MPD leaks reveal a racist, violent, unaccountable police force
In April 2021, hackers obtained thousands of confidential MPD documents and emails. These leaked documents, along with documents released by the government to the public, reveal a horrific pattern of abuse, harassment, and surveillance of DC residents.
Rage-induced policing
In 2012 and 2013 an MPD intelligence branch unit was formed for the official purpose of reducing robberies in DC, but it spent most of its time roaming predominantly Black neighborhoods harassing and arresting people. The Robbery Intervention Program (RIP), self-titled “Rage Induced Policing” and “Karma Delivery Unit”, was later used by Mayor Bowser to justify creating the Robbery Intervention Task Force.
During 2012 and 2013, RIP deployed on average 15 officers per shift for 150 ten- to twelve-hour shifts. 75% of the shifts were in the 6th and 7th district, which are both East of the River.
No accountability
Between 2009 and 2019, internal MPD investigators found that 64 cops had committed criminal misconduct. The Disciplinary Review Division sought to terminate 24 of them (less than 40%), but the Adverse Action Board, a 3-person panel led by now-MPD Chief Robert J. Contee, blocked all but 3 of them from being fired. Instead, 21 officers received a 29-day suspension on average without pay. They are still on the force today.
Surveilling Black and anti-racist organizations
Emails sent between 2011 and 2017 revealed that Black and anti-racist organizations and activists were overwhelming targetted for surveillance by MPD’s Intelligence Branch. They first mentioned Black Lives Matter in 2015, and since then have tracked the locations of movement leaders and mentioned BLM in multiple confidential bulletins to the police chief. Conversely, alt-right and Nazi organizations were largely ignored. In some cases, they even chose to share false reports about BLM sent to them by the alt-right with the Secret Service.
MPD’s coziness with the alt-right extends further than just surveillance. In February 2022, Lieutenant Shane Lamond from the Intelligence Branch was put on leave after it was discovered that he had been passing information about the location of anti-fascists to the former head of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio.
Surveilling children
In the past 8 years, MPD’s “gang database” has grown exponentially. Between Mar 2013 and Sep 2016 it doubled in size, and by July 2021 it grew another 47%. In recent years, they have increasingly targeted young Black and brown children. Using the vague category of “gang associate”, MPD allows officers to surveil children while skirting around their own validation process.
Watchlist of critics
The hacked documents have provided DC residents with essential information about MPD’s practices. This is especially important since recent court documents revealed MPD’s unofficial policy to withhold or delay Freedom of Information Requests from people critical of them, a clear violation of the First Amendment.
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