Pamela Smith was named Monday as the acting head of the Metropolitan Police Department by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, making her the District’s first Black woman to serve as chief of police.
said to a crowd gathered at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library downtown. “I have a message for young women who are watching this today: No matter where you come from, no matter your challenges that you face, or the adversity that is in your way, if you choose to serve in law enforcement or any other career, you become an integral part of any community.”while the District faces two historic public safety challenges: a daunting recruitment crisis and a city besieged by violent crime.
The 3,300 active-duty force is a 50-year low for the nation’s capital. The trend started after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated when anti-police rhetoric became fashionable among liberal politicians and the public in the wake of the 2020 death of George Floyd.
The District has reported a 36% increase in violent crime overall from 2022. Total crime has increased by 30%. Two homicides in the past week — a cyclist killed while riding home before dawn Saturday and a construction worker killed Thursday morning on his way to work at Howard University’s campus — have reinforced the sense that the crime wave is unpredictable.said she would confront the city’s violent streak by directing police to high-crime areas, focusing investigations on violent people and pushing officers to have a visible presence in the communities they serve.
“We must tackle the violent crime issues that we are experiencing in the District,” the acting chief said. “The community wants the
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bowser Picks Park Police Veteran Pamela Smith To Lead Metropolitan Police DepartmentSmith briefly served as U.S. Park Police chief before retiring last year, thereafter coming to MPD to serve as the department's first equity officer.
Read more »
Black Sea grain deal to expire Monday if Russia quitsA pact that has allowed the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine for the past year will expire at the end of Monday if Russia does not agree to extend the agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion of its neighbor.
Read more »
“Mayor Bowser Names Pamela Smith Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department, Smith Becomes the First African American Woman Named Permanent Chief of MPD” - PoPvillevia MPD From the Mayor's Office: 'Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she has named Pamela A. Smith as the next Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Smith has over 25 years of law enforcement experience, including serving as the Chief of Police for the United States Park Police in Washington, DC.
Read more »
DC has a new police chief. Now, she'll have to contend with the crime-friendly DC CouncilWashington Mayor Muriel Bowser nominated Pamela Smith to become the District of Columbia's new chief of police on Monday. Former chief of the U.S. Park Police, Smith is a good choice. She's a smart leader who rose up the ranks and is respected by police officers. Smith seems to recognize the deep…
Read more »
Black artist creates wooden guitars that are relics of Black historyA North Carolina artist is creating more awareness of Black culture in America by turning something racially violent into something meaningful and impactful, and cementing himself in Black history with his work, Hanging Tree Guitars.
Read more »
Alameda County DA Pamela Price reflects on time in office, responds to recall effortAlameda County DA Pamela Price spoke on camera about the recall effort against her for the first time Sunday.
Read more »