DC Police Officers Cursing Too Much: Report

WASHINGTON, DC — A new report from the District of Columbia's Police Complaints Board says that police officers in the city are cursing entirely too much, and they need to stop.

The report, issued Nov. 28 to Mayor Muriel Bowser and Interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham, says that the Office of Police Complaints (OPC) has received 945 complaints from District residents and visitors indicating that MPD officers had engaged in "use of improper language or conduct," with 190 of the complaints containing an allegation that an officer used profanity, according to an OPC statement.

The complaints weren't just about profanity but also about how police officers treated individuals. The report says that one complaint indicated an officer exclaimed "ewww" at a breastfeeding mother and instructed her to "take that in the corner or the bathroom." Another complaint said an officer accused a person of being a "slumlord."

A total of 639 of the 945 complaints mentioned the officer's demeanor or tone, and 40 of them had three or more language and conduct complaints against officers.

"As a result of the complaints filed with OPC, the Board is concerned about the number of language and conduct violations," the statement reads. "Improper language and conduct behavior exhibited by MPD officers often causes negative interactions between the community and police officers, which in turn decreases trust in the Department."

The Police Complaints Board is recommending that the MPD take several steps to deal with the problem, including reinforcing the value and importance of proper language and conduct to police officers on the force, assessing whether new training is needed and updating conduct guidelines to "remind officers of its contents and importance."

“Using respectful language and conduct is the cornerstone of building public trust”, said Michael G. Tobin, OPC’s executive director. “Because of this, it’s imperative that MPD take the necessary steps to reduce officer language and conduct violations.”

You can view the full report here.

Image via Metropolitan Police Department