Washington Mayor Launches Search for New Police Chief Amidst Police Shortage

Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee III walks to speak with reporters in Washington, on April 11, 2023. Alex Brandon/AP Photo

With violent crimes in the nation’s capital up from last year and a shortage of police officers, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the retirement of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Robert Contee and the search for his replacement.

“We will be launching a nationwide search for the next chief. We also know the MPD is in good hands because the chief has a motto that excellence is transferable,” said Bowser during a press conference on April 27.

Bowser did not name an interim chief in the event of an unsuccessful search by Contee’s June 3 retirement date but added that the department would be in good hands as Contee leaves behind a capable team.

Contee said his retirement is an opportunity for members of his hardworking command staff to “move into different positions.”

Metropolitan Police lead a man in handcuffs away from a shooting scene in the northwest part of the city in Washington, on April 22, 2022. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

MPD will need a strong chief because, according to their own data, crime has increased since 2022, with homicides up 19 percent, sex abuse up 58 percent, and motor vehicle theft up 107 percent. In addition, MPD is struggling to recruit officers, which Bowser said is a problem her administration has prioritized.

“Unfortunately, MPD is at a historic low in terms of staffing. We continue to do everything possible as it relates to recruiting the best of the best to serve at MPD,” Bowser said.

The mayor said MPD is only one part of Washington’s safety “ecosystem” and that keeping residents secure is the responsibility of many other agencies in the federal government.

She will host a public safety summit on May 10, where these various agencies will weigh in on how to improve safety and reduce crime. She also indicated that her office would introduce a measure to the city council to address gaps in the criminal code.

Meanwhile, Contee said that his tenure saw strategies like the bike police implemented, which enabled police to interact directly with residents and hear what they needed, which will continue after he leaves. Contee also praised the MPD’s use of crime data to better patrol districts and make changes needed to keep residents of Washington safe, highlighting a reduction in murder and other violent crime.

Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a news conference at the John Wilson Building in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 2022. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Mayor Supports Law Enforcement

The chief took the opportunity to praise the mayor for her unwavering support for law enforcement.

“I will tell you that as you conduct a search for the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, I think that you will find candidates all across this country that will be interested, and I'll tell you why. Because this mayor right here has been supportive of her law enforcement agency, and she has been unwavering in that support since day one,” Contee said.

Bowser has been openly critical of the Washington city council’s soft-on-crime approach. The council pushed through a fundamentally revised criminal code in March, overriding the mayor’s veto.

During a Congressional oversight hearing the same month, Greggory Pemberton, chairman of the D.C. Police Union, criticized the council’s anti-police “rhetoric” and subsequent police reform measures as the cause of the increase in violence.

Pemberton called the city council’s policies on public safety “misguided,” particularly their 2022 changes to the criminal code, which the city council voted (1–21) to override Bowser’s veto.

Pemberton believes this directly impacted crime in the city, with murders increasing 75 percent, armed carjacking increasing 227 percent, and armed robberies jumping to 46 percent in the last six years.

Bowser has also been critical of the council’s defunding MPD eight years ago and freezing hiring for a period.

A “Defund the Police” sign during a protest near the White House in Washington, on June 6, 2020. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Serving in a New Role

Contee has been recruited by the FBI as the assistant director of the agency’s  Office of Partner Engagement (OPE).

In this new role, Contee will be responsible for national-level information sharing, coordinating with law enforcement associations, and acting as the go-between the Washington public safety communities and FBI leaders.

According to an FBI press release, Director Christopher Wray named Contee as the assistant director of the OPE because of his experience in the police force and Washington law enforcement knowledge.

Bowser thanked Contee for his 33 years of service and for keeping the city secure.

“I know that the chief will play an important role at the FBI. And we know that he will maintain a special place for Washington D.C. at the FBI,” Bowser said.

“My passion is really to serve communities and to serve the people of the District of Columbia. But now I'll be able to do that again, on a national level,” Contee added.