WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today issued the following statement after news that Mayor Bowser has selected Robert J. Contee III as the District of Columbia’s next Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department:

“I am thrilled for Chief Contee, an experienced and eminently qualified law enforcement officer who has my full support.

“Chief Contee knows from growing up in the District and serving in the Metropolitan Police Department for over 30 years that community trust is critical to reducing crime. He cares about strengthening ties between MPD and the District’s communities. To that end, I am confident that he will directly engage with District residents to learn about their hopes and needs.

“In his comments and actions, Chief Contee has demonstrated a willingness to embrace public health approaches to violence and crime in the District.

“Moreover, he values the law enforcement partners who make up D.C.’s criminal justice system—including the Office of the Attorney General—and will collaborate with them to enhance public safety and fair policing.

“I trust that Chief Contee hears the calls for racial justice ringing across the country and will work to address the District’s structural barriers to equality.

“While a full engagement of the community on the important questions of what District residents want and expect from those who police them would have been instructive, I have long believed Chief Contee to be a great fit for this role. In fact, I recommended he be appointed to Chief in late 2010, when I served as Co-Chair of then-Mayor-elect Vincent Gray’s Public Safety and Justice Committee. My faith in Chief Contee’s qualifications remains strong.”