WASHINGTON (AP) - Washington police chief Cathy Lanier is stepping down to become head of security for the National Football League.
The police department announced Lanier's departure Tuesday on Twitter. Lanier said in a letter to the department's 3,700 officers that she is taking the job at the NFL.
The 49-year-old Lanier was the first woman to lead the Metropolitan Police Department. One of the nation's longest-serving and most popular big-city police chiefs, she served as chief for nine-and-a-half years under three mayoral administrations. Lanier oversaw reductions in crime as the nation's capital experienced an influx of wealth that transformed once-troubled neighborhoods.
Lanier was a high school dropout and teenage mother who joined the department as a patrol officer. Her rise through the ranks became an inspiration to many.
