When Maj. Robert Liberati became the District 1 commander for the Prince George’s County Police, he inherited a district plagued with bad publicity and a poor relationship between county police and citizens. From allegations of excessive use of force to downright hostility from students at this university, Liberati had a long road ahead of him.
Indeed, Liberati assumed his position at the same time the FBI and State’s Attorney’s Office were conducting their own investigations into the aftermath of the chaos that followed last year’s Duke basketball game on March 3. Moreover, Liberati’s predecessor, Maj. Daniel Dusseau, retired the same week that video of riot police beating a student unprovoked surfaced and was looped on local and national network news (although county police spokespeople have long said that had nothing to do with his departure).
Needless to say, the police force Liberati inherited was under siege, and his task to “lead in a complex and diverse community” and to be a “coalition builder,” as stipulated by then-county police chief Roberto Hylton, was a difficult one. But for nine months, Liberati has done just that and leaves a police force that, while far from perfect, is in much better condition than when he arrived.
By many accounts, Liberati adopted a far more approachable mentality than his predecessor, and during his tenure as commander, students’ relationship with county police has improved. And while tensions still remain, the willingness of police to work with students on such initiatives as the Beat Duke Week campaign shows an improved willingness to work with, rather than against, students. Moreover, the decision by university and county police to host a welcome back party for students in September has gone a long way to mend the damaged fences between students and police after the March melee.
That said, Liberati’s departure leaves an open door to an uncertain future. While Liberati will be transferred to the county police’s forensics division, his successor, Capt. Hector Velez, who currently serves as assistant commander of the department’s Bureau of Patrol, will have serious choices to make about how he leads.
Velez could return to the leadership style of past commanders who showed a general disregard for student input. Or he could mirror the attitude and policies of his predecessor, Liberati.
And it seems Velez has a track record of bonding with his community. In 2009, Velez was transferred out of District 1, in which he had served for 15 years. Soon after, citizens of District 1 began to lobby then-police Chief Hylton to bring their favorite captain back. LaVerne Williams, then-president of the Lewisdale Citizens Association, told The Washington Times that Velez is a “supporter of community policing,” “cares about people” and is “a people person.”
District 1 is an expansive and diverse location that includes this university and those who call it home. As such, the input of students and university community members remains key to ensuring a more livable community. Returning to any mentality that dismisses the student perspective is one that could once again lead to the unraveling of student-police relations and create a tense, if not dangerous, atmosphere.
Liberati’s departure comes on the heels of Hylton’s firing after the election of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, who has shown a willingness to improve the county’s reputation for violence and corruption. While that goal is still far from completion, Velez’s leadership style will be key to further improving relations with a major component of the county — this university. And how Velez decides to lead will be a strong predictor of his success.
