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Duncan Bedlion, Commander Second District, MPD. Georgetowner photo. July 2020.
Exclusive Interview: Duncan Bedlion, Commander Second District, MPD
BY CHRISTOPHER JONES
What’s happening with crime in Georgetown? The Georgetowner interviewed Georgetown’s top cop, Duncan Bedlion, Commander of the Second District of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to find out whether progress is being made.
Appointed as MPD commander of the Second District in January 2019 after 14 years on the force, Bedlion holds a Master’s degree from George Washington University in Professional Studies in Security and Safety Leadership. He’s served as MPD Commander of the Youth and Family Services Division, manager of the Seventh District’s Detectives Unit as well as commander of its the Sexual Assault Unit. “I’ve worked in almost every patrol district,” he told us. According to Bedlion’s biographical blurb on the MPD’s website, Bedlion “loves spending time hiking and watching football with his wife and three young sons.”
Asked about the recent spate of gun violence in Georgetown, Bedlion said despite some negatives, statistics overall are moving the right direction. “We’ve seen some key violent crime figures go up across the city,” Bedlion said. “Homicides and robberies are the most notable.” However, recalling what he told the Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG) in their last meeting, those trends are “not holding up in Georgetown.” Looking at the latest crime statistics, Bedlion said, “Every crime category that we measure is currently down in Georgetown. What I do know in my experience being here for about 3 and a-half years, is that there are ongoing reports of mental health episodes that concern not just residents in Georgetown but throughout the city…. [and this] contributes to some people’s perception that crime is up.” So, Bedlion emphasizes the importance of working closely with “interagency partners and the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to make sure we’re addressing those concerns in the fairest way possible.”
Bedlion expressed agreement with MPD Chief Robert Contee that the pandemic appears to have heightened juvenile violent crime in the District.
Even if crime rates in Georgetown have gone down in certain categories, haven’t there been much-publicized gun murders on M Street and elsewhere? “Well, one thing I want people to know is that in some of the gun incidents, specifically the last two homicides in Georgetown – the one on M Street this year and the one on Thomas Jefferson last year – is that we know the victims were intentionally targeted by the suspects, so it wasn’t a random shooting or a random crime…. For the one on M Street, we did release that there was a “wanted suspect” who was known and we shared that with the community. So, those are the things we actively pursue. And we have one of the best homicide detective units in the country.” Following cuts to the MPD force in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, Bedlion is pleased to see city funding increased again under Mayor Bowser to boost the number of MPD officers
“As we hire more, on the force back you’ll see more to previous levels. “In 2020, the D.C. officers. And you’ll Council, led by Charles Allen [Ward see them in a variety 6], made an effort to cut staffing and of forms – on mountain budgeting for us bikes, on scooters, on to hire,” Bedlion said. “But, under foot, and in cars.” Mayor Bowser, we were able to get to the point where we could hire again. And we’re hiring right now. So, we’re encouraging anybody who’s interested in applying to please do so and we’re looking to hire more members so we can get back up to where we were prior to 2020.” As the force is re-enlarged, there will also be more cops on the beat, Bedlion assures. “As we hire more, you’ll see more officers. And you’ll see them in a variety of forms – on mountain bikes, on scooters, on foot, and in cars.”
Criticisms of over-policing in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement have longsince been addressed by MPD, Bedlion holds. “Each uniformed police officer is equipped with a body-worn camera. Individuals have the right to see them through their Freedom of Information office. We also have an independent, civilian-led Office of Police Complaints (OPC) where all of our complaints go through them. So, if a citizen is not happy with police service, they have the right to make a complaint and an investigation is delegated by the OPC, not by the MPD. There are also opportunities for citizens to see us up close and personal. One that I recommend is our Ride-Along Program. And there’s also one we’re doing right now called the Community Engagement Academy where people who are interested can engage in our training, see some of the tactics we use in terms of how we handle various scenes and we welcome folks to take a look at that and we look forward to their participation.” Through the Crisis Intervention Officer Training Program, the Second District has also created a force of approximately 60 officers to mitigate potentially violent encounters without resorting to the use of force.
