The chief of the Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD) will depart her position this week.

Katherine Perez started her role as GUPD’s first female chief of police in April 2023. A university spokesperson said Perez’s final day will be April 6, and she has accepted an outside offer of employment.

Perez said she enjoyed her time at Georgetown as she cherished working closely with members of the campus community alongside a strong support system. 

“I will miss my day to day interactions with students, staff and faculty,” Perez wrote to The Hoya. “I have learned so much and appreciate all of the assistance I have received over the past 12 months.” 

Associate Vice President for Public Safety Jay Gruber, who served as GUPD chief from 2012 to Perez’s arrival last year, will serve as interim chief of GUPD as the university conducts its search to replace Perez, according to a university spokesperson.

“A search for a new chief is underway; it will include a number of colleagues from across campus,” the university spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.

Gruber said he greatly values Perez’s leadership and devotion to her work. 

“We are grateful for Kathy’s dedication and contributions to the Georgetown community during her time here and we wish her success in her new role,” Gruber wrote to The Hoya. “She was an excellent supportive colleague here at Georgetown and she will no doubt be successful in her new endeavor.” 

Perez’s career in law enforcement has spanned over 40 years. Before joining the Georgetown community, Perez worked at the Hartford, Conn., Police Department for over 20 years, ultimately assuming the rank of captain, before becoming the first chief of police of the City of District Heights Police Department in Maryland. 

Perez’s tenure at Georgetown has included several student protests. At one Feb. 27 protest, marchers compared GUPD officers to the Israel Defense Forces and the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist terrorist organization, and accused officers of violently shoving a student protester. Perez said the GUPD did not receive any reports about the alleged altercation.

Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) Senate Speaker Megan Skinner (SFS ’24), has collaborated closely with Chief Perez as a member of GUPD’s Student Safety Advisory Board (SSAB), a student group that aims to foster student collaboration and feedback with GUPD. 

Skinner said Perez is a lively and passionate community leader. 

“She has brought a vibrant and creative approach to GUPD during her time here,” Skinner told The Hoya. “Chief Perez loves working with Georgetown students and deeply cares about making Georgetown a better place.” 

Upon joining Georgetown’s faculty, Perez said she vowed to continue GUPD’s mission to promote inclusivity on campus. 

“I want them to know that the work that has been done thus far to be inclusive, transparent and present in the quest to keep the Georgetown campus safe and secure will continue and that we will work, together, to continue to be better through every interaction we have with each other,” Perez said in an April 2023 press release, addressing students. 

Christian Hahm (MSB ’24) said that the GUPD under Perez’s leadership strengthened students’ sense of safety on campus. He referenced an instance in which his neighbors, a group of four women in the Alumni Square apartments, texted him and his roommates about a man loitering outside their apartment who was making them feel unsafe. 

Hahm said GUPD swiftly and thoroughly addressed the students’ concern.

“We contacted GUPD, both of us, and then they came within five minutes and sorted everything out, made sure the hallways were clear and then locked the door,” Hahm told The Hoya. “Then they also continued to monitor the area consistently for the next few weeks.”

Perez’s team has also dealt with unexpected incidents. In March, GUPD officers found a dead body near the campus’s southern boundary, south of Village A. The deceased was unaffiliated with Georgetown, and Metropolitan Police Department Officers later determined that the individual found had committed suicide.

Perez is also a leader among women in law enforcement, having served as the president of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), an organization committed to providing career support for women in the field through conferences and mentorship opportunities, from 2010 to 2011. 

Skinner said she admires Chief Perez’s commitment to uplifting women’s voices.

“Her office is filled with quotes and phrases about the strength of women leaders, and she has frequently offered me advice about being a woman in leadership positions,” Skinner said. “Chief Perez is an inspiration for women that aspire to be leaders in law enforcement and security.” 

Perez said she wishes to leave behind a positive legacy of her year at Georgetown. 

“I hope my time here at Georgetown will be remembered fondly,” Perez wrote.