Darnel Robinson currently serves as the Assistant Chief of Police for Patrol Services North (PSN), which includes the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Patrol Districts. He was appointed to the rank of Assistant Chief by Police Chief Pamela A. Smith in January 2024.
Assistant Chief Darnel Robinson began his career with the MPD in 2003. After training at the academy, he was assigned to the Fourth District, where he patrolled and assisted in tactical operations focusing on narcotics and weapons interdiction.
In 2012, Robinson was promoted to sergeant and reassigned to the Sixth District. As a first-line supervisor, Robinson used his leadership skills by engaging with the officers in policing proactively while maintaining field supervision. In 2015, Robinson was selected to serve as a sergeant in the Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU) in the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID). There, he oversaw intelligence-led policing, operation planning, search warrants, robbery trends, and violent crime. He was also responsible for the assurance of short/long-term investigations. The team collaborated with federal and local agencies to dismantle community violence. A year later, Robinson was assigned to the NSID's citywide Criminal Apprehension Unit (CAU), which focuses on capturing individuals with outstanding arrest warrants.
In 2017, Robinson was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the First District. As a manager of a Police Service Area (PSA), Robinson focused on MPD's mission of engaging in community policing, responding to calls of service, preserving life, and maintaining the integrity of the Department. Later that year, Robinson returned to NSID and managed the citywide Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU). The team addressed drug complaints that the community and patrol members identified throughout the city by conducting field operations. In 2019, he was selected to lead the Special Operations Division's (SOD) Emergency Response Team (ERT). The ERT responds to all barricaded criminals, hostage takings, terrorist incidents, high-risk warrants, and other unusual incidents with the intent to protect the lives of the innocent while trying to achieve a peaceful resolution.
Robinson was promoted to captain in 2021 and tasked with leading the Department's new Critical Incident Response Branch (CIRB) for the city, which includes the Domestic Security Operations Unit (DSO), Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD), and the Emergency Response Team (ERT). The CIRB is responsible for responding to incidents that include but are not limited to Civil Disturbance, terroristic threats, barricades, suspicious packages, and unusual incidents. It is the responsibility of the MPD to preserve the public peace and to protect the rights of persons and their property.
Shortly after that in 2021, Robinson was promoted to the rank of commander of the Sixth District, which encompasses the Northeast (east of the Anacostia River) and Southeast quadrants of the city.
Darnel Robinson has received numerous awards and recognitions during his career. He proudly served this country as a United States Marine before being honorably discharged. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Park University of Parkville, MO.