Detroit Deputy Police Chief Ulysha Renee Hall has been appointed as the first female police chief in Dallas, CBS News reports.
A 19-year veteran of the Detroit police force, Hall is joining the Dallas police department following one of the darkest times in Dallas’ history. Former police Chief David Brown retired in October after five police officers were killed in an ambush in July 2016.
Dallas City Manager T.C Broadnax celebrated Hall’s history making appointment. “Chief Hall is a proven leader with a stellar background and a passion for public service.”
Law enforcement came naturally to Hall. When she was just six months old, her father, Officer Ulysses Brown, was killed in the line of duty in 1971. His killer was never brought to justice. In a 2016 interview, Hall discussed the void it left in her life. “My father not being there meant the same thing as every other child in Detroit or around the world growing up without a father. It has an impact.”
She said her mother raised her on own, instilling strong values and the importance of education.
“That’s what I sit here today as deputy chief of the city of Detroit. My brother is a chief warrant officer of the Navy station in Florida. My sister is an educator for 25 years.”
According to the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), women make up about 13 percent of all sworn law enforcement officers working in the U.S. That number drops to an even lower when you reach the most senior level of law enforcement agencies.