Robert J. Contee III

Assistant Director, Office of Partner Engagement

Portrait of Robert Contee III, assistant director of the FBI Office of Partner Engagement

Robert J. Contee III was selected by FBI Director Christopher Wray to serve as the assistant director of the Office of Partner Engagement (OPE) in April 2023. As OPE’s leader, Mr. Contee manages the FBI’s efforts to build and improve relationships and information sharing with our law enforcement partners, which are vital toward protecting the American people.

Mr. Contee most recently served as chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of the District of Columbia, which is the sixth-largest municipal police department in the country with over 4,000 members.

Mr. Contee’s law enforcement career began in 1989 when he joined MPD as a police cadet. He quickly rose through the ranks, serving in a variety of assignments and districts. In 2004, he became captain over the Violent Crimes Branch, and from there, ascended to commander of various D.C. districts to include the Special Operations Division and then was promoted to assistant chief of the Professional Development Bureau.

In 2018, as the assistant chief of the Investigative Services Bureau, Mr. Contee worked directly with the community to bring offenders to justice, supported the recovery of victims, and protected witnesses.

He managed several divisions that supported community safety, including the Criminal Investigations Division, the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division, the Crime Scene Investigations Division, Youth and Family Services Division, and the School Safety Division.

Mr. Contee is a highly decorated officer. Among many other honors, his most recent accomplishments include receiving the 2022 Congressional Gold Medal for Protection of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the 2021 Law Enforcement Leader of the Year from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation.

Mr. Contee earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in professional studies with a concentration in police science. He also completed both the Management College at the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and the Senior Management Institute for Police at the Police Executive Research Forum. He is a Washington, D.C., native raised in Northeast D.C.