Metro Transit Police Chief Ronald A. Pavlik Jr., who rose through the ranks over 25 years to become a stable and sometimes controversial leader of the department, will leave next month to take a top position with the Transportation Security Administration, according to federal officials and an internal Metro memo sent Thursday.
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In a note to transit agency employees, Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld called Pavlik an “extraordinary leader” who helped to ensure the safety and security of Metro passengers and employees during his eight-year tenure as chief. Pavlik will step down Sept. 1.
“No one takes the oath to protect and serve more seriously or more personally,” Wiedefeld wrote. “I will miss his wisdom, his calm, and his humor immeasurably.”
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Pavlik, 51, will become deputy assistant administrator for the TSA’s Surface Operations Division, agency spokeswoman Sarah Rodriguez said. He will focus on securing and discovering ways to keep mass transit, freight rail, highways and pipelines safe, she said.
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Pavlik said in a statement that he appreciated the support of Metro’s leaders and partners across the Washington region, adding that “it has been my honor to serve with the men and women of MTPD, who are dedicated public servants.”
Assistant Chief Michael Anzallo will serve as interim chief while Metro searches for Pavlik’s replacement.
Pavlik was generally regarded as a dependable leader who presented well at community meetings and responded to the concerns of neighborhood leaders.
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“He’s always been a really smart leader and manager,” said Jeff Delinski, program director for George Washington University’s Police and Security Studies program and a former transit police deputy chief of patrol operations. “He was always somebody who was dependable and reliable and someone you looked up at.”
While Pavlik’s time as chief provided stability within the department, his tenure coincided with a period of national racial reckoning over police shootings, abuses and killings of unarmed Black people.
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In the District, members of the Metro board and D.C. Council debated Black riders’ complaints of mistreatment by transit police. The department had long battled allegations that transit officers used excessive force, stopped and questioned Black riders disproportionately, and were quick to make arrests to meet internal performance quotas.
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In late 2018, D.C. Council members voted to decriminalize fare evasion within the city, partly based on the complaints and a study that indicated 91 percent of fare evasion citations and summonses went to Black riders.
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Pavlik denied allegations that officers were judged on how many arrests they made, but last year, the Metro Transit Police union sent him a letter calling for changes that included an end to stop-and-question tactics and performance evaluations that prioritized enforcement actions.
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Pavlik formed committees with union representatives and officers to overhaul many department policies, including its hiring practices, to attract more diverse officers. He also created an independent panel that includes four area residents without ties to police agencies and three law enforcement officers not linked to transit police to review internal affairs cases — an effort to ensure that claims of abuse, harassment or excessive force are properly handled.
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D.C. Council member Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) has been among a group of city leaders who sought more oversight of transit police than that of Metro’s board, citing the record of alleged abuses. But White said he never had an issue discussing those concerns with Pavlik, whom he said was always receptive.
“I have great respect for Chief Pavlik and have appreciated working with him throughout my time on the D.C. Council,” White said in a statement. “His tenure spanned a time of significant change and unrest, with a spotlight on how we police. While we didn’t always agree on policy, he showed up for every difficult conversation and listened. I wish Chief Pavlik success in his next chapter.”
Metro Transit Police can’t document whether officers investigated thousands of reported crimes, watchdog says
Transit police came under scrutiny last month when Metro’s Office of Inspector General issued a report saying police couldn’t demonstrate that officers investigated thousands of reported robberies, assaults, sex offenses and property crimes over a span of several years. In the case of 1,200 reported crimes, “investigative case files lacked any documentation of investigative activity,” according to the report.
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More than 1,600 other case files were missing or withheld from the inspector general, the report said. Metro police responded that steps were taken to improve the case management system and oversight, including establishing clear standards for investigators and performing regular case reviews.
Metro Transit Police union calls for reforms, including ending emphasis on arrests and ‘stop and question’
Pavlik served seven years in the Army with a combat tour in Desert Storm before starting in 1995 as a patrol officer with transit police. He eventually became a patrol sergeant, administrative lieutenant, commander of the training division and the patrol district, then deputy chief of the patrol and administrative services bureaus. He was tapped as chief in 2013, overseeing a department that includes 800 sworn officers and civilian employees.
Metro board Chairman Paul C. Smedberg called Pavlik a willing listener who addresses issues involving everyone from elected leaders to patrol officers.
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“Ron Pavlik was very effective as chief, both as a leader of the department and as someone who was thoughtful about and receptive to board member concerns,” Smedberg said.
Pavlik also held roles chairing the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Police Chiefs Committee and was a member of the American Public Transportation Association’s Board of Directors in 2018 and 2019.
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Anzallo, 53, has nearly 30 years of policing experience and came to transit police in 2018 from D.C. police, where he was an assistant chief. He joined the D.C. force in 1989 as an officer in the 6th District, east of the Anacostia River.
Anzallo’s law enforcement experience includes managing several police units, including homicide, special victims, sexual assault, homicide cold case, major narcotics, forensic science and the sex offender registry. He has also led D.C. police investigative units that include financial crimes and fraud, intelligence, witness protection and auto theft.
In his current role, Anzallo coordinates emergency management with area law enforcement and is responsible for transit police security programs. He oversees the transit police bureaus for patrol operations, homeland security, intelligence and investigations.
Lori Aratani contributed to this report.