In a recent interview with WTOP, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier speculated that the of recent hate crimes in Georgetown may have been motivated by the ongoing debate over same-sex marriage.

Lanier, who recently told WTOP that MPD is classifying the assaults as hate crimes, was asked on WTOP’s Ask the Chief Program whether it was possible that the issue of same-sex marriage could have sparked the attack.  She responded:

“Whenever there’s an issue that’s getting a lot of attention, there may be something that’s sparking these assaults. Certainly that’s something we are looking at.”

WTOP notes that there have been 31 hate crimes based on sexual orientation in D.C. during 2009.

Lanier said MPD has put an investigator on the case, and that the Gay Liaison Unit is assisting with the investigation.  She was also asked whether it’s possible that the two assaults are related, and responded that “we don’t have anything to connect the two incidents as of right now.”

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier spoke to WTOP about the recent anti-gay incidents on and around campus and said she believes the incidents qualify as hate crimes.

Contrary to what MPD Lieutenant John Hedgecock, who covers Georgetown and Burleith, told the Advisory Neighborhood Commission yesterday, Lanier says MPD will be pursing the cases.

Lanier told WTOP:

“These assaults, on or off campus are a serious concern for us. We will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice. We have aggressive laws in the District to prosecute hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law, and we intend to use them.”

According to WTOP, MPD is encouraging anyone with information about the incidents to come forward.

Realizing how much the kids love texting, what with the Twitter, DC police chief Cathy Lanier has wisely decided to let people text crime tips to the police. Even better, the number–50411–is inspired by street slang that calls snitching “putting the 5-0 to the 411″. Next time you see a suspicious package, you can feel just like Bubbles.

Via We Love DC

Georgetown neighborhood is going to start sharing its Metro cops with more of the city if Police Chief Lanier gets her way. Her plan to organize police districts would re-zone higher crime Dupont Circle, part of downtown, and some of U Street into the more genteel Second District, which includes Georgetown.

Of course, people in the old Second District aren’t pleased about having to share. “Most concerning is that there will be a de facto drain of resources away from us,” Spence Spencer (!), the president of a neighborhood association in the 2nd District, told The Washington Post. Obviously, the change should be done responsibly. But don’t think Georgetown is defenseless, or ever resigns itself to sacrificing for the rest of the city.

Last year, I went to an Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting when the commission discussed a resolution to buy protection from off-duty police officers. After one of the commissioners talked about how concerned he was that we were using our money to buy better treatment than the rest of the city gets, the measure passed unanimously. Check out this Voice article from January to see more about local residents’ mercenary hiring practices.

Via Why I Hate DC. Photo from Flickr user dchousegrooves
-Will Sommer, blog editor