July 26th 2023.
Pamela Smith recently took the helm as the Metropolitan Police Chief of Washington D.C. and is already facing a challenging job. Crime rates have skyrocketed in the last year, with violent crime up 36% and homicides up 18%. This is despite the fact that the city population of 641,301 is proportionally policed by only 3,000 officers, leaving one officer for every 213 citizens.
Smith is determined to make her presence felt among the public, saying “I will be a visible chief. I will conduct safety walks in all of our districts, PSAs. I will meet folks probably at inopportune times. Folks will see me showing up in places and spaces, not because other chiefs have not but because I live here, and it’s important to me that the members feel safe in the District.” She has the support of the police union and is the first Black chief of police the city has had.
Her priorities include curbing juvenile crime, increasing the use of “hot-spot” policing, and improving the perception of the department. Crime Solutions rates this type of policing as promising for reducing violent crime and effective at reducing overall crime. Smith is also looking to reach out to parents in the local community to work together to combat the crime rate.
Smith must yet be confirmed by the District of Colombia’s City Council, but she is seen as a strong candidate with an established track record of improving the perception of the departments she has worked for. The community is hopeful that Smith’s leadership will bring the much-needed change to the city.
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