000. Dandridge has an associate degree from Southwestern Christian College and has completed additional coursework at Lubbock Christian College.

Seventh District Commander
Winston Robinson
Salary: $128, 217

Robinson has been with MPD for the past 32 years. He began his career as a sergeant in the Special Operations Division and worked in various positions throughout the department, including lieutenant in the Second District, captain in the Third District and as the inspection director of court liaisons until 1993, when he was appointed Seventh District commander. Robinson has taken courses at American University and the University of the District of Columbia, as well as executive management training at George Washington University. He is a D.C. native.

Forensics Commander
Christopher Lojacano
Salary: $107, 256

Lojacano started his career with MPD 20 years ago as an officer in the Fifth District. He has held his position as commander of forensics since March 2002. Before entering the police academy, Lojacano earned his associate degree and has since completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in management from Johns Hopkins University. He has lived in and around the D.C. area his entire life.

Assistant Chief of Special Services
Alfred Broadbent
Salary: $141,400

Broadbent has been with MPD for 25 years. He began his career as an officer in the Third District and has held the ranks of lieutenant, captain and inspector within the Sixth and Seventh Districts. In 1996, he became First District commander and was appointed assistant chief of special services in 1998. Broad-bent has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in applied behavioral science with a concentration in community development and police leadership. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute, as well as George Washington University’s Contemporary Executive Development Program. He is working on his doctorate. A Philadelphia native, Broadbent lives in the D.C. area.

Office of Superintendent of Detectives Commander
John Barrett
Salary: $122,111

Commander Barrett has spent two years with MPD as the Commander of the Office of Superintendent of Detectives. Before joining MPD, he worked at the FBI for 29 years and retired as special agent in charge of the Criminal Division at the Washington Field Office.

Special Operations Division
Commander Cathy Lanier
Salary: $107,256

Lanier, 35, has been with MPD for 13 years. She became a sergeant in the Sixth District after three years on the force. Two years later she placed first out of 420 applicants for lieutenant in the Fourth District. Lanier then returned to the Sixth District as a captain and shortly afterward she was appointed to rank of inspector in charge of major narcotics and the major crash vehicular homicide unit. In 2000, she was appointed commander of the Fourth District and two years later she became Special Operations commander. Lanier recently completed her bachelor’s degree in management and is working on her master’s degree in management from Johns Hopkins University. She graduated from the FBI National Academy and the Drug Unit Commanders Academy. She is also certified as a HAZMAT technician.

Major Narcotics Commander
Mark Beach
Salary: $105, 548

Beach, 45, has been with MPD for 22 years. In 1987, he became a sergeant in the Third District and held a position as sergeant in criminal investigations, on the sex offense squad, homicide and the violent crimes and gang task force. He was also detailed to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Beach served as sergeant and lieutenant of MPD’s Intelligence Branch. He has been lieutenant of the Third and Sixth Districts and has worked in organizational development, specifically on the transitional team with Chief Ramsey. Beach has been an FBI executive fellow in the Safe Streets and gang unit. He has been the FBI’s liaison to the Department of Justice for the Office of Weed and Seed, in which he was commander assigned to mobile force and intelligence, then assigned Third District commander. Beach worked in the Forensic Sciences Division and was accepted as the department representative of the Department of Justice. Beach then became the nationwide representative of state and local law enforcement for counter drug initiatives until be was appointed to command major narcotics last spring. Beach earned his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is certified in municipal management by George Washington University and is a graduate of Harvard University’s executive management program as well as the FBI’s law enforcement executive development school. Beach was also instrumental in founding the U.S. gay and lesbian liaison police unit. A D.C. native. Beach currently lives near the District.

Violent Crimes Branch
Commander Michael Anzallo
Salary: $85, 191

Anzallo did not return repeated calls made by The Common Denominator.

Copyright 2003, The Common Denominator