Park Police Rebuked For Weak Security

He disputed other criticisms.

Regarding the photograph of the supposedly sleeping officer, he said: "You can't determine whether or not he is sleeping. I don't even know where that picture was taken or when that picture was taken."

"We've made tremendous progress in the last three years," he said, pointing to what he said was his department's successful handling of numerous huge events on the Mall.

"We work on the process every day," he said. "It's a continuing process of improving the system. . . . We will continue to improve it, . . . We will continue to be the Super Bowl team of law enforcement."

Pettiford was a top commander for Teresa C. Chambers, the department's first female chief, who was fired in 2004 after raising concerns about staffing and security.

Of the complaints about workplace morale, he said, "When you talk about morale, it depends on who you're asking. Is it an officer who's been denied something? . . . Or is it a young commander who is very innovative?

"When change comes, you're going to see people not accepting change," he said. "Sometimes people want to go back to the way things used to be."