The Mechanic
The Robert Bobb Management Method: speak softly and carry plenty of pink slips
Cover Story
On Jan. 4, the community room in the Metropolitan Police Department’s 6th District headquarters swelled with nearly 100 fed-up residents of Ward 7. For the past several years, they had watched their once-thriving middle-class swath of D.C. take on the appearance of a blighted community. Vacant lots had become illegal dumping grounds. Abandoned cars had crowded the streets. Rental properties had become slums. Crime—especially juvenile crime—had grown unbearable.
This time, however, the gripes weren’t just about generic quality-of-life issues. This time, the residents had a name: Dixon A. Oladele, a homebuilder who had a history of run-ins with the city’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). Neighbors complained that Oladele had treated Ward 7 as his private preserve. He bought up property and promised to renovate existing housing or build new homes, but he often failed to secure legally required permits for his projects. He invariably left his work unfinished; Oladele’s incomplete structures littered the Deanwood neighborhood and had become magnets for drug users.
When residents took their concerns to the DCRA, Oladele was cited for violations. Between 2000 and 2005, the city collected more than $200,000 in fines from the so-called entrepreneur, according to the Washington Post. The citations, however, didn’t inspire Oladele to close down his operation.
Tired of formulaic responses to their problems, the members of the Far Northeast-Southeast Council invited Robert Bobb to its gathering.... Continued 
Issue of Mar. 25 - 31, 2005
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