June 11, 2024
Hampton, VA, Police Appoints First Black Woman Lieutenant
Lt. Jenrette says she worked her way up to the rank of lieutenant.
Ashley Jenrette received her lieutenant pin June 5, making her the first Black woman to attain the rank of lieutenant with the Hampton (VA) Police Division.
She believes the milestone underscores the division’s commitment to fostering diversity and ensuring its workforce mirrors its community.
Jenrette joined HPD in 2006 as a civilian clerk and became an officer in 2008. “I earned the position of lieutenant, not having anything to do with my race or my gender,” she said in a release from the city. “It’s the work that I put in over the years.”
Jenrette’s ascended through the ranks, from senior police officer in 2014 to corporal in 2016 and sergeant in 2019.
She said that she put in the work, but acknowledged that “I didn’t get here alone. I am grateful for everything those people have poured into me to get me to this point. I will show my gratitude by trying to pull up those who come behind me.”
A Hampton native and graduate of Hampton High School and Hampton University, Jenrette said she takes pride in forging positive bonds between residents and the HPD. Raised in a neighborhood plagued by crime and frequent police activity, she was part of the delegation that Hampton earned the prestigious All-America City designation in 2023.
Jenrette and her husband, Asa, were founding members of the Virginia Eagles Athletic Association, which reaches out to youth in various sports as a means of community outreach. That athletic program, started from scratch in 2016, services hundreds of community members.
“When I look back, I realize that so much of what I do has been about serving others,” Jenrette said.
Hampton University’s Office of Alumni Affairs & Parental Relations also celebrated Jenrette’s “monumental achievement” on social media.
Jenrette has been assigned to the Operations Branch, Night Shift, Chesapeake Sector, 4th Platoon.
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