Dear Mr. President,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to thank you for naming Timothy J. Shea to be the Acting Administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Mr. Shea currently serves the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and, prior to that, was a Counselor to U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. We had the pleasure of working closely with him on the development of your Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. Like your Attorney General, Mr. Shea understands how important it is to work in close cooperation with State and local law enforcement agencies in order to reduce crime. He has played an important role in “Operation Relentless Pursuit,” an initiative announced late last year which targets Federal resources to fight crime in seven of our most violent cities. He is a proven, committed law enforcement leader with exactly the right experience and skills to lead the DEA, a critical law enforcement agency.
Mr. Shea, of course, is well known to the FOP from his first tenure in the U.S. Department of Justice during the Administration of President George H.W. Bush as Associate Deputy Attorney General. It was during his tenure that the Department undertook “Project Triggerlock” designed to focus Federal resources to take our most violent and dangerous offenders off the streets. The FOP was very supportive of this effort and similar undertakings like “Operation Gunsmoke,” which he coordinated at the national level, and which resulted in the capture of more than 3,300 dangerous criminals. Mr. Shea has always been a champion of State and local law enforcement and his work at the Justice Department has had meaningful impact in our communities and we have no doubt that, with his leadership he will deepen the relationship between the DEA and our local and State agencies.
Considering his work at the Justice Department, you will find very few people who have demonstrated such success in targeting Federal resources and partnering with State and local law enforcement to reduce crime at the national level. Tim proved himself to be not only a leader, but a true partner in these endeavors. Tim Shea is an outstanding choice for to be the next Administrator of the DEA.
On behalf of the more than 351,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I am proud to offer Timothy J. Shea the full and complete support of our organization. If I can provide any additional information or further recommendation for Tim, do not hesitate to contact me or my Executive Director, Jim Pasco, in my Washington office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President