On Dec. 17, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that Jeffery W. Carroll will assume the role of interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith announced Dec. 8 that she will resign from the force effective Dec. 31, 2025. At that time, Bowser said that she would appoint an interim Chief before the end of Smith’s term.
“I am deeply honored and sincerely grateful for the trust you have placed in me,” Carroll said at a press conference Dec. 17, “I don’t take this responsibility lightly. Your confidence in me is both humbling and motivating as I am committed to leading this department in integrity, transparency and a strong sense of duty to the people we serve.”
Carroll said public safety is a shared effort among the force, community leaders and residents. He said policing works best when there is trust and open communication. Carroll emphasized his commitment to building relationships and trust in the community.
Challenges to the Force
Federal collaboration, something Carroll is credited with building, has recently come under scrutiny. Carroll said the relationship has changed under the federal task force, but he said he needed to relay the priorities of the the residents are represented and to ensure officers working in the teams understand the community. He said that while decisions on policy changes need time, MPD will not be involved directly in immigration enforcement.
Speaking specifically to the Hispanic community, Carroll encouraged them to call police if they witnessed the crime.”We don’t want anyone to feel scared or fearful to contact the police… I know there’s been a lot of things said in the media publicly about immigration enforcement; MPD is here to work with the community to keep us all safe.”
Carroll comes to lead the force in the wake of a report from a Congressional committee that accused Smith of creating a “culture of fear” and said MPD manipulated crime data.
The final reports have not been submitted to MPD, Carroll said, so the force does not yet have all the details. But, Carroll acknowledged there were concerns around the data and said that MPD would not wait to address those concerns. They are moving to focus on three areas: improved training on classification of crimes; improving policy controls for classification of crime; and development of a dedicated auditing team to look at reports to verify crimes are appropriately classified, Carroll said.
Bowser said the reports issued “leave a lot to be desired, in terms of evidence, context and any back-and-forth with the affected agency.” Bowser said she would ask the DC Inspector General to look at the questions raised in the federal reports.
Carroll himself was named in a 2021 law suit filed by female MPD officers who allege there was inequitable treatment and harassment. Carroll is named alongside other leaders who allegedly dismissed the complaints. At the conference, Carroll said that these allegations would be investigated like any others.
From the Bench
Carroll most recently served as Executive Assistant Chief of Specialized Operations for MPD, appointed to the position by Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith in November 2023. In that role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Homeland Security, Investigative Services, Internal Affairs, Technical Services, and Professional Development Bureaus.
Bowser said Carroll will be able to build on the momentum of Smith’s tenure and continue to drive down crime. “He has led through some of our city’s most significant public safety challenges of the past decade, he is familiar to DC residents and well respected and trusted by members of the Metropolitan Police Department as well as our federal and regional public safety partners,” she said.
Carroll holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Towson University, a graduate certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia, and a Master’s Degree in Security and Safety Leadership from George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police.
He joined MPD in 2002, climing the ranks into leadership roles across various divisions and bureaus. In 2016, he was promoted to Commander and assigned to the Special Operations Division. He managed units including the Emergency Response Team, Explosive Ordinance Division, Harbor Patrol, Canine Unit, Special Events Unit and managed dignitary protection details.
Promoted to Assistant Chief of the Homeland Security Bureau in 2017, Carroll served as MPD’s Incident Commander during critical incidents and high-profile events, including several National Special Security Events, two presidential inaugurations, state funerals, the Jan 6th insurrection response and numerous First Amendment activities. Bowser credited Carroll with the strengthenng of partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies, improving information-sharing and collaboration to enhance public safety. From April to November 2023, Carroll led the Internal Affairs Bureau, overseeing Internal Affairs Division, Court Liaison, and Risk Management.
Changes to the force and government could be expected in January 2027, when a new mayor will take office. Carroll did not speculate on what would happen to MPD leadership then or to his role as interim chief. “May it be for a year; may it be nominated by another mayor, whatever it may be…” he said, “I’m going to do my best to move this agency forward.”
