NYPD Chief Juanita Holmes, recently appointed by Police Commissioner Dermot Shea to the position of Chief of Collaborative Policing, officially received her third star in a private promotion ceremony Friday morning.
The promotion is historic and makes Chief Holmes the highest ranking African-American female officer in New York City Police Department history – no other African-American woman has ever risen to the rank of three-star chief.
Chief Holmes was elevated in the department’s executive conference center at 1 Police Plaza in a ceremony attended by some of her closest colleagues. The Chief’s personal ties to the NYPD are deep: She has 16 immediate family members who are employed by the NYPD with 14 of them serving in the uniformed ranks including her son, a brother, five sisters, two nieces and a nephew.
“Today I was promoted to the position of Chief of Collaborative Policing in the New York City Police Department,” Chief Holmes said. “I am both humbled and overwhelmed with emotion as I think of all of the women who came before me in this Department. Their struggle to be recognized, their struggle to succeed, their struggle to be heard, has culminated today in my appointment to this position.”
Chief Holmes added: “It is not only a reflection of how far we have come, but I feel it is a symbol of how much farther we can go. It is also a reflection of the visionary leadership of our Police Commissioner, Dermot Shea, who is steadfast commitment to fairness, equality and inclusion has afforded me this tremendous opportunity.”
As Chief of Collaborative Policing, Chief Holmes joins Chief of Community Affairs Jeffrey Maddrey and Deputy Commissioner of Community Partnerships Chauncey Parker in fulfilling the mission envisioned by Commissioner Shea from his first moments in leading the department.
Chief Holmes will be tasked with fostering integral partnerships with individuals, government agencies, and community-based organizations. The Office of Collaborative Policing concentrates on developing non-enforcement options for police officers, designing creative and focused enforcement strategies, and improving access to police services.
To carry out her new duties, the Chief will draw on her experience as a leader within the Police Department as well as her invaluable understanding of the way police officers best serve the city’s communities and the way the agency works with its many law enforcement and government partners.
Chief of Collaborative Policing Juanita N. Holmes
Chief Juanita N. Holmes joined the New York City Police Department in July 1987, and began her career on patrol in the 101st Precinct. She was promoted to Sergeant in December 1995; Lieutenant in May 2002; Captain in June 2007; Deputy Inspector in August 2009; Inspector in January 2012; Deputy Chief in September 2014; and Assistant Chief in September 2016. She has served in the 81st, 100th, 101st, 103rf, 111th, and 113th Precincts, as well as Police Service Areas 2 and 8, the Patrol Borough Bronx Investigations Unit, Housing Borough Bronx / Queens, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Training, the Domestic Violence Unit, and the School Safety Division.
On September 16, 2016, Chief Holmes became the first African American woman to serve as Borough Commander when she was promoted to Assistant Chief. Prior to her promotion as Chief of Collaborative Policing, she most recently had served as the Commanding Officer of the School Safety Division. She has also commanded the Domestic Violence Unit, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Training, Police Service Area 2 and the 81st Precinct. She served as the Executive Officer of the 100th and 103rd Precincts.
Chief Holmes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from St. Joseph’s College, and is a graduate of the Police Management Institute.
She retired in December 2018 to join the private sector as Global Head of Corporate Security at BNY Mellon. She rejoined the department in December 2019.
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