School Safety Division’s Juanita Holmes chosen as chief of collaborative policing

September 17, 2020 Editorial Staff

On September 16, 2016, Assistant Chief Holmes became the first Black woman to serve as borough commander in Queens North. Photo via Twitter

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Police Commissioner Dermot Shea on Tuesday elevated Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, formerly in charge of the School Safety Division, to the position of chief of collaborative policing, completing the department’s new team focused on serving kids and communities across New York City.

Assistant Chief Holmes will be tasked with fostering integral partnerships with individuals, government agencies, and community-based organizations. The Office of Collaborative Policing concentrates on developing non-enforcement options for police officers, designing creative and focused enforcement strategies, and improving access to police services.

“Commissioner Shea made a great decision in appointing Juanita Holmes as the new chief of collaborative policing in the NYPD,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “She has always demonstrated a unique ability to bring communities together, which is especially necessary right now.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing Chief Holmes for years and am looking forward to working with her in this new capacity to make Brooklyn and New York City safer and fairer for all,” he added.

As chief of collaborative policing, Assistant Chief Holmes joins Chief of Community Affairs Jeffrey Maddrey and Deputy Commissioner of Community Partnerships Chauncey Parker.

To carry out her new duties, the chief will draw on her experience as a leader within the Police Department as well as her invaluable understanding of the way police officers best serve the city’s communities and the way the agency works with its many law enforcement and government partners.

Her personal ties to the NYPD are deep: Assistant Chief Holmes has 16 immediate family members who are employed by the NYPD with 14 of them serving in the uniformed ranks including her son, a brother, five sisters, two nieces and a nephew.

“The people of the city want the police to do the right thing, and the people of the city also want to feel safe,” said Assistant Chief Holmes. “As I embrace this important new job, I am committed to achieving a balance in our mission of bringing about healing for the community as well as support and resources for the hardworking men and women of the Police Department.”

Holmes joined the NYPD in July 1987, and began her career on patrol in the 101 Precinct. She was promoted to sergeant in December 1995; lieutenant in May 2002; captain in June 2007; deputy inspector in August 2009; inspector in January 2012; deputy chief in September 2014; and assistant chief in September 2016.

She has served in the 81, 100, 101, 103, 111, and 113 Precincts, as well as Police Service Areas 2 and 8, the Patrol Borough Bronx Investigations Unit, Housing Borough Bronx/Queens, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Training, the Domestic Violence Unit, and the School Safety Division.

On September 16, 2016, Assistant Chief Holmes became the first Black woman to serve as borough commander in Queens North. She has also served as commanding officer of the Domestic Violence Unit, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Training, Police Service Area 2 and the 81 Precinct.

She additionally served as the executive officer of the 100 and 103 Precincts. Assistant Chief Holmes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from St. Joseph’s College and is a graduate of the Police Management Institute.

She retired in December 2018 to join the private sector as global head of corporate security at BNY Mellon. She rejoined the department in December 2019, and is currently the commanding officer of the School Safety Division.