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Mayor Adrian Fenty
Nomination of Cathy Lanier as Chief of Police
November 20, 2006

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News Release News release with expanded biography

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 20, 2006 
CONTACT: Mafara Hobson
(202) 478.9199

Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty Names Pick for DC Police Chief
MPD Cmdr. Cathy Lanier brings expertise in local policing and homeland security

Today, DC Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty announced that he has asked 16-year law enforcement veteran and Metropolitan Police Department Homeland Security Commander Cathy Lanier to serve as the city’s next chief of police.

“Commander Lanier has superbly served the residents of the District of Columbia for nearly two decades, and brings a unique understanding of both the importance of community policing and the expertise in homeland security that the top law enforcement officer of the nation’s capital must possess,” said Fenty about his choice of Lanier.

“I am honored that Mayor-elect Fenty has entrusted me with the safety and security of the citizens of the District of Columbia,” said Commander Lanier. “From the beat level to executive service, I am intimately familiar with the District’s residents, their needs and concerns,” she added, concluding, “I am eager to join a talented, energetic Mayor-elect and his superb team in realizing the promise this city holds.”

Commander Lanier has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for more than 16 years and currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the Office of Homeland Security & Counter-Terrorism. Working out of the Office of the Chief of Police, she has taken the lead role in developing and implementing coordinated counter-terrorism strategies for all units within the department. In this position, she has been responsible for all counter-terrorism operations, including investigations in partnership with the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force; developing and implementing all field training exercises, as well as conducting risk assessments and critical infrastructure protection of key sites within the nation’s capital.

Prior to her current assignment, Commander Lanier served as the Commanding Officer of the Department’s Special Operations Division (SOD) for four years where she managed members of the Emergency Response Team; Explosive Ordinance Unit; Aviation and Harbor Units; Horse Mounted and Canine Units; Domestic Security Unit; Special Events/Dignitary Protection Branch; and the Department’s Civil Disturbance Units.

During her tenure as the SOD Commander, she established the agency’s initial Homeland Security/Counter-Terrorism Branch and created an agency-wide chemical, biological, radiological response unit known as the Special Threat Action Team.

Commander Lanier spent more than 10 years of her career in the Uniform Patrol Division. As the Commander of the Fourth District she created the Latino Advisory Council that later expanded to become the Latino Liaison Unit. She has also served as the Commanding Officer of the Department's Major Narcotics Branch and Vehicular Homicide Units in the Special Services Bureau.

Lanier has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies, from the University of the District of Columbia and a bachelor of science in management from Johns Hopkins University, where she went on to receive her master’s in the same area of study. She also earned a master of arts in homeland security and defense from the Naval Postgraduate School. She has been honored for her law enforcement and homeland security work and holds a Top Secret Clearance with SCI Access.

Commander Lanier is 39 years old and the mother of one son. She comes from a family of public service. Her father retired a Deputy Chief in the Prince George’s County Fire Department and her two brothers, one a captain in the Prince George’s County Fire Department and the other a detective in the Greenbelt City Police Department, are still in public service today. Her mother, now retired and living with the Commander, worked more than 30 years in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C. 


News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 20, 2006 
CONTACT: Mafara Hobson
(202) 478.9199

Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty Names Pick for DC Police Chief 
MPD Cmdr. Cathy Lanier brings expertise in local policing and homeland security 

Today, DC Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty announced that he has asked 16-year law enforcement veteran and Metropolitan Police Department Homeland Security Commander Cathy Lanier to serve as the city’s next chief of police. 

“Commander Lanier has superbly served the residents of the District of Columbia for nearly two decades, and brings a unique understanding of both the importance of community policing and the expertise in homeland security that the top law enforcement officer of the nation’s capital must possess,” said Fenty about his choice of Lanier.

“I am honored that Mayor-elect Fenty has entrusted me with the safety and security of the citizens of the District of Columbia,” said Commander Lanier. “From the beat level to executive service, I am intimately familiar with the District’s residents, their needs and concerns,” she added, concluding, “I am eager to join a talented, energetic Mayor-elect and his superb team in realizing the promise this city holds.”

Commander Lanier has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for more than 16 years and currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the Office of Homeland Security & Counter-Terrorism. Working out of the Office of the Chief of Police, she has taken the lead role in developing and implementing coordinated counter-terrorism strategies for all units within the department. In this position, she has been responsible for all counter-terrorism operations, including investigations in partnership with the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force; developing and implementing all field training exercises, as well as conducting risk assessments and critical infrastructure protection of key sites within the nation’s capital. 

Prior to her current assignment, Commander Lanier served as the Commanding Officer of the Department’s Special Operations Division (SOD) for four years where she managed members of the Emergency Response Team; Explosive Ordinance Unit; Aviation and Harbor Units; Horse Mounted and Canine Units; Domestic Security Unit; Special Events/Dignitary Protection Branch; and the Department’s Civil Disturbance Units. 

During her tenure as the SOD Commander, she established the agency’s initial Homeland Security/Counter-Terrorism Branch and created an agency-wide chemical, biological, radiological response unit known as the Special Threat Action Team. 

