UC Berkeley's new police chief used to lead US Capitol police

BERKELEY, Calif. - UC Berkeley's police department is getting a new police chief – the former acting police chief at the US Capitol.

Yogananda Pittman starts in February. 

She said she'll modernize campus police operations and strengthen relations with the community, which have been strained at times.

"I want students to know that I have the utmost respect for the passion about issues that face them as well as this community," she said in a video release. 

Pittman was named acting U.S. Capitol Police chief after Steven Sund, who was leading the force during the riot, was forced to resign. 

Pittman had previously led intelligence operations for the force, including leading up to Jan. 6, a role she returned to after she lost out on the chief’s job.

"Chief Pittman’s remarkable record of achievement and her steadfast commitment to reform and social justice make her perfectly suited for this essential leadership role on the Berkeley campus," Chancellor Carol Christ said in a statement.

She was the subject of a vote of no confidence from the officers union and faced questions from members of Congress about why the force hadn’t been better prepared for supporters of former President Donald Trump to storm the Capitol.

Pittman announced last week she was retiring from the Capitol police.

Before that, she was one of only two Black women to achieve the rank of captain.

At Berkeley, she will head a police force of 140 officers, community safety officers and staff with an annual budget of $15 million, according to the university.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.