Terry Cole has been selected by President Donald Trump to be the interim federal administrator for D.C.’s police department.

Cole has a long history in both federal and Virginia law enforcement circles, but it’s still not clear how extensive his role as leader will be.

His appointment comes as part of the president’s federal takeover of the city’s police department to address what Trump has referred to as a crime emergency. Meanwhile, D.C. officials have cited a drop in violent crime since 2023.

Cole was confirmed to run the Drug Enforcement Agency by the U.S. Senate in a party-line vote earlier this year.

He returned to the DEA after a 20-year career with the agency. He had previously stepped away for two years as Virginia’s Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security, under

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