Shadow Politics, May 15, 2022
Shadow Politics with Senator Michael Brown
Guest,
ROBERT J. CONTEE III
Chief, Metropolitan Police Department
Headlined Show, Shadow Politics May 15, 2022
A Candid Conversation with Robert J. Contee III, Chief, Metropolitan Police Department - Rising violent crime in the District of Columbia is at the top of most people's concerns this election season. The murder rate is increasing, "ghost guns" are now on the scene and public safety has become the number one campaign issue. How can we get on top of all this crime? Will putting more police officers on the street really make a difference? Marília and I will speak with Chief Contee about the important role of the men and women in blue in our nation's capital.
Guest, Robert Contee
On December 22, 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she selected Robert J. Contee III, to serve as Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. He was sworn in as Acting Chief of Police on January 2, 2021. On May 4, 2021, he was officially confirmed Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Robert J. Contee joined the Metropolitan Police Department as a police cadet in November 1989. He became a sworn member of the Department three years later and quickly rose through the ranks, serving in a variety of assignments. He started as a patrol officer in the Third District, sergeant in the Second District, and the Metropolitan Police Academy. As a lieutenant, he served as a Patrol Services Area leader in the Second District, Regional Operations Command-East, and led the Intelligence Branch. In January 2004, Chief Contee was promoted to captain responsible for leading the Violent Crimes Branch, including the Homicide Branch and the Sexual Assault Unit.
Contee was promoted to Second District commander in August 2004 and was transferred to the Special Operations Division (SOD) in April 2006, where he was responsible for overseeing tactical patrol, special events and traffic safety functions. Following his post at SOD, Chief Contee became commander of the Sixth District in 2007, before taking command of the Recruiting Division in October 2014. He was named commander of the First District in January 2016, and was appointed Assistant Chief of MPD’s Professional Development Bureau in the summer 2016 where he oversaw the Human Resources Management Division, Disciplinary Review Division, the Metropolitan Police Academy, and Recruiting Division. In April 2017, Chief Contee was named Patrol Chief of Patrol Services South (PSS), which included his oversight of the First, Sixth, and Seventh Police Districts. He was named Assistant Chief of the Investigative Services Bureau (ISB), in March 2018. The ISB works with the community to solve crimes, bring offenders to justice, support the recovery of victims, and protect witnesses. It includes several divisions that are integral to supporting community safety. These divisions are the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), which includes the Homicide Branch and Sex Assault Unit; the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID), which provides proactive criminal enforcement services so that citizens can live in neighborhoods free from drug dealing, drug-related crime, and prostitution; the Crime Scene Investigations Division; Youth and Family Services Division; and the School Safety Division
Chief Contee grew up in the Carver Terrace community in Northeast, DC, and is a DC Public Schools graduate. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Studies with a concentration in Police Science from George Washington University. He has also completed the Management College at the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) of the Police Executive Research Forum in Boston, Massachusetts.
Shadow Politics
Shadow Politics is a grass roots talk show giving a voice to the voiceless. For more than 200 years the people of the Nation's Capital have ironically been excluded from the national political conversation. With no voting member of either house of Congress, Washingtonians have lacked the representation they need to be equal and to have their voices heard. Shadow Politics will provide a platform for them, as well as the millions of others nationwide who feel politically disenfranchised and disconnected, to be included in a national dialog.
We need to start a new conversation in America, one that is more inclusive and diverse and one that will lead our great nation forward to meet the challenges of the 21st century. At Shadow Politics, we hope to get this conversation started by bringing Americans together to talk about issues important to them. We look forward to having you be part of the discussion so call in and join the conversation. America is calling and we're listening… Shadow Politics is about America hearing what you have to say. It's your chance to talk to an elected official who has spent more than 30 years in Washington politics. We believe that if we start a dialog and others add their voices we will create a chorus. Even if those other politicians in Washington don't hear you — Senator Brown will. He's on a mission to listen to what America has to say and use it to start a productive dialog to make our democracy stronger and more inclusive. If we are all part of the solution we can solve any problem.
