Washington, D.C

Who will lead DC police? Search for new chief begins – WTOP News

Published

3 months ago

December 9, 2025

Who will lead DC police? Search for new chief begins – WTOP News

The D.C. police department is once again searching for a new chief who will lead the department following Pamela Smith’s departure.

About two years after Pamela Smith was approved to lead officers on a permanent basis, the D.C. police department is once again searching for a new chief.

Smith said Monday that she will step away from her position at the end of the year, calling it a personal decision she talked over with family.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke about Smith’s resignation during a news conference Monday.

“I’ve been around long enough to know and to have lived through transitions,” Bowser said. “There are ways to approach this period of time and do it in a way that’s going to be most beneficial to D.C. residents. I’m going to marinate on it a little bit, and I’ll appoint the right, perfect person.”

Bowser will nominate the department’s next chief. The next permanent police chief will also need to earn the approval of the D.C. Council.

Smith’s resignation isn’t the only shake-up in D.C.’s leadership.

The mayor recently announced that she won’t seek reelection for a fourth term. With about a year left on the job, a reporter asked Bowser about the “challenges” associated with searching for a new chief as she prepares to exit office.

“I don’t call it a challenge,” Bowser said. “Because of the very deep bench we have and because of the great reputation of our department.”

Bowser said she will look internally for a new chief but would be open to nominating an external candidate.

“I’m obviously going to start first with the best police department in the nation,” Bowser said.

At the time Smith took over as chief in 2023, D.C. was at the peak of a crime wave.

Under her leadership, rates of crime have fallen. According to data provided by D.C. police, overall crime dropped 18% in 2025. Homicides are down 30% this year.

What should Bowser be looking for? Groups weigh in

The D.C. Police Union called on Bowser to collaborate with its members in the search for a new permanent chief.

“The ideal candidate must demonstrate proven leadership qualities that prioritize respect for the rank-and-file officers, foster trust within our communities, and commit to reforming broken policies lingering from the misguided ‘defund the police’ era, which resulted in laws and regulations that have undermined effective policing and officer morale,” the union wrote in a news release Monday morning.

Congressman Oye Owolewa, who represents the District in the U.S. House, said there’s an opportunity presented by the change in leadership. He also will not be seeking reelection as D.C.’s shadow representative in 2026.

“As we look ahead, it is my hope that this transition presents an opportunity to continue strengthening trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, while advancing policies rooted in accountability, transparency, and true public safety for all,” Owolewa wrote in a statement.

Looking ahead, Bethany Young, policy director with D.C. Justice Lab, believes the next chief has a chance to make D.C. a national model.

“It feels like it’s in the air, like there’s something really that we’re on the precipice of,” said Young, whose organization pushes for police reform in the District.

Young said she hopes they will listen to residents and be open to reforms, such as limiting traffic stops for minor violations and supporting alternatives to policing for behavioral health crises.

“They want to see more accountability,” Young told WTOP. “They want to see more oversight. They want to have more information about how policing is operating in D.C.”

She also believes the next chief should rely on data, not politics, and be bold enough to speak out when policing practices don’t align with community needs.

“There are certain things that a police chief … cannot control,” Young said. “However, you always have a voice.”

She said the organization didn’t see eye to eye with the chief when it came to what she called an increase in unnecessary police interactions, collaboration with federal agencies and a lack of transparency and accountability.

‘What I’d like to do is give them encouragement’

Smith’s departure comes at a time when D.C. police officers have worked alongside federal partners, such as patrols with National Guard members.

City leaders have insisted police do not work directly alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers; but some D.C. residents have reported instances where immigrants are arrested for minor infractions and arrested by ICE agents moments later.

Smith was asked about advice for the next chief and what guidance she has given to police officers in navigating law enforcement responsibilities alongside federal partners.

“They know probably better than I do what’s happening in community from day to day with our federal partners, because a lot of them are very intimately involved, especially our commanders,” Smith said. “At this point, I don’t need to give them any advice. I think what I’d like to do is give them encouragement.”

Smith, who has served in law enforcement for 28 years, said she will be available to support the department’s next leader.

“I will be available to the incoming or interim to provide him or her support with respect to the direction that the police department will continue,” Smith said.

For the next chief, Smith said three things are critical: communication, collaboration with partners and being involved with the community.

“My phone rings all time of day, all time of night, and you have to answer the call, you have to answer the phone, you have to show up,” Smith said.

A passion for D.C. residents is essential, she said.

“You may have to sit in somebody’s basement to have a conversation about something,” Smith said. “You have to dress down sometimes. Sometimes I’m in the community, and people don’t know I’m there. It’s just to protect the anonymity of the folks who really trust the Metropolitan Police Department, but sometimes are afraid to share the information that’s necessary.”

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Washington, D.C

Lime updates subscription service for frequent riders in DC – WTOP News

Published

8 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Lime updates subscription service for frequent riders in DC – WTOP News

Lime, the company behind those bright green scooters and bikes you may often see zooming around D.C. or lying on the sidewalk, is updating its monthly subscription service, aimed at making rides more affordable for its frequent users.

