LOS ANGELES — History was officially made on Friday night when Veteran LAPD officer Regina Scott was introduced as the first Black female promoted to the rank of deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The event took place at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles.
“It’s something I could never dream. Something that I never thought I would see while on the department,” Scott said.
Scott first made history within the department in 2011 when she was appointed as the first female African American commander in the departments history.
During her time with the department, Scott has held a variety of positions including, police officer, field training officer, senior lead officer and sergeant. She has also held positions in all advance pay grades of the Detective and Lieutenant ranks, according to the LAPD.
On September 8, 2014, Scott was assigned as the assistant commanding officer of operations-Valley Bureau, the largest bureau within the department. She was responsible for the Eastside of the San Fernando Valley which includes Foothill, Mission, Van Nuys and North Hollywood. She also had oversight of the Valley’s Gang and Narcotics.
Scott, joined the department in 1987, originally hails from New Jersey. She joined the United States Army after graduating high school as a combat medic and pharmacy tech but moved forward with her education at Ashford University where she earned a bachelor’s in organizational management and criminal justice. Scott is also a graduate of `West Point Leadership School and the 216th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
As deputy chief, Scott will be in command of Operations-Central Bureau, which is made up of the Central, Northeast, Rampart, Hollenbeck and Newton stations as well as the Central Traffic Division — a 65-square-mile area with 900,000 residents that the LAPD described as “the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the city.”
“I am both honored and humbled by this historic promotion. This promotion is more than just me, it is for those who paved the road before me and those who dare to dream big,” she said. “I am ready to help build trust and help bridge the gap between the police and communities we serve.”
Women of color are rising through the ranks of law enforcement across the country. In July, Carmen Best became the first African-American woman police chief of the Seattle Police Department. Earlier this year, RaShall M. Brackney became the first Black woman police chief of Charlottesville.