Rodney Monroe Retires

This is old news, I mean really old news.

You see a search of Washington Post archives turns up that current CMPD Chief Monroe, had a bad day back in 2000 and asked to retire from the Washington DC Police Department, to only "unretire" a week later.

Apparently he didn't like the way things were going and tossed his badge on D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey's desk.

On January 27, 2000 the Washington Post ran the following story:

But after resigning from the police department this week, 6th District Cmdr. Rodney Monroe is heading straight back to the streets, sans gun and badge.

Monroe, 42, has joined the nonprofit National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, a career move that the center's president, Robert Woodson, has never seen a police officer make. "I can't think of any other situation like this," Woodson said.

Monroe, a 21-year police veteran once thought to be a future chief, endured two years of departmental tumult that some say dimmed a rising star. He said that's not why he left. He wants the opportunity to work at the grass-roots level with the kind of people he's been arresting.

Then a week later on February 3, 2000:

Today Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey announced the promotion of Sixth District Commander Rodney Monroe to the rank of Assistant Chief of Police. Captain Willie Dandridge will serve as Acting Commander of the Sixth District.

Assistant Chief Monroe will oversee the implementation of Policing for Prevention, Crime Reduction, and Youth Violence Reduction programs. He will also serve as the Metropolitan Police Department’s liaison to District government agencies and service providers to facilitate these initiatives.

Rodney Monroe is 42 years old. He has served with the department for over twenty years. Willie Dandridge is 36 years old. He is a 11-year-veteran of the police force.

Chief Ramsey stated, "Assistant Chief Monroe was scheduled to retire this month and begin working for a community organization that has goals consistent with the goals of the Metropolitan Police Department. Rodney Monroe has now been tasked by the department to implement solid prevention strategies that will help D.C. government and concerned citizens achieve these common goals. Quite frankly, Rodney is too valuable an asset to the department to let go."

But one year later Monroe would jump ship for good and head to Macon, Georgia. But one can hardly blame him, after nearly six years of being passed over, the promoted only to be demoted and then promoted but only after he had resigned and taken another job.