Washington's Mayor Bowser says the city's police chief, Pamela Smith, is
stepping down
[December 09, 2025]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pamela Smith, who was catapulted into
national attention after President Donald Trump moved to federalize
Washington’s police force and who worked to confront rising violence in
the nation’s capital, is stepping down as the city’s police chief, Mayor
Muriel Bowser said Monday.
Smith, appointed in 2023, had been brought in to stabilize a department
facing staffing shortages and a city shaken by post-pandemic crime. But
her tenure unfolded amid a fierce battle over authority, as Trump
asserted federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department and
deployed National Guard troops and federal agents alongside the city’s
officers.
In announcing her resignation, Bowser praised Smith for “stepping up” at
a moment of “significant urgency,” crediting her with helping drive down
violent crime, cutting homicides to an eight-year low and launching
major policing initiatives, including a Real-Time Crime Center and new
technology upgrades.
“Chief Smith got all of this done while navigating unprecedented
challenges and attacks on our city’s autonomy,” Bowser said.
The mayor did not say why Smith is leaving. She also did not announce
who would take over the department or whether the change in leadership
might affect the city’s broader public-safety strategy at a moment when
Washington continues to recover from historic levels of violence.
The announcement comes after Bowser said she would not seek a fourth
term. Smith and Bowser have been under tremendous pressure from
constituents over the police force's performance during the federal law
enforcement intervention.
In a statement, Smith said she was confident the police force “is in a
strong position and that the great work will continue” and that the role
has been both a challenge and a reward.
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Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith stands during a
news conference at the Department of Justice, Thursday, Dec. 4,
2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“I am proud of the accomplishments we achieved together, and I thank
the residents of this city for their trust and partnership,” Smith
said. “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, a longtime federal law enforcement official and former head
of the U.S. Park Police, assumed command during one of Washington’s
most volatile years in nearly two decades, as homicides surged,
carjackings hit record highs and frustration mounted among residents
and lawmakers.
The spike in 2023 violence prompted congressional hearings and led
city leaders to expand police authority, including authorizing
drug-free zones in areas with persistent crime. Lawmakers also
rewrote parts of the city’s criminal code in an effort to stem the
rise in violent offenses.
Early the next year, the city began to see improvement. Overall
crime fell by about 17% in the first ten weeks of 2024, a drop Smith
attributed to the new law and to targeted deployments in
neighborhoods experiencing repeated trouble. She also imposed
temporary youth curfew zones in several parts of the district.
Pointing to the city's crime, Trump issued an emergency order in
August that federalized the police force and sent in hundreds of
National Guard troops. Trump has hailed the operation as a
resounding success that has brought down crime, although rates were
already on the decline.
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