D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith is stepping down at the end of the month after two years leading the department, taking over during a rash of postpandemic violence and ending her tenure on pace for an eight-year low number of homicides in 2025.

Smith was nominated as chief in July 2023 and worked in an acting capacity until the D.C. Council confirmed her later that year, making her the city’s first Black woman to serve as police chief.

When she took over, D.C. was experiencing violence at levels not seen in more than 20 years. The city ended 2023 with 274 homicides, the highest number since 2002, according to city data .

That number dipped in 2024, Smith’s first full year leading D.C.’s police force, to 187. As of Dec. 5, the city had recorded 124 homicides in 2025 and was firmly on

See Full Page