>> good afternoon, everyone.

My name is charles allen. I'm ward 6 councilmember and chair of judiciary and public safety.

Today is wednesday March 31st, 2021 and we're operating over the zoom virtual platform this afternoon.

The time is now 12:10 P.M. And I'm calling to order this additional meeting of committee.

For the record I'd like to note

we have a quorum kochbzing of

our full committee,

councilmember cheh, bonds, pinto. Good afternoon to you all.

I'll turn to each of you if you have comments on this nomination. Today we have one measure before

the committee for consideration,

24-61, chief of metropolitan police department robert j.

Contee resolution 2021.

Pr 2461 would confirm robert contee iii to a four-year term

as chief of police to the metropolitan police department. Introduced by the Chairman At

the request of the mayor January

28, 2021 and conferred to committee on the 2nd.

Held a count March 25th and I also hosted a virtual town hall

event March 18th to hear from more members of the public. Let me begin by describing the

nominee's background and qualifications. Acting chief contee began his career with the department in

1989 as a cadet in the office of

the chief of police and traffic division. He officially joined the ranks

as an officer in 1993 working foot, motorcycle and patrol

beats and transporting incarcerated individuals. In '77 promoted to rnlg saent, first supervising officer second

district before transitioning to

training academy one year later. In this capacity appointed chair of the review board responsible

for retention and termination

recommendations for probationary

officers.

He was also the coordinator of the department's field training program throughout the district. In 2000, acting chief contee returned to the second district following his promotion to lieutenant after periods of service in command east and

intelligence branch where he helped manage undercover related to terrorist threats, gang related activity achieved the

rank of commander in 2004.

Between 2004 and 2006, acting

chief contee served as commander of the second district and transitioned to the division

where his duties included liaison between federal and

government and special events,

coordinating security of

officials, foreign embassy and secrets.

2007 to 2014, 6th district, led recruiting as well as 1st district.

In 2016, acting chief contee was promoted to assistant chief of

professional development bureau.

The division responsible for recruitment, training, discipline, served as assistant chief of patrol south supervising police services for

1st, 6th and th district.

His final post as commander was with investigative services

bureau and sworn in as acting chief January 2nd, 2021.

Acting chief contee holds a bachelor's degree in professional studies with concentration in police science from george washington university. He also completed management college at institute for law enforcement administration and

senior management for police and police executive research, and a ward 3 resident. Now I want to offer some remarks about the importance of this nomination in particular.

The nomination is, of course, about the nominee. I believe him to be the right person at the right time. I am optimistic about his leadership. But this nomination is also about the department and future of policing in the district. Mpd as an institution as well as

his leadership cannot ignore the

social context it operates.

A posture of resistance, introspection and accountability does a does service to residents and officers themselves.

I do not envy the enormity of cultural shifts the nominee will have to lead and navigate within the department and within the

community but I do believe he's the person to do it. I've found him to be

experienced, respectful, resourceful, thoughtful, empathetic and generally dedicated to we will being of members. He's committed to this council and public to be open to change. I think we've seen him demonstrate some initial steps toward change since being named acting chief, and I'm hopeful that his continued actions will back up his words because there are many aspects of the

department that must evolve,

including why and how officers initiate contact with the public and respond to calls for service.

The use of data to evaluate and inform department's practices

and the embrace of internal and external transparency and accountability necessary to in

gender community trust and a true interrogation of police and

culture and practices that are overwhelmingly to people of color. I believe chief contee knows this to be true and look forward

to renewed collaboration during his leadership to make these critical reforms. That said I am sure and frankly

I hope we will disagree strongly at times. That's the nature of separation of powers. That tension makes it healthier and results in better outcomes

for our residents but I also will always be willing to come

to the table with him and his members despite disagreements to

improve public safety for residents, visitors and personnel alike. With that said I'm recommending approval of committee report in print for 24-61.

Let me turn to my colleagues.

Is there any discussion on the report or print?

I'll go in order I saw the hands.

I saw councilmember cheh, bonds, pinto and bonds. Councilmember cheh. >> thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I just want to say I am very happily supporting this nomination.

I think we have a nominee with

strong roots in the community,

long experience, and as you mentioned a high degree of

professionalism.

This is a moment we need someone

who is going to move the

department forward in a progressive direction that I

think from having met with him and also from the hearing, I'm

quite convinced he's embracing,

so I look forward to being able

to vote yes, so thank you.

>> thank you very much,

councilmember cheh. Councilmember bonds. >> yes. Thank you very much, Chairman

Allen for convening this markup today.

I see our city standing at a

critical moment with regards to

the future of the metropolitan police department. Our hometown is constantly

featured by the media, whether it is of national scope or

occurrences in some of our residential neighborhoods.

The reports are not always positive. But recently our city has

stepped up to the calling, and we have a police department that

is working every day in many

ways to make the community safe.

The police department has been a

national model for law enforcement practices in many

respects and has implemented significant reforms since undergoing the federal review two decades ago.

However, the events of this past year in particular and around

the country had culminated in an ongoing national discussion on the role of policing in our communities.

