DC Police Chief Pamela Smith Announces Resignation

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith announced her resignation Monday in a statement posted on the Metropolitan Police Department’s website. Smith said she was “deeply humbled” and that serving as chief “has been the greatest honor of my career.” She thanked Mayor Muriel Bowser, the D.C. Council, and District residents for their trust, calling her tenure “both challenging and rewarding.” Smith said she was proud of the department’s progress, noting that while “zero percent crime” remains the aspiration, “tremendous progress” has been made and the agency is “in a strong position” to continue its public-safety work.

Smith was nominated by Bowser in July 2023 and confirmed by the D.C. Council that November, becoming the first Black woman to lead the Metropolitan Police Department. She previously served as MPD’s first Chief Equity Officer after a 24-year law-enforcement career that included serving as Chief of Police for the U.S. Park Police.

Her tenure included periods of federal intervention in the city’s public-safety operations. She remained in command this summer when President Donald Trump issued an emergency order that temporarily shifted authority over the department, a move later reversed.

Bowser said Monday that Smith played a key role in crime-reduction efforts and thanked her for her service to the District.

DC Police Chief Pamela Smith Announces Resignation was originally published on mymajicdc.com