Bill Myers, The Examiner
2008-07-07 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier is shaking up her command staff again, dropping her top anti-terrorism officer and replacing a commander whom she elevated barely three months ago, The Examiner has learned.

The overhaul, expected to be announced later this week, removes Robert Crane, commander of special operations and homeland security. Also being replaced is Mark Carter of the 2nd Police District, who was put in his slot in April.

Numerous lieutenants and captains are also expected to be shuffled, Assistant Chief Diane Groomes told The Examiner.

“I don’t think it shows instability,” Groomes said of the reorganization, which is at least the third in two years. “The chief has the right to change people. Maybe use a different vision.”

Carter is expected to be replaced by Christopher LoJacono, the former leader of the police’s mobile crime squad. LoJacono was ousted after a series of disputes over the pace of D.C.’s floundering DNA program. Neither of the men returned calls seeking comment.

Crane also declined comment for this story. It’s not clear who will replace Crane, but speculation in the department has it that Lanier is eyeing Hilton Burton, a former commander of the 4th District who was pushed out after it emerged he was sending lurid e-mails to a girlfriend on his government-issued computer.

Lanier didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Carter was elevated to command in the 2nd District in April. He replaced the popular Andrew Solberg. Neighbors expressed surprise Carter was gone after such a short tenure, but said he had gotten off to a rough start when he ended dedicated foot patrols in the wealthy Northwest neighborhoods his district guards.

“I think there were a couple of false starts,” said Nancy MacWood, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in the district. “But I always thought things could be worked out.”

D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, said she was taken aback by the 2nd District reshuffle, but was willing to give Lanier the benefit of the doubt.

“My only concern is that, since we already had someone leave, this will disrupt things further,” Cheh told The Examiner. “You don’t want to see musical chairs over there.”

Lanier has struggled to build a staff around her. The department was embarrassed earlier this year when nearly two dozen officers who had been fired for misconduct had to be reinstated because police brass ignored due-process rights.

She also has been criticized for her “All Hands on Deck” weekends, which opponents say leaves the department bereft of staff on weekdays. Her recent decision to quarantine the violent Trinidad neighborhood with police checkpoints didn’t endear her to human rights advocates. Waggish bloggers derisively nicknamed D.C. “Baghdad on the Potomac.”

bmyers@dcexaminer.com