July 22nd 2023.
On July 19th, Pamela Smith made history when she was announced by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser as the first Black female chief of police in Washington, District of Columbia. Smith, who joined the Metropolitan Police Department in 2022, expressed her excitement and humility for the position.
"I am proud, I am humbled, and I am excited to work alongside this team," said Smith. "This historic moment is not lost on me. I join a legacy of strong African American women who lead public safety in the District of Columbia."
Smith has an impressive background in law enforcement and security, and was promoted to chief of police at U.S. Park Police in 2021. Her focus as D.C.’s chief of police will be “driving down” rising crime rates in the city, according to BlackNews.com.
Whilst awaiting confirmation from the D.C. council, Smith is already taking a ‘boots on the ground’ approach to turning the city's homicide rate around. When asked about this, she said: “I think that we are poised to really have some impactful engagement when it comes to homicides. What’s really important for me is that we have an ‘all community approach’ to what’s happening.”
For Smith, the most pressing issue is having D.C. residents unite and make public safety the norm. She urged, “One of the things that I would like to say to the community is to provide us with that information so that we can get some of these guns and drive down some of this violence. We want to be able to have a more effective relationship with our community.”
Pamela Smith is a highly respected law enforcement official, and her appointment as the District of Columbia's first Black female chief of police is a monumental milestone. With her extensive experience and the backing of the mayor and the council, we are sure that Smith will make a lasting impact on public safety in the nation's capital.
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