D.C. Police Chief to Resign: 'Proud of Accomplishments We Achieved Together'

The police chief for Washington, D.C., announced Monday that she's resigning after over two years on the job.

"Serving as Chief of Police has been the greatest honor of my career, and I want to extend my sincere thanks to Mayor Muriel Bowser for appointing me to this position and to the DC Council for their steadfast support throughout my tenure," Chief Pamela Smith said in a statement.

Smith, who became chief in July 2023, is expected to step down Dec. 31, WUSA-TV reports. The district has not announced an interim chief or discussed details of a potential search for a new chief.

"(Smith) came in at a very challenging time for our community, when there was significant urgency to reverse the crime trends our city was facing post pandemic," Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. "Within a year of her tenure, we opened the Real-Time Crime Center. We deployed newer and better technology. We worked with the Council to pass comprehensive legislation that prioritizes accountability."

The district was facing a 26-year high in homicides and other spiking crime trends when Smith was named to the post. Now, the district's homicide rate is at its lowest level in eight years, according to Bowser. 

"This role has been both challenging and rewarding," stated Smith. "I am proud of the accomplishments we achieved together, and I thank the residents of this city for their trust and partnership. While my aspiration has always been to see zero percent crime, we are not there yet. Nonetheless, we have made tremendous progress, and there remains important work ahead."

Smith began serving on the D.C. police force in May 2022. Before that, she was a U.S. Park Police officer, a position she had for nearly two dozen years, and became chief of the agency in February 2021.