Richard Pennington facts for kids

Richard Pennington was an important police chief who led police departments in two major American cities. He served as the top police officer, called the Superintendent, for the New Orleans Police Department from 1994 to 2002. Later, he became the Chief of the Atlanta Police Department from 2002 to 2010. He was known for working to make police forces better and safer for communities.

Richard Pennington's Early Life

Richard Pennington was born on November 26, 1946, in Little Rock, Arkansas. His mother owned her own barber shop, and his father worked for a railroad company. When Richard was in high school, the railroad closed down. His family then moved to Gary, Indiana. There, his father started working as a crane operator for a steel company and also became a part-time deputy sheriff. Richard also had an uncle who was a police officer in Chicago. As he grew up, Richard spent his summer vacations in rural Alabama with his grandfather.

Education and Early Career

When he was 18, Richard Pennington joined the U.S. Air Force. He served in the U.S. Air Force Security Police during the Vietnam War. After his military service, he began his career in law enforcement in 1968. He became an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD). His very first partner was Donald E. Graham, who later became the publisher of The Washington Post.

While working full-time as a police officer, Pennington continued his education. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from American University. He also received a master's degree in counseling from the University of the District of Columbia.

Leading Police Departments

Richard Pennington worked for the Metropolitan Police Department for 26 years, eventually becoming an assistant chief. In October 1994, he took on a big new role as the police chief in New Orleans. The police department there was facing many challenges at the time.

Improving the New Orleans Police

When Pennington arrived in New Orleans, he worked hard to improve the police department. He focused on making sure officers followed the rules and acted professionally. During his time, many officers faced consequences for not following rules, and he helped make the department more trusted by the community.

Moving to Atlanta

After his time in New Orleans, Pennington ran for mayor of the city in 2002. He did not win the election, and soon after, he left his role as police chief. In July 2002, Shirley Franklin, who was the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, hired him to be the police chief there.

As Atlanta's police chief, Richard Pennington continued his work to improve public safety. Under his leadership, violent crime in the city went down by a lot, about 39%. He served in Atlanta until 2010, leaving a positive impact on the city's safety.

Personal Life

Richard Pennington was married from 1974 to 1984 and had one son from that marriage. He married again in 1992 and had a second son.