1st Female Chief Chosen To Lead Dallas Police Department

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas Police Department has its first female leader.  Detroit Deputy Chief Ulysha Renee Hall has been chosen as the new police chief.

Chief Hall is in Detroit but in a press release statement said, "I am honored to be chosen to lead the Dallas Police Department at this critical time in its history. I look forward to building on the successes of the past, preserving community trust and ensuring the safety of our officers and the entire Dallas community."

There were seven candidates vying for the position and interviews just wrapped up. City Manager T.C. Broadnax had said he was happy to have had input from residents, after a public meeting with the candidates, but that ultimately the decision was his.

Hall has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Grambling State University and Master's degrees in Security Administration and Intelligence Analysis from the University of Detroit Mercy. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

She was one of two women -- Seattle Deputy Chief Carmen Best was the other -- under consideration to be the next Dallas police chief. Under Hall's leadership in Michigan, the City of Detroit experienced a 40-year low in homicides and double-digit reductions in violent crime for three consecutive years.

Hall is expected to begin her job as the new Dallas Police Chief on September 5.

Dallas District Attorney Faith Johnson sent CBS11 the following statement: 

"I want to welcome our new Chief of Police, Ulysha Renee Hall to Dallas. She has an impressive resume and it's exciting that she will serve as the first female chief at the Dallas Police Department. I am proud that she is joining me and Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez on the growing list of females in top law enforcement positions in Dallas County. We are grateful for the service and leadership of the six other candidates, and I know this was a tough decision for City Manager T.C. Broadnax. There is much work to be done building bridges between law enforcement and our communities, and I am looking forward to all of us working together to ensure success."

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez released the following statement on Hall's hiring:

"The Sheriff's Department congratulates Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax on the selection of Dallas Police's new chief. It was a tough decision because any one of the seven candidates would have made an excellent chief. We welcome Chief U. Renee Hall and look forward to working with her. I am personally aware of the challenges that the first female chief will face. My staff and I stand ready to help in any way that we can."

Former Police Chief David Brown tweeted his good wishes to Chief Hall as well.

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• Dallas Police Department