Summer is fast approaching, and that means public pools, barbeques and the inevitable jump in crime. But unlike in years past, city officials are handling this one differently.

In an announcement earlier today, Mayor Adrian Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced that all 3,300 of the department's officers would work this weekend, part of a larger plan called the All Hands on Deck Summer Crime Initiative aimed at more effectively deploying resources to prevent crime around the city. According to Lanier, "The goal of this initiative is to reduce crime and build community trust by putting more officers on the streets and increasing police visibility to deter crime." The plan will also seek to avoid the usual crime emergencies that former Chief Charles Ramsey would impose, all of which increased department expenditures and decreased morale. And yes, those infamous CCTV cameras are still being used -- in fact, by the end of this month 24 will have been deployed in trouble spots across the city.

I managed to get a glimpse of what Lanier's new strategy might look like in practice last night. My neighborhood has been plagued by robberies in recent weeks, and a special detail of officers was recently tasked with addressing the problem. After being robbed at gunpoint in front of my house late last night, the police responded immediately and overwhelmingly. Though only one of the four robbers was caught, various officers informed me that they were going all out to deter robberies and respond decisively if any occured.

Ultimately, the proof will have to be in the pudding. Lanier was one of Ramsey's protégés, so the differences in the approach to summer crime may only be in style, not substance. We know that crime tends to come in waves, and should Lanier and Fenty have found a new way to clamp down, it'll be obvious in the busy summer months to come.