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D.C.'s Top Cop Leaving To Lead NFL Security

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- After 26 years with the Metro Police Department, D.C.'s top cop is leaving the agency to take a job overseeing security for the National Football League.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who has led the force for the past 10 years, will be retiring from the department as of next month, the agency announced in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon.

In a phone interview, a spokesperson for MPD confirmed Lanier, 49, was taking a leadership role with NFL security, described by the league in a news release as the senior vice president of security.

"As the league's chief security officer, Lanier will supervise all operations and activities of the NFL security department," the release said in part.

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), one of three mayors for which Lanier has worked, told the Washington Post Lanier leaves behind a "lasting legacy."

"She's built a fantastic force, professionalized the force, built a force that the community trusts which is going to be a lasting legacy," the mayor said, according to the Post.

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