I have been a member of PERF (The Police Executive Research Forum), since its very earliest days in the 1970s. Our first Director, Gary Hayes, was a close friend and colleague of mine. We had a dream then of calling together college-educated police chiefs to be an informed voice for police improvement and research-based decisions in policing.
When Gary suddenly died as a young man we were all shocked. I then came to be an early supporter of Chuck Wexler to be our Executive Director. He has faithfully served since those early days.
Over the years, under Chuck’s leadership, our organization has grown and become a strong voice for ways to properly and legally police a democracy. That practice must continue to be strongly voiced.
I am happy to report today that a few educated and experienced police leaders are beginning to protest the way in which the White House and its allies are attempting to “improve/change” the FBI.
The way they are going about this is reckless and not the way. Those of us experienced in police matters know this quite well.
Let us remember that. Historically, silence is almost never an act of courage.
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Supporting Federal Law Enforcement
Chuck Wexler, Executive Director
February 8, 2025
PERF members,
“It’s an extremely difficult moment for federal agents, prosecutors, and other law enforcement employees.
“Last week the Department of Justice fired about two dozen federal prosecutors in Washington who worked on cases involving the pardoned January 6 rioters. And this week the FBI provided Department of Justice leaders with requested information about thousands of FBI agents and other employees who worked on these cases. It’s concerning to see these actions taken against law enforcement employees who were working their assigned cases.
“In an email to the FBI’s New York field office this week, Assistant Director James Dennehy wrote, ‘Today, we find ourselves in the middle of a battle of our own, as good people are being walked out of the FBI and others are being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and FBI policy.’
“I commend Assistant Director Dennehy for standing by his employees…”
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I appreciate my old friend, Director Church Wexler, for sharing this with his members. But I cannot help but think there is more that should be done — that is, delivering a strong collective voice of police leaders across the country — all saying NO to the way that the present administration, led by the incoming FBI Director Kash Patel, thinks is the way to improving the FBI. An organization in which many of us have depended upon to help us collaboratively “fight crime” in our cities, and to provide us with real-time information on foreign and domestic terrorism and it’s threats to all of us.
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 