Kerlikowske sworn in as new CBP commissioner

R. Gil Kerlikowske

R. Gil Kerlikowske has been sworn in as the new commissioner of Customs and Border Protection after he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 6th.

Kerlikowske most recently served as the White House director of National Drug Control Policy since 2009. Previously, he was deputy director for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services during the Clinton Administration.

He has spent most of his career in local law enforcement, serving as Chief of Police in Seattle for about eight years. He was also Police Commissioner in Buffalo, NY, and was Chief of Police in Fort Pierce, FL, and Port St. Lucie, FL. He also worked in the St. Petersburg, FL, police department. He is the first permanent CBP chief since 2011.

“As one of the Department of Homeland Security’s largest operational divisions, Customs and Border Protection plays an essential role in the Department’s mission to keep Americans safe by protecting our borders while promoting international trade,” said Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE). “I believe that the President made an excellent choice in selecting Mr. Kerlikowske to lead this important agency. His breadth of experience in law enforcement and drug policy prepare him well to take on this role, and our nation will benefit immensely from his leadership. I commend my colleagues for joining me in supporting his nomination and I look forward to working with him in this new position.”

Kerlikowske has twice served as president of the Major Cities Chiefs, which includes the largest city and county law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada, and he was awarded the Presidential Service Badge for his service in the U.S. Army. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in criminal justice as well as an Honorary Doctor in Humane Letters from the University of South Florida.