The D.C. Council officially and unanimously confirmed Cathy Lanier as the city’s first female police chief.

Lanier has turned heads since Mayor Adrian Fenty announced her nomination after his election in November.

She has kept a busy schedule, meeting with the rank-and-file, community leaders and the country’s top crime fighters to figure out ways protect the nation’s capital.

Her personal story has garnered national headlines and network features. Lanier dropped out of high school at age 15 to have a baby. She earned her GED and joined the D.C. police force. As a single mother, she rose from foot-patrol officer to district commander of special operations to the department’s first head of homeland security in 16 years. She also earned two master’s degrees.

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Lanier’s being charged with increasing the visibility of the 3,800-member force and ending the need for expensive crime emergencies while keeping violent crime at 20-year low.

She has seemingly won over the police union by listening to their suggestions.

Lanier has agreed to allow patrol officers who live in D.C. to take home police cruisers.

She says it places more marked cars in the community and is an incentive to keep officers on the patrol unit.

Lanier’s also vowed to fix the District booking and charging system, which takes hundreds of police officers off the street each day and costs the city millions in overtime.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com