Gainer Tapped to Take Over Force that has Been Depleted Since Sept. 11
by Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post
Terrance W. Gainer, the D.C. police department’s second-in-command, yesterday was named chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, a law enforcement agency undergoing a significant transformation because of terrorist threats.
Gainer, 54, will take over the $140,000-a-year post Monday, succeeding James J. Varey, who retired May 10. Gainer’s elevation comes at a pivotal moment for the Capitol Police, which is being turned into an elite force charged with protecting 535 lawmakers and about 200 square blocks in and around the Capitol, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.
Among other things, Gainer will be charged with reversing a tide of officer resignations prompted by overtime requirements since Sept. 11 and defections to the new federal Transportation Security Administration, said Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). Gainer also will oversee efforts in a $368 million visitor center, a $100 million project that will extend the Capitol’s security perimeter and a proposed new police headquarters.
Gainer, who is media savvy and frequently quoted, gained national exposure during the Chandra Levy case. By contrast, his predecessors on the Capitol Police force seldom sought out the cameras.
The Capitol Police, which had 1,300 sworn officers before September, has been given approval to hire an additional 681 officers over the next two years. The D.C. police force has about 3,600 sworn officers and an annual budget of about $320 million. The Capitol Police budget this year is $220 million.
The Capitol Police Board, made up of the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms and the architect of the Capitol, announced Gainer’s selection from a pool of 70 candidates. In a statement, the board praised Gainer’s leadership skills. “We are very pleased with the selection process and are confident we have a strong, capable leader as the new chief,” the board said.
Congressional leaders also praised his credentials.
“The task of maintaining a safe, but open, Capitol complex is a difficult one, but I look forward to working with Chief Gainer to address the increased security challenges we face,” said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees the police.
Gainer arrived in Washington in 1998 as executive assistant police chief and top aide to Chief Charles H. Ramsey, taking over the daily operations of a department whose reputation had suffered during most of the 1990s. Gainer, a decorated Vietnam veteran, Chicago homicide detective and lawyer, impressed supporters by raising professional standards but drew sharp criticism from union leaders with a confrontational, sometimes harsh style.
Ramsey said: “It’s obviously a loss to the department. He brings something to law enforcement that I simply can’t replace. . . . I’m very pleased and proud of him.”
Gainer, who was in New York with Ramsey to attend today’s ceremony marking the end of the rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero, said: “I’m very excited. It’s a great opportunity to work with another great police agency in the Washington area. I’m already heartsick about leaving this department and not working for Chuck Ramsey.”