Chief Barbara Duncan is a twenty-one year veteran of the City of Mount Vernon, New York, Police Department. She started her career as a sworn officer in January, 1989. In 1994 she was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant in 2003, Captain in 2006 and Chief of Department in 2008. During her transition through the ranks she enjoyed assignments as a uniform and plain clothes patrol officer; a patrol squad supervisor; Personnel Officer; Commanding Officer of the Training Unit, Executive Officer of the Support Services Division and Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Division which included the administration of Internal Affairs and the coordination of Community Relations.

During her tenure with the Department she researched, developed and implemented the Department’s Bicycle Unit. Chief Duncan also instituted the Citizen’s Police Academy and upon studying New York City’s “Multi Agency Response to Community hotspots” (M.A.R.C.H.) program, adapted and implemented a similar program in Mount Vernon. She is currently working in partnership with her staff on implementing Operation PROTECT; the Department’s enhanced domestic violence services program; the prisoner re-entry initiative; the Davis Middle School mentoring project; developing and implementing physical fitness standards for the Emergency Service Unit and focusing on transformational leadership development throughout the ranks of the Department.
 

Chief Duncan came to the Department with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Mercy College and in 1996 secured her law degree from Pace University, School of Law. She graduated from the 210^th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy in 2002 and in 2008 she successfully graduated from the West Point Leadership and Command School.