Without a doubt, there is room

for improvement in the D.C. Department's practices regarding

the use of force, as most

recently confirmed by the

auditor's report on four police-involved fatalities in the city.

Tomorrow the police reform

commission, which my colleague

vincent gray and I established

in partnership will issue its final report and recommendations.

We have all been closely

monitoring also the trial of

officer chauvin in minneapolis.

It is timely and appropriate for our city considering new

meaningful, deliberate, and

capable leadership for our police department. That is why I'll be voting today

to confirm robert contee for

D.C. Metropolitan police chief.

I see in Mr. Contee the implementation under his

leadership of many needed

changes led by an exemplary

public servant and D.C. Native,

one as you have stated who has

given his entire career to the police department.

I believe that chief contee, as

I'm hoping he will become, has

the right skill set to

deliberately focus on containing

the gun violence epidemic that

has gripped our city over the

past if you years while also not alienating our youth and putting

them into the justice system

unless absolutely necessary.

And he possesses the community's

trust, confidence, and making many residents feel secure in the community.

So as a member of the committee,

I will continue to call on him

asking him to improve the department's transparency. Members of the public must be

provided with accurate and up to

date data on violent crimes and other law enforcement trends in

our city in a very timely manner.

There are many other areas of improvement in the department,

which we will not discuss this morning.

This is about the opportunity to

confirm this outstanding public servant.

So I'll close with that and say

thank you very much for this opportunity. Chairman.

>> thank you very much, councilmember bonds. Councilmember pinto.

>> thank you very much, Chairman Allen, and thank you for your leadership throughout this confirmation process of chief contee. I think it's wonderful that

chief contee is a native washingtonian and has so much experience living and serving

our community, which I know and am very confident will play a large role and his need to rebuild trust that's been broken in our community.

I know we all are putting a lot

of faith in his partnership and commitment to his efforts as we

move forward and reimagine some of the traditional functioning of the police department and our

larger public safety apparatus and tool kits.

I am also very hopeful that we

will see a continued investment

in the need for increased

transparency, increased data

collection, and increased truth telling and partnership with not

just the D.C. Council but the

entire D.C. Community, which really needs that transparency as we all heal.

So thank you and congratulations in advance to chief contee. I look forward to supporting your nomination.

Thank you for your many years of service and continued leadership for our city.

>> thank you very much, councilmember pinto. Now, councilmember gray.

>> thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I want to express my

appreciation to you for convening today's additional committee meeting on the

judiciary and public safety to

consider pr 24-0061, chief of metropolitan police department

robert j. Contee resolution of 2021.

I enthusiastically support

robert j. Contee iii to become

the next confirmed chief of the

D.C. Metropolitan police department.

As a ward 7 resident, as a

councilmember before that, as a

former council Chairman And former mayor of the district of columbia, I have followed chief

contee's career of service at

mpd including his tenure as the

sixth district commander. I am confident -- absolutely

confident that chief contee is

amply qualified for the road

that lies ahead.

Chief contee brings a passion.

One need only talk to him briefly to realize how

passionate he is about the city and mpd.

Passionate for the district of columbia and our residents.

It's matched only by his proficiency in carrying out his duties as an officer.

In many ways he embodies the

best hopes of the district of

columbia, hometown son, who

started in trying circumstances

but with principles that were stronger than circumstances he

rose from cadet to now acting chief.

During his over 30 years, chief

contee has acquired and

demonstrated familiarity with

the department and leadership

ability that will help bring mpd

into the 21st century of excellence.

He places the community and safety at the public at the

center and root of mpd's policies and practices, which is essential, in my opinion,

anyway, to his pursuit of

justice, fairness, and

innovation in mpd's role in the district of columbia. At the foundation of his

commitment to our city are the

unique perspective and lifelong

knowledge of the district, its residents, and our distinct communities.

Last week's roundtable, I spoke

with acting chief contee about

the public safety concerns of

ward 7 residents including the

rising homicides and gun violence. The relationship between the

community and the police law enforcement, his vision for

that, and his approach to

leading mpd and how he intends to implement updated and transformative approaches to

policing and police community relations.

We were all able to hear the

testimony in support of chief contee from the many, many

public witnesses that we had.

And they all weighed in for

nomination residents, district of columbia.

So Mr. Chairman, I look forward

to voting in support of chief

contee, his confirmation, and

with great anticipation I look

forward to working with the

confirmed chief robert j. Contee iii. I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for chairing this committee.

I want to thank you for giving

chief contee the opportunity to comport himself in ways so many

of us have seen during his time as a police officer and in the

days and months and years since. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to voting in

favor of chief contee as our next chief of police.

>> thank you very much, Mr. Gray. Appreciate that.

I think everyone has had a chance. Thank you very much for that. Let me move to approve committee

in print nor 24-61 with leave for staff to make technical, editorial and conforming changes.

All those in favor please say aye. [Chorus of ayes] >> are there any opposed? The ayes have it.

Let the record reflect it was unanimous vote in support. Thank you all very much. There being no further business,

the time is now 12:27 P.M., and this additional meeting of the committee on judiciary and public safety is now adjourned. Thank you, everybody. >> thank you.