The U.S. Park Police has named Pamela Smith as its new Chief. That makes her the first Black woman to lead the 230-year-old law enforcement agency.
Smith, who has spent 23 years in the force, revealed she would commence her term by creating body-worn cameras for every Park Police officer.
In a statement, she said: “This is one of the many steps we must take to continue to build trust and credibility with the public we have been entrusted to serve.”
Smith added that body-worn cameras are “good for the public and good for our officers.”
The statement said the camera program would commence in San Francisco between 90 days and spread to other parts of the country by the end of the year.
Smith will oversee an extensive law enforcement agency that always finds itself under a spotlight at important historical moments. The U.S. Park Police supervises national parks and federal property like the National Mall.
During the tensed protests over police brutality and racial inequity that occurred last summer, Park Police was responsible for violently clearing peaceful protestors from Lafayette Park close to White House to allow the then-President Donald Trump pose in front of a church while he held up a Bible. The agency later got embroiled in controversy over the tactics and ammunitions deployed against peaceful demonstrators.
Smith’s appointment came at a time when Yogananda Pittman became the first Black person and first woman to become Acting Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police. She took over an agency encountering turmoil after it was overwhelmed during the January 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump.