In a news release Tuesday, Lime said its monthly subscription that starts at $5.99/month for D.C. riders will also introduce flat-rate pricing of $2.50 for rides up to 20 minutes and $1.25 for rides under five minutes.

Every ride will be subject to a flat rate, instead of a per-minute cost. Subscribed members also get unlimited free unlocking and discounted flat-rate pricing for trips under five minutes.

Devin Rote, the global integrated marketing lead at Lime, told WTOP the goal with the update is “to make the choice to utilize micro-mobility and more sustainable travel options easier for users across the D.C. region.”

Rote said as we enter the spring season, Lime sees an increase in trips as the city also sees a rise in tourism.

“Especially through cherry blossom season, Nationals baseball season, and everything that a great, warm weather season brings here in the D.C. region. For us, really, this is the start of busy season,” he said.

There are over 7,000 of the dockless e-bikes and scooters around D.C. They go up to 18 mph — down from 20 mph in November — and users must be at least 18 to ride.

WTOP’s John Wordock contributed to this report.

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Washington, D.C

A Virginia boater is suing a DC utility for the Potomac River sewage spill

Published

20 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

A Virginia boater is suing a DC utility for the Potomac River sewage spill

A Virginia boater is suing a Washington water utility for negligence in the collapse of a pipe that leaked millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River.

The class action lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, comes weeks after a January sewage pipe collapse, shooting wastewater out of the ground and into the river in an area just north of Washington, D.C. The spill is seen as a serious environmental blight and became the focus of political bickering between President Donald Trump and Democratic-led Maryland, where the leak occurred.

Dr. Nicholas Lailas, M.D., the plaintiff, is a Virginia resident and recreational boat user on the Potomac who is seeking compensation for people “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by Defendant’s conduct.”

The lawsuit alleges that it was DC Water’s responsibility as the owner and operator of the ruptured pipe, known as the Potomac Interceptor, to maintain it in a “reasonably safe condition and to prevent foreseeable harm to persons and property.”

The lawsuit said that preliminary data indicate that there are thousands of people who own property or vessels in the affected parts of the Potomac.

Andrew Levetown, an attorney for the plaintiff, said in an interview Monday that it will take time to get the full breadth of the class, with business owners, property owners and recreational users all having interest in the potential damages caused by the Jan. 19 collapse and leak.

“You’re going to have businesses who lose business because instead of sitting next to the Potomac, their clients are sitting next to the open sewer,” he said.

The suit did not specify a damage amount. DC Water spokesperson John Lisle said in a statement that the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor was “a serious and unexpected event, and our teams remain focused on the response, environmental protection, and restoration efforts. Because this matter is currently subject to ongoing litigation, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared an emergency Feb. 18 and requested that President Donald Trump provide federal resources to help the city fight the leak that dumped 250 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River in its early stages. The president approved the emergency assistance days later to help the city address the emergency.

DC Water gave its most detailed assessment yet of why the Potomac River sewage spill occurred and what it will take to fix it. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.

DC Water said it knew the pipe, first installed in the 1960s, was deteriorating, and rehabilitation work on a section about a quarter-mile (400 meters) from the break began in September and was recently completed. The pipe that ruptured was scheduled for repair this summer.

DC Water’s updates say the emergency repairs are beyond the halfway point and there are no flows into the river.

At a public briefing last week, officials with the utility said they were assessing the cause of the rupture, including whether the way the pipeline was initially constructed contributed to the emergency. David Gadis, the CEO of DC Water, said at that briefing that while it was too early to say definitively, “we are seeing indication that this incident may have been highly unusual.”

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Washington, D.C

Route for Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC debuted at the National Mall

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Route for Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC debuted at the National Mall

WASHINGTON — Get ready to start your engines, DC.

Officials unveiled the 1.66-mile circuit route Monday, where race cars will be zooming around the National Mall in August for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in celebration of America’s birthday.

The seven‑turn layout features views of the Washington Monument, US Capitol, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and part of Pennsylvania Avenue, IndyCar announced.

“This was a team effort,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “It’s Penske, it’s FOX, it’s the mayor, it’s Interior, it’s everybody else joining together not to make a profit, not to get your name out there but to say, let’s celebrate America.”

“Let’s celebrate America’s birthday.”

The first-ever street race around the National Mall will take place from Aug. 22-23, with the course itself set to be built up during the summer.

Drivers will also blast past the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum, with a pit lane on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Officials debuted a red, white, and blue “Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar” design Monday to honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

“We want people to plan their trips to D.C. now,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Come for the Freedom 250, and then stay to enjoy our monuments and museums, our beautiful parks, world-class restaurants and hotels, and all the culture and entertainment that make us the best city in the world.”

President Trump took executive action back in January, tasking Duffy and Secretary of the Interior Sean Duffy to coordinate with Bowser on planning the feted event.

“The story of America is one of vision, courage, perseverance – and speed,” Monica Crowley, Trump’s representative for America’s 250th, said in a statement.

“Presidents Washington and Jefferson marked notable celebrations with spirited horse races; the Freedom 250 race will bring that historic tradition into the 21st century and renew a tremendous sense of patriotic pride.”

Trump’s team is eyeing other major sports events to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, including a UFC fight at the White House. The US is also co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup over the summer.

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