Commander Lanier spent more than 10 years of her career in the Uniform Patrol Division. As the Commander of the Fourth District she created the Latino Advisory Council that later expanded to become the Latino Liaison Unit. She has also served as the Commanding Officer of the Department's Major Narcotics Branch and Vehicular Homicide Units in the Special Services Bureau.

Lanier has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies, from the University of the District of Columbia and a bachelor of science in management from Johns Hopkins University, where she went on to receive her master’s in the same area of study. She also earned a master of arts in homeland security and defense from the Naval Postgraduate School. She has been honored for her law enforcement and homeland security work and holds a Top Secret Clearance with SCI Access.

Commander Lanier is 39 years old and the mother of one son. She comes from a family of public service. Her father retired a Deputy Chief in the Prince George’s County Fire Department and her two brothers, one a captain in the Prince George’s County Fire Department and the other a detective in the Greenbelt City Police Department, are still in public service today. Her mother, now retired and living with the Commander, worked more than 30 years in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C. 

Formal Education

  • Criminal Justice Studies – University of the District of Columbia
  • Bachelor of Science in Management - Johns Hopkins University (Honors)
  • Master of Science in Management - Johns Hopkins University (Honors)
  • Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Defense - Naval Postgraduate School (Honors) 

Professional Education 

  • FBI National Academy, 194th Session, June – September 1998 
  • DEA Drug Unit Commanders Academy (2000)
  • Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education Programs, Merging Perspectives on Drugs and Crime and Driving Organizational Performance
  • Penn State University, Criminal Justice Administration (POLEX)

Additional Training

  • CBRNE Response, Extensive training in responding to chemical, biological, radiological and explosive incidents (2002-2006).
  • Dignitary Protection, United States Secret Service (2005)
  • Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings (2005)
  • Type III Incident Management Team (Regional Disaster Management Team)
  • National Capital Region’s Type III Incident Management Team – member, (NCR-IMT) 2006
  • Terrorism Best Practice – Israel (2004), United Kingdom (2003 & 2006), Belgium (2003)

Special Assignments & Experience

  • Labor/Management Negotiations Team – Served for past two contract negotiations
  • Chairman, Use of Force Review Board, MPD – 4 years
  • Co-Chair, Uniform and Equipment Review Board – 3 years
  • Chairman, MPD Police Trial Boards (numerous) 
  • Community Policing Re-organization Team – 1997 
  • Commander of Mass-arrest Prisoner Control - 2 years
  • MPD Promotional Process - 2000
  • Commanding Officer MPD Civil Disturbance Unit (during activation supervised more than 1,500 members of MPD) 2002-2006 
  • Notable Special Events Planned and Managed: Presidential Inauguration (2005), State Funeral President Ronald Regan, IMF/World Bank Conferences (2002-2005), and World Figure Skating Championship (2003)
  • Global Intelligence Working Group – member, Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council (new appointment – begin December, 2006)

Professional Associations

  • Police Executive Research Forum (member)
  • International Association of Chiefs of Police (member)

Public Speaking, Consulting and Professional Panels

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Panelist, New Trends in Suicide Bombing Simulcast (Video DVD, 2006)
  • Joint Department of Homeland Security & Federal Bureau of Investigation Roundtable – Panelist, Suicide Attacks on the Homeland (2006)
  • Naval Post Graduate School View Points – Guest Speaker, Intelligence and Information Sharing (Web Video, 2006) 
  • Naval Post Graduate School – Guest Lecture, Homeland Security & Defense Graduate Program, Making Intelligence Relevant (2006)
  • Director of National Intelligence Conference - Speaker, Defining Intelligence (2006)
  • American University, Policing in America, Guest Lecture – (2002)
  • GW University, Intelligence, Guest Lecture – (2006)
  • International Assoc. of Chiefs of Police Conference – Workshop, The Precision Patrol Teams (2003)
  • International Assoc. of Chiefs of Police Conference – Workshop, Special Event Planning (2005)
  • Community Oriented Policing Services Conference (COPS) – Workshop, Special Event Planning (2006)
  • Office of Domestic Preparedness - Course Review, Intelligence for State and Local Law Enforcement - (2006)
  • Office of Domestic Preparedness - Course Review, Developing a Regional CBRNE Task Force –(2006)

Selected Honors and Awards

  • Police Executive Research Forum Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award Recipient (2005) this award is given annually to police executives who recognize the broad nature of the police function and engage the community and police professionals in bringing about change. The Award honors a police practitioner of vision and commitment who is imaginative, open, willing to speak out on important matters and able to enlist others in carrying out his or her commitment.1
  • Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award – Center for Women & Policing (2002)
  • Outstanding Leadership Award, Metropolitan Police Department (2002)
  • Meritorious Service to the Metropolitan Police Department (multiple)
  • Achievement Medal – (multiple)
  • Featured, John’s Hopkins Magazine – New Breed in Blue (2003)
  • Featured, CNN Presents – Dirty Bomb (2005)
  • Featured, CNN Presents – 9/11 - Five Years Later

1. Former recipients of Gary P. Hayes Award include: Chief Bill Bratton (LAPD/NYPD), Chief Edward Flynn (Arlington, Va. & Secretary Public Safety, MA.), Chief Charles Ramsey (MPD), and Chief Gil Kerlikowsky (Seattle).

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