Nomination process for DC’s Acting Police Chief Pam Smith intensifies

Nomination process for DC's Acting Police Chief Pam Smith intensifies

D.C. has now hit a sobering figure: 209 homicides in the nation's capital. This will make the third year In a row D.C. has surpassed 200 lives lost due to violence. The news arrives just as the nomination process has begun for Acting D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith. FOX 5’s Stephanie Ramirez reports from the Wilson Building where the acting chief is addressing council members.

WASHINGTON - 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.

As of this Wednesday afternoon, 209 people have been killed in D.C. in 2023. The continued increase in homicides coincides with the nomination process for Acting Police Chief Pamela A. Smith.

Confirmation hearing for Acting DC Police Chief Pamela Smith

D.C.'s Acting Police Chief Pamela Smith spoke candidly about crime during her first confirmation hearing with the D.C. Council. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu has the details on what went down at the Wilson Building Wednesday afternoon.

Acting Chief Smith would be the first Black woman to lead the Metropolitan Police Department, with over two decades of law enforcement experience under her belt.

She joined MPD last year as the city’s first equity officer before becoming an assistant chief.

Prior to that, she served as U.S. Park police chief for about a year.

The Public Safety and Judiciary Committee invited the public to testify at the meeting. Those who wanted to be heard had to register using the Council’s Hearing Management System.

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Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith would be the first Black woman to lead the Metropolitan Police Department.

Over 40 people signed up to speak.

During the council's first nomination roundtable, held inside the Wilson Building, serious concerns were brought up about post-2020 police reforms, the current complications attracting new officers, how to rebuild community trust, and how the department can do better addressing conflicts at home that spread to public gun violence.

The acting chief’s nomination has to be moved out of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee before it goes to the entire council for a confirmation hearing. There’s a chance this process could move into winter.

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.

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After the hearing, Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement reaffirming her support for Smith.

"When I nominated her, I shared that the District is getting the full package with Acting Chief Smith – she has experience, passion, and a strong commitment to making D.C. safer," the statement reads. "Our residents noted they want a leader at the Metropolitan Police Department who can drive down crime, connect with community, recruit and train the next generation of police, and communicate and advocate for a policy environment that promotes public safety. In her short time leading MPD, Acting Chief Smith has demonstrated she knows policing, understands the partnerships needed to improve public safety, underscored the importance of community engagement, and implemented crime reduction strategies tailored to the needs of our neighborhoods. I urge the Council to quickly confirm Acting Chief Smith so we can continue our efforts to reduce crime, keep our community safe, and build a safer, stronger D.C."

Watch the public roundtable here.