Photo: The Washington Post

Washington D.C. police chief Robert Contee is set to retire today.

In April, Chief Robert Contee announced his intentions to retire from the Metropolitan Police Department after two years of leadership and three decades of service. Contee was promoted to Chief of Police just four days prior to the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol Building in 2021.

As police chief, he directed efforts towards a more accountability within the criminal justice system by training officers to intervene in the face of misconduct, publicly realizing discipline reports, and launching an initiative that helped to identify members with extremist views. He also worked on reducing gun violence that has had a growing impact in young people.

Interim Chief Ashan Benedict faces a surge in crime rates in while the police force has shrunk by 12%. The new chief will have to tackle the lack of new recruits and overall staff shortage that is stretching veterans’ schedules and decreasing the overall morale of the force. In the near future, expect the new chief of police to implement D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s comprehensive crime fighting plan should extend which includes a $1.2 million investment on residential gun prevention and illegal firearms’ recovery.