D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee To Retire, Take Job At FBI

WASHINGTON, DC — Robert Contee, who was sworn in as chief of the Metropolitan Police Department four days before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, is stepping down from the role to take a job with the FBI, according to officials and reports.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Contee's retirement in a statement released Wednesday. Contee, who was sworn in as chief on Jan. 2, 2021, is a 33-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the statement, Bowser called Contee "a son of D.C." who is "ready for the next chapter."

"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," Bowser said. "He has been a phenomenal ambassador of what it means to be a police officer in D.C. – brilliant, compassionate, and determined to build a D.C. where all people feel safe and are safe."

Contee's last day with the department is June 3, according to a Washington Post report. It's unclear who will be named interim chief following Contee's departure.

In a video announcement sent to MPD officers and obtained by the Post, Contee said he was leaving the department for a role as an assistant director with the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement.

“It has been my greatest honor to serve as your chief of police since January 2nd of 2021,” Contee said in the video.

Contee joined the Metropolitan Police Department as a police cadet in November 1989, according to his biography on the department's website. He became a sworn member of the department three years later and quickly rose through the ranks, serving in various assignments.

Chief Contee grew up in Northeast Washington's Carver-Langston neighborhood and graduated from D.C. Public Schools.