The D.C. Council unanimously confirmed its new chief of police Tuesday.
Pamela Smith is the first Black woman to be named permanent chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
"Our community understands the urgency to both drive down crime and build up MPD," Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. "Chief Smith hit the ground running in July, sharing her story and vision, making sure she was accessible to residents and businesses, and prioritizing common-sense solutions to long-standing challenges."
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Smith has 25 years of police experience at the federal and local levels. She served as the chief of the United States Park Police, MPD’s first chief equity officer and as assistant chief of the Homeland Security Bureau.
When Bowser named her in July, Smith cited four ways she will lead D.C. police as the city grapples with a crime crisis:
- Targeting the deployment of officers to areas affected by crime
- Engaging in long-term investigations focused on the most violent people
- Leveraging a whole-of-government approach
- Insuring the effective use of police officers
Smith said MPD already has many good practices in place and that she will aim to amplify successes and find solutions.
Smith is an Arkansas native. In high school, she was a three-time All-American in track. Before beginning her career in law enforcement, Smith worked as a social worker and a probation officer. She said she joined the Park Police at 30 after an officer on horseback urged her to apply. She was ordained as a minister about 20 years ago and serves as a youth pastor.
Smith took over for former Chief Robert Contee, who left the department this year for a job with the FBI.
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