May 13, 2022

FBI Director Wray Hosts Police Chiefs to Discuss Issues Impacting Major Cities, Law Enforcement

FBI Director Christopher Wray hosted a listening session with members of the Major Cities Chiefs Association to discuss issues impacting our law enforcement partners and the communities they serve, to include the alarming rate of violent crime plaguing some communities.

Director Wray initiated the conversation by thanking the members for their leadership and for remaining strong partners with the FBI. Director Wray then turned to the high levels of violent crime across the country and the FBI’s commitment to working closely with local law enforcement partners to combat this disturbing trend.

“Our most fundamental duty is to safeguard people’s right to live without fear of violence, making our communities safer places to live and work,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “While the FBI works to address a variety of threats, our bread-and-butter is fighting violent crime and being effective partners to state and local law enforcement.”

Director Wray and the police chiefs in attendance stressed how their collaborative efforts through federal task forces, including our Safe Streets and Violent Crime Task Forces, among others, are crucial to winning the fight against violent crime. The participants also discussed the value of sharing and using intelligence to prioritize resources, identifying the individuals and organizations in local communities who are driving the violence, and building impactful cases.

At the conclusion of the discussion, Director Wray emphasized the value in developing strong relationships across all levels of government. The expertise of our local law enforcement partners, combined with the FBI’s unique capabilities and technical expertise, will enable the collective law enforcement community to successfully navigate this threat landscape.