Swearing-in ceremony for Police Chief Donna Robinson gained media attention
The Swearing-In Ceremony for Cincinnati State Police Chief Donna Robinson, on December 11, 2024, was covered by several media outlets that highlighted Chief Robinson as the first African American female police chief in the region.
Coverage included the Cincinnati Enquirer, WLWT (Ch. 5), Fox19, NewsOne, BlackNews.com, and more.
After 33 years with the City of Cincinnati Police Department, Robinson came to Cincinnati State in 2024 as the Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety.
Chief Robinson joins at least two other women leading local law enforcement departments—Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge and Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey.
Cincinnati State President Monica Posey welcomed Chief Theetge and other officials and guests who attended the ceremony.
“Donna Robinson was a remarkable asset to the Cincinnati Police Department,” said Chief Theetge. “Throughout her 33-year career with us, she served our community with unwavering compassion, dignity, and a commitment to justice. I have no doubt she will continue to uphold these values in her role at Cincinnati State.”
Eliot Isaac, the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police for the University of Cincinnati, and former Chief of Police for the City of Cincinnati, presented Chief Robinson with her new badge during the ceremony.
“For an African American woman to be named chief is a special thing,” Chief Isaac said.
“I worked with Donna for her entire career. She is exceptional and I am confident of her ability as she joins the ranks of law enforcement leadership in Hamilton County.”
President Monica Posey said, “We were very impressed with Chief Robinson’s education, experience, and commitment to service. Our College and the community will benefit greatly from her leadership.”
Robinson was born in Cincinnati and grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. Coming from a family of nurses, she enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University intending to follow in that path but changed her major after being exposed to the college’s training hub for law enforcement and firefighting.
“The professors were such cheerleaders for the field,” she said. “I just loved it.”
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Robinson joined the Cincinnati Police Department in 1990. During her career she served as a patrol officer, special investigator, district shift sergeant, district patrol shift commander, and commander of the Public Relations Unit, among other roles.
Meanwhile, she earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Xavier University and completed the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy.
Chief Robinson said, “I am so honored to be named to this position at Cincinnati State, and so encouraged to see women becoming chiefs. It sends a powerful message to women who are already in a department or who are considering law enforcement as a career.”
She also hopes her education and career journey can inspire students at Cincinnati State.
“I like to pour into people just as so many people poured into me,” she said. “If you take the passion that’s inside of you and merge it with the intellect that’s inside of you, that’s what will give you your success.”
Robinson resides in Cincinnati. Her husband, Maurice Robinson, is an assistant chief of the Cincinnati Police Department. She has two grown children, Tina Marie Reece and Ricky Aaron Dees.