WASHINGTON — Now that D.C.'s police chief announced that he's retiring from the police department for a job at the FBI, the big question is who will replace him.
Police Chief Robert J. Contee III will step down as the District's top cop on June 3 to become an assistant director with the FBI.
We're expecting to hear more in the coming days about the plans to find his replacement.
While no announcements regarding a replacement have been made yet, everyone has their eyes on the top of D.C. Police's command structure.
Ashan Benedict is the Executive Assistant Chief of Police. He joined the department in 2021 coming from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The police department also has a slew of assistant police chiefs:
- Morgan Kane, Assistant Chief, Patrol Services North (PSN)
- Andre Wright, Assistant Chief, Patrol Services South (PSS)
- Leslie Parsons, Assistant Chief, Investigative Services Bureau
- Pamela Smith, Assistant Chief, Homeland Security Bureau
- Jeffery Carroll, Assistant Chief, Internal Affairs Bureau
- Pamela Wheeler-Taylor, Assistant Chief, Youth and Family Engagement Bureau
- Stuart Emerman, Assistant Chief, Technical and Analytical Services Bureau
- Michael Coligan, Assistant Chief, Professional Development Bureau
While nothing has been said about Benedict or anyone else, we're expecting to hear who the interim chief will be as early as Thursday.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday to discuss a new public safety initiative. We're now expecting that news conference to be, at least in part, about Contee and about what's next for the police department.
Mayor Bowser's office released the following statement after WUSA9 reported Contee's departure:
“Chief Contee was sworn in four days before January 6, 2021. Since his first week on the job, and over the past 33 years, he has been making Washington, DC incredibly proud. He’s a son of DC who grew up in Carver Langston, joined the Metropolitan Police Department as a cadet at 17 years old, and now he’s ready for his next chapter. On behalf of our city, I want to congratulate Chief Contee on his retirement and thank him for his service to DC — for leading MPD with passion and purpose. He has pushed our criminal justice system to do more and be better. He has led MPD through an incredibly challenging time for our country – from the pandemic to January 6th and navigating the effects of a shrinking department during a time when gun violence is exploding across the nation. He has been a phenomenal ambassador of what it means to be a police officer in DC – brilliant, compassionate, and determined to build a DC where all people feel safe and are safe.
“We know that the Chief has a motto: Excellence is transferable. And we know he will leave behind a team of leaders and officers ready to continue serving DC at the highest levels.”
Meanwhile, Contee said he's excited about his new opportunity with the FBI.
"Director Christopher Wray of the FBI has appointed me as assistant director of the FBI, and I will be moving on to a new opportunity that I'm very excited about," Contee said in a video statement. "In this new opportunity, I will have the privilege of working with law enforcement agencies all across our nation as the assistant director of the Office of Partner Engagement where my responsibility will be to ensure that the FBI is fully supporting local and state and federal agencies all across our nation."
>Watch the full announcement below: