while focusing on improving schools, the fenty administration changed district agencies, ensuring more efficient and effective service delivery throughout district government. fenty's choice for police chief, cathy lanier, also made national headlines. under fenty, lanier has added police officers to the streets and expanded community policing initiatives, for example, "beefing up" the policy of accepting anonymous text message tips from local residents to cut down on retaliation. by local news accounts, there is evidence of success. the homicide rate in the district dropped 25% in 2009. the closure rate for homicide cases rose to 70%. in his "state of the district" speech, the mayor reported that homicides were at their "lowest level since 1964" and that "both violent crimes and property crimes" had experienced a double-digit decline.