Officer Spotlight – Chief Lauretta Hill
Lauretta Hill’s dedication to the law enforcement profession spans more than 29 years. She is an energetic, ethical, and accomplished executive leader. Lauretta is a team builder and transformational leader who continues to shape the policing culture. In December 2022, Lauretta was selected as Assistant Vice-President and Chief of Public Safety for the University of Southern California (USC). As the first female Chief in the 77-year history of the University of Southern California DPS, Lauretta leads an organization of over 300 public safety employees.
Prior to accepting the position with USC, Lauretta was appointed as the first Police Chief for Dallas College in August 2016 and the second African American female chief in the State of Texas. She combined seven separate police departments into one functional police agency. She restructured the department, developed new policies, and hired new staff to align with District priorities. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her dedication to policing.
Her previous experience includes the Miami Beach Police Department where she served as the Deputy Chief of Police. She reorganized the entire department to align with the department’s vision, mission, and values. In addition, she reemphasized the value of community policing and introduced concepts of police legitimacy. Lauretta spent over 20 years with the Arlington Texas Police Department and retired as Assistant Chief of Police. During her tenure in Arlington, Lauretta was responsible for security operations and command of all special events which included: Super Bowl XLV (2011), the NBA All-Star Game (2010), the MLB World Series (2010 and 2011), and the NCAA Final Four Men’s Basketball games (2014). Lauretta was the first and highest-ranking African American female in the history of the department.
Lauretta has a Master’s Degree from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management School.
