Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Policy & Research Forum
September 8, 2009
Moderated by:
Frank Cilluffo
Director, HSPI
The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) welcomed Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, to discuss the Obama administration’s recently released National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy, and U.S. drug policy writ large. Frank Cilluffo, HSPI’s Director, moderated the roundtable.
Kerlikowske stressed the magnitude of the challenge posed by illegal narcotics, observing that the drug trade and its ancillary effects extend beyond law enforcement, and represent the “most difficult, and probably long-term, problem when it comes to everything from foreign relations, to the border, to domestic policy, to what our workforce is going to look like in the future.” The problem demands “our full and complete attention.”
Cilluffo noted that, “to some extent, the challenge we’re facing now exists because of some of the successes we, and most importantly the Colombians, had vis-à-vis the Medellín and Cali drug cartels; that didn’t remove the problem entirely, but redistributed the center of gravity to Mexican drug trafficking organizations.” In reply, Kerlikowske raised the importance of developing appropriate measures of success, which capture the breadth of the problem. He argued further that intelligence assets are crucial to success.
Regarding the current situation in Mexico, Richard Gerding of the Dutch Embassy asked what factors could hinder success. Kerlikowske responded that the key to success is the continued resolve of the Calderon administration and, more importantly, of the people of Mexico. To this point, Cilluffo noted that Mexican public opinion strongly supports the federal government’s fight against drug trafficking.
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The HSPI Policy & Research Forum series is designed to spotlight cutting-edge policy solutions and innovative strategies to some of the most pressing national and international concerns. The Forum features leading officials, practitioners and thinkers in a systematic way designed to better highlight their work and promote a dialogue on effective solutions to current issues.
R. Gil Kerlikowske
Director
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
R. Gil Kerlikowske was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. He was sworn in on May 7, 2009, as the Nation's sixth "Drug Czar." In his position, Mr. Kerlikowske coordinates all aspects of Federal drug control programs and implementation of the President's National Drug Control Strategy.
Mr. Kerlikowske brings 37 years of law enforcement and drug policy experience to the position. He most recently served 9 years as the Chief of Police for Seattle, Washington. When he left, crime was at its lowest point in 40 years. Previously, he was Deputy Director for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, where he was responsible for over 6 billion dollars in Federal assets. Mr. Kerlikowske was also Police Commissioner of Buffalo, New York. The majority of his law enforcement career was in Florida where he served in the St. Petersburg Police Department and later as Chief of Police in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce.
He was elected twice to be President of the Major Cities Chiefs, which is comprised of the largest city and county law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada, and was also elected President of the Police Executive Research Forum. He has received numerous awards and recognition for leadership, innovation, and community service. He served in the U.S. Army where he was awarded the Presidential Service Badge.
He served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national organization that advocates for evidence-based programs that prevent youth from being involved in crime. He has also served on the advisory boards of the Salvation Army in Buffalo and Seattle, feeding the hungry and helping the homeless.
Mr. Kerlikowske holds a B.A. and M.A. in criminal justice from the University of South Florida in Tampa, and is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Executive Institute in Quantico, Virginia.