Ashley M. Varvounis currently serves as the director of the Applicant Investigations Division. The Applicant Investigations Division conducts comprehensive background investigations on all employees sworn and professional staff hired by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Inspector Varvounis began her career with the Metropolitan Police Department in August of 2008. After graduating from the academy, she was assigned to the Second District, where she worked as a patrol officer in PSA 208, and later was assigned as a VICE investigator from 2010 to 2012. Between 2012 and 2013, Inspector Varvounis was detailed to the Applicant Investigation Division for the first time, where she conducted background investigations on potential police officer candidates. She then returned to the Second District, where she as a member of the Crime Suppression Team until 2016, where she was successful in removing illegal firearms and narcotics off the streets.
In 2016 she was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Fifth District, where she supervised officers in PSA 507. During which time in 2018, she was again detailed to the Applicant Investigation Division where she supervised a team of twelve civilian investigators and assisted with the review and approval of police officer candidates.
In 2019, She was promoted to lieutenant and returned to the Second District where she managed PSA 206. Here she implemented crime plans and deployment strategies that were focused on crime reduction through community engagement and developed strong relationships with community members and outside agency partners. Additionally, Inspector Varvounis was the Civil Disturbance Unit 23 Platoon Leader, responsible for leading the unit through numerous deployments of First Amendment activities, civil unrest, and directed mass arrests during the Insurrection on January 6, 2021. As platoon leader, her unit received a ribbon of valor for their response to the Capitol.
In 2021, she was promoted to captain and assigned to the Sixth District where she managed Sector 1 (PSA 601, 602, and 608). Inspector Varvounis attended various meetings each week to engage community stakeholders and internal partners.
In 2022, she was assigned to the Violent Crime Suppression Division, where she oversaw the Violent Crime Impact Team, Community Focused Patrol Unit, The Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Criminal Apprehension Unit, Electronic Surveillance Unit, Asset Forfeiture Unit, Tactical Information Center, and the Administrative Functions of the Division. She also acted as the HIDTA coordinator for the department and sat as a panel member for the High-Risk Search Warrant Panel.
She was assigned to the Fourth District in 2022, where she was responsible for Sector One (PSA 401, 402, and 403) and the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership initiative, which seeks to bring a cohesive approach to combatting violent crime in the Kennedy Street and Georgia Avenue corridor. She was an active member of the community while assigned to the Fourth District, building and fostering relationships within the community by conducting regular community walks and events to focus on specific crime trends. In July of 2023, she was assigned to the Background Investigations Branch, where she managed all of the Sworn, cadet, and professional staff backgrounds. She was promoted to Inspector on February 12, 2024. She was placed in charge of the Recruiting Division, which encompasses both the Background Investigations Branch and the Recruiting Outreach Branch. Since taking control of the Recruiting Division she and her team have implemented several programs to reach a wide range of applicants. The programs include Partnership for Your Success (PaYS), a veteran-friendly program that assists members of the Army in finding jobs with cross-section corporations. The Single Trip Entry Program (S.T.E.P.) allows members who live more than 300 miles away to participate in a single trip to Washington, DC, to complete their in-person appointments. The applicant Ride-A-Long Program keeps applicants engaged in the process and provides real-life experiences to the applicant about what life as a police officer is like.
Throughout her career, she has been detailed multiple times to the Special Liaison Division, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit, where she provided sign language interpretation to aid deaf and hard of hearing citizens in their interaction with police officers. Many times, responding back to the city in the middle of the night to provide services to the Deaf and hard of Hearing Community. She responded to citizen complaints and participated in community events to engage and interact with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community to foster community relations and build trust.
Inspector Varvounis received her Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language to English Interpretation (ASL) from the National Technical Institute of the Deaf at Rochester University in 2007; graduated from the DC Police Leadership Academy Inaugural Cohort in January 2023, and completed the District's Department of Human Resources’ Certified Public Managers Program in September of 2023.