The new chief of the Metro Transit Police Department is a former D.C. police officer who has served as the transit force’s acting chief since September.
Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said Thursday that Michael L. Anzallo had proved to be a problem-solver amid the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Anzallo replaces longtime chief Ronald A. Pavlik Jr., who retired Sept. 1 after more than 25 years with the department.
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“Chief Anzallo is a trusted leader in MTPD who has built important relationships with our communities and jurisdictional police partners,” Wiedefeld said in a statement. “He demonstrates genuine concern for helping to solve very difficult challenges that are unique to our business and the region. I know he will be an effective leader for MTPD.”
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Anzallo’s appointment resolves one of several issues confronting the transit agency, including ridership losses and a federal investigation into a safety defect that has sidelined more than half of Metro’s trains. The transit agency is also searching for a new chief executive after Wiedefeld announced last month that he will retire this summer.
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Anzallo, 53, takes the helm of a police department that D.C. officials and residents have accused of using excessive force and unnecessarily arresting riders — disproportionately those who are Black — to meet internal performance pressures, a claim the transit police union acknowledged in 2020. The department has 490 sworn police officers, 64 special officers who serve as security and 91 other employees.
Officers have jurisdiction in D.C., Maryland and Virginia for crimes in or against Metro facilities. Transit police patrol Metro grounds and stations, and respond to crime reports on Metrorail and Metrobus.
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Metro said Anzallo earned $200,500 annually in his acting role, and that terms of his new contract weren’t immediately available Thursday. The transit agency said no other candidates were interviewed for the position.
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Metro officials said Anzallo, who served as Pavlik's assistant chief, has been focused on recruiting officers, improving their accountability and protecting transit workers against assaults from riders.
“I’m truly honored to lead extraordinary men and women who wake up every day with a willingness to be positive examples in our communities,” Anzallo said in a statement. “I look forward to coming to work each day, and I’m excited to lead this department and elevate 21st century policing needs.”
Anzallo is expected to carry out recommendations emerging from five internal committees created in fall 2020 to address concerns of riders, officers and union representatives. The workgroups have been tasked with overhauling officer performance reviews to de-emphasize the number of arrests and citations police make. Other priorities include recruitment and retention programs that would boost the number of women and people of color on the force.
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Department officials said the first set of performance reviews under new standards will be issued this month.
Colin Dorrity, chair of the Metro Transit Police Labor Committee, the union that represents officers, said union officials have worked well with Anzallo, who he described as a good listener and communicator with high standards and expectations for officers. Dorrity said Anzallo also has the clout of having worked in several roles during a long career.
“Mike Anzallo has a proven track record as a cop and a problem solver,” Dorrity wrote in a text message. “We’ve been able to settle several outstanding issues quickly with resolutions that were beneficial to our officers, police leadership and our community. We are eager to see what we can accomplish together.”
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Anzallo steps into a role responsible for battling a rise in crime, as well as internal issues related to investigations and record-keeping.
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The pandemic-era decline in rail ridership has corresponded with an increase in sex offenses within the transit system. Police in July cited a doubling in indecent exposure reports over the past 18 months.
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The department came under scrutiny in July for not having records showing it investigated 1,200 reported crimes between 2010 and 2017, according to a report released by Metro’s inspector general. The audit also showed that 1,600 other case files were missing or withheld from the inspector general’s office. Three reported felony sex offenses and 66 misdemeanor sex offenses were among the cases with missing documentation.
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Before joining transit police as assistant chief in 2018, Anzallo worked as a D.C. police officer for more than 30 years. He first worked in the 6th District, east of the Anacostia River, before rising to positions that oversaw several police units, including homicide, special victims, sexual assault, homicide cold case, major narcotics, forensic science and the sex offender registry.
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He also led D.C. police investigative units that probed financial crimes and fraud, sought out intelligence, protected witnesses and investigated auto theft.
More recently as assistant transit police chief, Metro officials said, Anzallo oversaw patrol operations, homeland security issues, intelligence gathering, police security programs and investigations while also coordinating emergency management with other law enforcement.