Biography

Lorraine Kittrell currently serves as Deputy Chief of the Department of Public Safety at Howard University, Washington, DC. Prior to her arrival at Howard, she completed a stellar career with the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department beginning in a grass-roots position of officer, working on the streets of the District of Columbia.  Serving as a vice officer, she investigated various types of vice related crimes from prostitution and drugs to cases which involved working with other law enforcement agencies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.  Later assigned as the Police District’s Community Services Office-Youth Coordinator, Kittrell worked with young people in the community in various capacities where she coordinated programs for children who were at the elementary and middle school level.

After being promoted to the rank of sergeant, Kittrell held assignments ranging from patrol to sergeant / first-line supervisor.  Excelling in those positions, she was then transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division to the Burglary and Pawn Squad.  In this position, she not only supervised investigators, she handled some of the major burglaries that occurred in the District of Columbia.

As a result of record accomplishments in the previous roles, Kittrell was transferred to the Recruiting Branch where she skillfully showcased the skills previously learned as she conducted background investigations of police applicants and civilian positions for the department.  In the absence of the Branch Commander, Kittrell was second-in-command.  The Recruiting Branch was responsible for investigating and reviewing more than 250-300 case jackets a month.  Further, as lead sergeant for the Branch, Kittrell was also responsible for scheduling recruiting drives in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, Puerto Rico as well as military installations extending to Korea.

In 1993, she was 1 of 11 females promoted to the rank of lieutenant, the largest amount of females promoted at once, ever in the history of the Washington, DC Police Department.  Following her promotion, Kittrell was assigned to the Fifth District as Patrol Commander and later served as the Department’s representative for the DC 1 Fund, a charitable arm of the District of Columbia Government.  In this position she proudly represented the Chief of Police at meetings along with other agency heads of the District of Columbia Government during the DC 1 Fund Drive.

Kittrell also served as Lieutenant/Deputy Commander in the Sex Squad.  In this position she was not only responsible for the supervision of detectives under her charge, she also served on the Board for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner’s Program (SANE) located at the Washington Hospital Center.

Her last assignment with the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department was with the Intelligence Division.  Kittrell was again not only responsible for the supervision of detectives under her charge, but was responsible for gathering intelligence on any and all illicit activity to include gangs which negative acts could affect the overall welfare and safety of not only the citizens of the District of Columbia, but also all dignitaries who lived, worked or visited the District daily.  Kittrell retired from the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department after 29 years of service.

Since Lorraine Kittrell’s retirement from the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department in February 2003, she has worked at the Howard University Department of Public Safety first as its Chief Investigator to her present position as Deputy Chief.  As Deputy Chief, she is responsible for managing the department’s administrative services which include: Criminal Investigations, Crime Analysis, Crime Prevention, Supply and Equipment, Budgeting, Payroll, Personnel and Training and the daily operations of the department.  Deputy Chief Kittrell serves as Co-Chair of the Public Safety Task Force, a committee that was established to provide an open channel of communication between student representatives, administration and public safety with the joint mission of making Howard University a safer place for all.

As an accomplished law enforcement professional, Deputy Chief Lorraine Kittrell has handled each assignment with diligence, purpose, grace and respect for all.  These tenets she holds close in her career to keep trust between community and law enforcement.

A native Washingtonian, Deputy Chief Lorraine Kittrell holds undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Human Resource Development from Bowie State University.