By Outgoing Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith closed out her tenure Friday with an unusually raw and profane farewell, using her walkout ceremony to confront critics she labeled her “haters” and to frame her response in religious terms.
Smith, who has led the Metropolitan Police Department since July 2023 and whose resignation takes effect December 31, departed from prepared remarks to reflect on her upbringing and the criticism she faced during her time at the helm.“I dare not leave without saying something to my haters. Listen, I know you taught me well. We were raised in the church, Bible study, Sunday school, BTU choir rehearsal, Wednesday night Bible study, Tuesday night Bible study, children’s choir, you name it,” Smith said.
“To my haters, F— you” & also I’m also like Christ on the Cross
— Disgraced/fired DC Police Chief Pamela Smith
NB: Smith has been found to have systematically manipulating crime stats & Mayor Bowser fired her pic.twitter.com/gPGZrnyJ3Y— Virginians 4 Safe Communities (@VA4SafeComm) December 19, 2025
She then escalated her address, invoking scripture while delivering a blunt rebuke that stunned attendees.
“So I’m going to the Bible when I say this to my haters. F you. No, it’s not a drop-to-mic moment. Watch me in this space. I forgive you,” Smith said. “I forgive you. Because the Bible makes it very clear. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, when he said to his father, even in the pit of agony and defeat, he said, ‘Forgive them, forgiveness,’ but they did not give you.”
Smith’s remarks came against the backdrop of sustained scrutiny over her leadership, including federal investigations into alleged crime data manipulation and external reports criticizing departmental practices, noted The Daily Caller. Smith has repeatedly rejected claims that she compromised her integrity, pointing to her decades-long career in law enforcement.
Her exit also follows an extraordinary period of federal intervention in the District’s public safety operations. In August 2025, Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, temporarily placing the MPD under federal oversight and deploying National Guard troops amid rising concerns over violent crime. Those measures were later scaled back, with control returned to local authorities.
During Smith’s roughly two-and-a-half-year tenure, the city experienced sharp swings in crime rates, with early increases followed by declines that officials attributed to a combination of local initiatives and federal involvement. Many have argued that the books were cooked in an effort to make it appear crime was down during an election year.
As Smith steps down, Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll has been appointed interim chief, tasked with leading the department through its next transition as federal investigations and political scrutiny continue.
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