DC Council confirms Pamela Smith to lead Metropolitan Police Department into the future
WASHINGTON - It's official. Pamela A. Smith is D.C.'s chief of police.
The D.C. Council unanimously confirmed Smith Tuesday, nearly four months after Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her nomination.
UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 23: Acting D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith, conducts a news conference on The Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now) "new legislation aimed at reducing crime in the District," at the Metropolitan Police Department Fourth Dis
She is the first Black female police chief in the Metropolitan Police Department's history.
Her job won't be easy. She takes over the police force amid a crime wave in the District.
There's been a 33% increase in murders and 40% increase in overall violent crime from this same time in 2022. Plus, carjackings, and thefts have gone up, as well.
But the chief believes she's up for the task. And so does the D.C. Council.
During the legislative meeting on Tuesday, several council members spoke to being impressed with the chief’s community walks. They expressed appreciation for her approach of prioritizing working across and with government partners. There was also a lot of emphasis on the importance of the chief working with the U.S. attorney to make sure more arrests are papered.
"She delivered results for Ward 5 at a time when Ward 5 was under siege, having the highest number of robberies at the end of the summer," said Councilmember Zachary Parker.
"Her leadership style gives our community hope," said At-large Councilmember Anita Bonds as she voted to confirm Chief Smith. "I believe she has the background and qualities that can repair the relationship between the police department and the community it serves."
New DC chief of police announced
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser nominated Pamela A. Smith to become D.C.’s next chief of police on Monday.
"When we asked the community, in the spring, what they wanted to see in their next Chief of Police, we heard loud and clear that they wanted someone who could advocate for a better policy environment while leading MPD and engaging residents," the mayor said in a statement. "Our community understands the urgency to both drive down crime and build up MPD. 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. We have work to do, and I am proud to have Chief Smith at the helm of MPD as we continue engaging and working with community stakeholders and our partners on the Council and in the criminal justice system."
Nomination process for DC's Acting Police Chief Pam Smith intensifies
The D.C. Council Public Safety and Judiciary Committee held its first roundtable on the mayor’s nominee for D.C.’s top cop Wednesday, and the conversations were intense and charged.
Smith is being nominated from within the department after the mayor’s team embarked on a national search this past spring.
The Arkansas native has shared how she grew up with parents addicted to drugs, having to enter the foster care system, and later reconnecting with her mother. She also spoke to becoming an ordained minister in 2004 – and later an ordained youth pastor.
Smith came to the MPD after 24 years of rising through the ranks in different positions all across the country. She became chief of the U.S. Park Police in February 2021, but reports say she left abruptly and with no reason given after only about a year at the helm.
She joined MPD in 2022, becoming the department’s first chief equity officer. FOX 5 has learned she was tasked with focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the department. This past April, she was promoted to assistant chief of police in MPD’s Homeland Security Bureau.