The City of Mount Rainier announces the appointment of Chief Katherine Perez as the new Chief of Police. Chief Perez brings an extensive background in law enforcement, leadership, and community engagement, and she will lead the police department with a strong commitment to its core values: to serve and protect.
Supporting her leadership is newly appointed Assistant Chief Andre Williams, who will continue to play a key role in advancing the department’s mission. Assistant Chief William has dedicated 26 years to serving the City of Mount Rainier Police Department and served as Acting Chief during the department’s recent transition.
Chief Perez began her career in Connecticut, rising to the rank of Captain and Commander of the Major Crimes Bureau before moving to Maryland, where she became Chief of Police for the City of District Heights and later the first Chief of Police for the City of Bowie Police Department. At Bowie, she built the City’s department from the ground up, establishing a legacy of excellence and integrity.
She later served as Assistant Director/Assistant Chief for the Federal Reserve Board Police Department for 12 years, followed by leadership roles as Chief of Georgetown University Police and as Executive Director of Public Safety/Associate Vice President for the Johns Hopkins Health System.
In addition to her leadership roles, Chief Perez has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, teaching Executive Leadership, Criminal Justice, and Public Safety. She has also been an instructor for the U.S. Department of Justice in Community Policing and Diversity. Chief Perez holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in public administration from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
With Chief Perez’s extensive experience and Assistant Chief Williams’s long-standing dedication, the City of Mount Rainier Police Department is well-positioned to strengthen public safety and community policing. Alongside the department’s dedicated officers, who work tirelessly each day to keep our neighborhoods safe, this new leadership marks a renewed commitment to move the police department forward.
An official Swearing-In Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, September 16, at 11:00 a.m. at the City of Mount Rainier Police Department. All community members are invited to attend.