Police chiefs of big-city departments often come and go with the election of a mayor — but after leading the Metropolitan Police Department for nearly 10 years and in three different administrations, Chief Cathy L. Lanier opted to leave on her own terms.
The District’s police chief announced Tuesday that she would leave the sole police agency where she has worked for more than 26 years to become senior vice president of security operations for the National Football League, bringing to a close the law enforcement career of the city’s longest-serving police chief since the District attained home rule in 1973.
In her new job, based in New York, Chief Lanier will oversee the security of all 32 NFL teams and work with federal, state and local law entities to ensure the safety and security of their stadiums, fans and players.
“We are excited to welcome to our team an individual of Cathy’s talent and extensive record of accomplishments,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Cathy joins us with a well-deserved reputation of being a tremendous communicator, innovator and relationship builder.”
Chief Lanier, who said she made her final decision to accept the NFL position on Monday, will leave the department on Sept. 17.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser praised Chief Lanier’s tenure, saying she leaves behind a “tremendous legacy” that includes an emphasis on community policing and an early embrace of technology such as body-worn cameras.
Ms. Bowser said she plans to appoint an interim chief in the coming days and expects to focus on top leadership within the department in a search for its next permanent leader.
“I don’t think we are going to need the services of a search firm, but we will recruit from within and we will also take any interest from outside people,” the mayor said.
During Chief Lanier’s oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department, the revitalization and development efforts in the District increased the city’s population by close to 100,000 residents and led to new demands on law enforcement.
Crime levels continued a steady decline under her leadership, coinciding with a national drop in crime rates, but in the past couple of years have rebounded to the point at which public safety again has become a concern among residents.
The prestige of leading the police department charged with safety in the nation’s capital made Chief Lanier a prime target for recruitment. She said she turned down multiple offers over the years to oversee other departments in part because of her loyalty to the first place that gave her a shot in law enforcement.
“When other big cities were looking for chiefs and reached out to me, I didn’t give it a second thought. This city gave me an opportunity when many would not have,” the 49-year-old police chief said.
Chief Lanier, who grew up in nearby Prince George’s County, joined the department in 1990 and rose through the ranks after becoming a mother at age 15 and dropping out of high school in the ninth grade.
The chief noted that her contract was set to expire in January and that the opportunity to ensure Americans remain safe while enjoying their “favorite sport” is a challenge not so dissimilar from the task of overseeing a department that regularly works with more than 30 federal agencies and oversees major events such as inaugurations and security of high-profile dignitaries.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson praised the progress the department has made under Chief Lanier in advancing the community policing model.
“Not too long ago, our police force was a mess. Charles Ramsey made important strides in improving the force,” said Mr. Mendelson, referring to Chief Lanier’s predecessor. “Cathy Lanier, however, took those gains and built upon them.”
Chief Lanier said she counts her greatest achievement as the positive strides the department has made in building a good relationship with the community.
“The most important legacy is we have a community that supports us,” she said. “People will talk to us now and give us the information we need.”
While Chief Lanier has often had a higher favorability rating than many of the city’s elected leaders, her tenure hasn’t been without controversy.
In 2008, a federal appeals court declared that a police checkpoint program instituted by the chief in the Trinidad neighborhood was unconstitutional. Under the program, officers stopped and requested identification from drivers headed into the crime-ridden neighborhood and were turning away people who did not live there or gave other stated reasons to be in the area.
Bitter fights with the D.C. police union colored the chief’s first few years at the helm and led to lawsuits filed against the department over everything from public information requests to scheduling disputes — particularly over the legality of the All Hands on Deck program.
Union leaders called into question the department’s staffing under Chief Lanier — MPD currently has 3,700 officers — arguing that she wasn’t hiring quickly enough to offset the department’s attrition rate.
“We lost almost 1,000 officers due to people retiring or quitting in the last two years,” said Stephen Bigelow, vice chairman of the D.C. Police Union.
Mr. Bigelow said the union made progress in recent months working with the chief rather that fighting her, but that many officers were relieved by word of her departure.
For several years after Chief Lanier was appointed in 2007, the crime rate declined. In 2012, the number of homicides recorded reached a record low of 88. That lone year, Chief Lanier was able to meet her long-stated goal of no more than 100 homicides in the city.
But in the past few years, some crime has begun to tick up again. While violent crime is down 20 percent from 2007 to the end of 2015, the 162 homicides recorded in 2015 accounted for a 54 percent increase over the prior year. Meanwhile, the property crime rate is up 8 percent since 2007.
Chief Lanier also has played a role in the implementation of the city’s gun laws. As chief of police, she has final say over who is eligible for a concealed carry permit under the city’s strict regime, which issues permits only to those who can demonstrate a “good reason” to carry a firearm. The rules have kept the number of concealed carry permits to a minimum.
Monica Hopkins-Maxwell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation’s Capitol, said the department has done a better job over the years of respecting First Amendment rights of protesters. But secrecy surrounding police surveillance has been a point of contention.
“I do think that she was willing to listen,” Ms. Hopkins-Maxwell said. “When held accountable, she made sure that things were done the right way.”
But the opportunity to select a new chief should be a time to fully examine any remaining problems with the department’s policies and actions, she said.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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