The head of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. announced Tuesday that she is stepping down next month to join the NFL.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier will take over as head of security for the National Football League when she ends her 26-year career on the force, according to The Washington Post.
The 49-year-old rose from the patrol ranks and held and was appointed as police chief in January 2007.
Lanier, whose current contract was set to end in January, said she couldn't pass up the unique job opportunity in professional sports.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser spoke glowingly about the outgoing chief and said that she will name an interim chief in the coming days followed by a search for a new leader.
"She’s built a fantastic force, professionalized the force, built a force that the community trusts which is going to be a lasting legacy," she told the newspaper.
Lanier lasted much longer than most big-city police chiefs and served under three different mayors.
"This is the nation’s capital. What’s more important than being responsible for public safety and security than the nation's capital? Where do you go from here, right?," she said during a press conference. "When I thought about the NFL, it's America's favorite sport and what's more important than making sure America’s favorite sport is safe?"
Lanier added that she will always stay loyal to the nation's capital and that she turned down offers from other police departments.
