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Kathleen O'Toole

Kathleen M. O'Toole (née Horton; born May 9, 1954)[1] is an American law enforcement officer who served as Chief of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) from June 23, 2014, to January 4, 2018. She was previously the first female commissioner of the Boston Police Department, when appointed by Mayor of Boston Thomas M. Menino in February 2004.

Kathleen O'Toole

John Diaz
Harry Bailey (acting)

Paul F. Evans
James Hussey (acting)

Ed Davis
Al Goslin (acting)

Kathleen Horton

(1954-05-09) May 9, 1954
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S.

Daniel O'Toole

Meghan

On May 9, 2006, her 52nd birthday, O'Toole officially announced that she was leaving the Boston Police Department to move to Ireland. She was the first Chief Inspector of the Garda Inspectorate, established to ensure that Garda Síochána operates effectively and efficiently. The Inspectorate reports directly to Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality. She then returned to the U.S. and took her position in Seattle. O'Toole also sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

O'Toole was born in 1954 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and moved to Marblehead at age 13 and to Boston, Massachusetts, at age 18. She resided in Boston from that time until she took a position in Ireland in 2006. O'Toole earned a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1976, a Juris Doctor from New England School of Law in 1982, and a PhD from the Business School of Trinity College Dublin in 2018.[3]

Personal life[edit]

She is married to Daniel O'Toole, now a retired Boston police detective. They have one daughter, Meghan, who received her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her master's degree from National University of Ireland, Galway.[12]

Department of Justice

Garda Síochána

Police Service of Northern Ireland