Teresa Chambers devoted nearly 28 years to law enforcement service. Her most recent position was that of Chief of Police of the United States Park Police Force, headquartered in Washington, D.C. United States Park Police employees are responsible for protecting national parks, monuments, and parkways in the Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City areas as well as providing liaison between the Park Police and National Park Rangers all across the country. They also provide dignitary protection for the President and other officials as well as a variety of law enforcement functions necessitated in the agency’s role as one of only a few uniformed Federal law enforcement agencies.
Before being sworn as the Chief of the United States Park Police in February of 2002, Chief Chambers served four years as the Chief of Police of the Durham, North Carolina, Police Department. There she was credited with significantly reducing crime while improving morale and retention of employees throughout the agency. Chief Chambers also served more than 21 years in the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department. She retired from that agency in 1997 at the rank of major in order to accept the job of Chief of Police in Durham.
Chief Chambers has received her bachelor’s degree in law enforcement / criminology from the University of Maryland University College and a master’s degree in applied behavioral science with a concentration in community development from the Johns Hopkins University. Chambers is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI’s prestigious National Executive Institute.
Chambers became most recognizable in December 2003 as a whistleblower who shone a spotlight on staffing and budgetary shortages of the United States Park Police that continue to prevent adequate protection at some of our nation’s highest profile icons, parks, and parkways. For answering a news reporter and a Congressional staffer honestly, Chief Chambers was fired in July of 2004. In October, an administrative Judge dismissed two of the six administrative charges placed against Chief Chambers but upheld her removal. She is currently awaiting a review of her case by an administrative board and is prepared to move to Federal court if the case is not resolved at this stage.
Chief Chambers is available for interviews, guest appearances, and speaking engagements regarding her current situation. You can contact her through www.honestchief.com or at tcchambers@honestchief.com.
Through it all, it is becoming clear that Federal employees have little protection for simply telling the truth.
Most federal employees have an agenda and sometimes it backfires.