Dear Mr. Chairman and Senator Feinstein,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to offer our full support for the nomination of Chuck Canterbury to be the next Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the U.S. Department of Justice and to urge you and all members of the Committee on the Judiciary to favorably report this nominee to the Senate.
The nation’s leading law enforcement organizations have endorsed Chuck for this post, but as he served as our National President and CEO of the Fraternal Order of Police for eight terms, we can say with complete certainty and confidence that President Trump has made an outstanding choice by nominating Chuck Canterbury as the next Director of the ATF.
At our recently concluded 64th Biennial National Conference, approximately 5,000 delegates representing officers from all 50 States offered a resolution directing the National FOP to endorse Chuck’s nomination. It passed unanimously.
Chuck served a total of 24 years on the National Executive Board beginning in 1995. During this period, he has been instrumental in leading the FOP through some of the most challenging times and issues that confront police officers in the modern era. He has, time and time again, demonstrated his ability to navigate and manage the organization as it grappled with problems generations in the making. We have no doubt his that stewardship of the ATF will yield similar successes.
Chuck Canterbury began his 26-year law enforcement career in 1978 and retired as a Major (Deputy Chief) in Horry County, South Carolina. He served in virtually every supervisory and managerial position on his department, ultimately retiring from the force to devote his full time and attention to his position as National President. His tenure has been marked by progress, growth, and respect for the FOP and the role that it strives to play in making the lives of police officers and all citizens better and safer. He has served in advisory roles with the administrations of four U.S. Presidents, and continues to do so today.
He is also recognized internationally as an expert on law enforcement management and representation, currently serving as a board member of the International Council of Police Representatives Association, which represents over 1.4 million law enforcement officers worldwide.
Finally, as the members of this Committee know well, the FOP has always advocated that appointments and nominations to our Federal judiciary or those tapped to lead Federal law enforcement agencies should have “practical law enforcement experience.” Not only does Chuck Canterbury have this experience-26 years of it, in fact-he’s also been the leader of the 349,000 members of the FOP, our nation’s oldest and largest law enforcement labor organization for 16 of those years. He will be an outstanding ATF Director.
On behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police, we are proud to support Chuck Canterbury as the next Director of the ATF. If I can provide any more information in support of Chuck, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in my Washington office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President