WASHINGTON (AP) - The commander of the special operations division for the District of Columbia police department says he's been demoted.

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Commander Hilton Burton said he was told Monday that he would be demoted to the rank of captain and transferred out of special operations and into the medical division. He says he was told during a meeting with Assistant Chief Alfred Durham that the department had lost faith in his ability to lead.

Burton testified in June at a D.C. Council hearing about police escorts for celebrities. He said the special operations division routinely escorts celebrities, including when police Chief Cathy Lanier headed the division.

Lanier said she'd never approved escorts for celebrities.

Lanier said in a statement the demotion was "based on a review of command decisions, including several critical incidents."