Washington — Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, as Washington’s emergency police commissioner, giving him the powers of the city’s police chief and requiring the Metropolitan Police Department to obtain his approval before issuing orders. Bondi said the move grants Cole the district’s full authority over policing decisions, a dramatic expansion of federal oversight in the capital.
The action comes just weeks after Cole was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the DEA’s leader and sworn in as head of the agency.
What to know about Cole:
– He has three decades in law enforcement, including more than 31 years at the DEA, with assignments across Oklahoma, New York and Washington, and time overseas in Colombia, Afghanistan and the Middle East. The DEA notes he has fought drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
– Cole previously served as Virginia’s secretary of public safety and homeland security under Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and he retired from federal service in 2020 as the DEA’s acting regional director for Mexico, Canada and Central America.
– Earlier in his career, he was a police officer in New York State. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has leadership certificates from the University of Virginia and the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.
Late-night announcement and potential implications:
Bondi issued the directive Thursday night elevating Cole to the authority of the District of Columbia Chief of Police. It remained unclear how this would affect Pamela Smith, the city’s current police chief who reports to the mayor. Earlier that day, Chief Smith had directed Washington police to share information with immigration agencies about people not in custody, such as those involved in traffic stops or checkpoints.
The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with Smith’s directive because it allowed continued enforcement of sanctuary policies. Bondi rescinded that order and other department policies limiting inquiries into immigration status and arrests based solely on federal warrants. Going forward, all new directives from the police department must receive Cole’s approval.
Context and outlook:
The move represents a rare federal intervention in Washington, D.C.’s local policing matters and underscores the administration’s push to centralize control over city law enforcement in priority areas. It could heighten political and legal debate about local autonomy versus federal oversight, especially in relation to immigration enforcement and sanctuary-policy considerations.
Positive outlook:
Supporters argue the change could streamline decision-making, improve coordination with federal law enforcement, and provide a unified command structure for addressing crime and security in the nation’s capital. If managed carefully, it could lead to clearer accountability and more rapid responses to evolving public-safety challenges, while aiming to protect the community more effectively.
Summary:
Terry Cole’s appointment as Washington’s emergency police commissioner places him in direct command of the city’s policing with the authority to approve all new directives, signaling a significant shift in how local law enforcement operates in the capital. The change follows Cole’s recent confirmation as DEA head and highlights ongoing tensions between federal authority and local governance over immigration-related policing and sanctuary policies.
Overall assessment:
This development introduces notable centralization of policing power in Washington and could have lasting implications for how local and federal authorities coordinate on crime and immigration enforcement.