Longtime D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier Leaving to Work for the NFL

D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced Tuesday that she will resign next month to take over as head of security for the National Football League, ending her 26-year career on the force, the last decade as its first permanent female leader.

 

The 49-year-old, who rose from the patrol ranks, had an unusually long tenure heading a major police force. She said the unique job opportunity in professional sports prompted her decision. Her latest contract was up in January.

 

“She’s built a fantastic force, professionalized the force, built a force that the community trusts which is going to be a lasting legacy,” Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said in an interview with the Washington Post.