Cathy L. Lanier is the Chief of Police

Chief of police

A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...

 with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia

Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia

The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, and MPDC is the municipal police force in Washington, D.C...

 (MPDC). She was appointed by Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 Mayor Adrian Fenty

Adrian Fenty

Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...

 to replace outgoing Police Chief Charles Ramsey

Charles H. Ramsey

Charles H. Ramsey , is the Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. Prior to assuming that post in January 2008, he had served as Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia from 1998 to 2006....

. Lanier is the first woman to achieve the position.
Lanier was raised in suburban Tuxedo

Tuxedo, Maryland

Tuxedo is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.-History:Scattered settlement in Tuxedo appeared along the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad by 1886, according to historic maps...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, on the northeast edge of the District of Columbia in Prince George's County, Maryland, and joined the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia in 1990 as a foot patrolman.