February 02, 2005, 1:43 p.m.
Choosing Chertoff
The judge’s nomination was very well received among law-enforcement officers.

by Chuck Canterbury

Though the Department of Homeland Security is only a little more than two years old, its mission is as old as the nation itself: to protect of our citizens from violence and the threat of violence. The growth of global terrorism, an enemy to free people in every country in the world, has made this mission an even greater challenge for the United States. For the next leader of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the mission has only gotten harder.

For this reason, the nomination of Michael Chertoff to be the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was tremendously well received by America's law-enforcement community. Judge Chertoff has had a distinguished career in public service and law enforcement. He was the assistant attorney general for the criminal division at the U.S. Department of Justice when al Qaeda attacked the United States on September 11 and in this role helped lead the effort to trace the attacks to the al Qaeda terrorist network. His knowledge, experience, and ability to work effectively with the men and women in law enforcement made him a crucial component of our nation's effort to protect all Americans in the months that followed. He proved to be an able leader during one of the most difficult times in our nation's history, and he will be an outstanding secretary of Homeland Security.

Chertoff, a New Jersey native, began his career in public service with a clerkship under Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. In 1983, after a brief time in private practice, he joined the U.S. attorney's office for the southern district of New York. He was promoted first to assistant U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey in 1987 and, three years later, he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to be the U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey.

During his tenure as a prosecutor, Judge Chertoff was an important part of the "Mafia Commission," which brought extensive charges against organized-crime leaders. His work as a federal prosecutor won him the respect of the law-enforcement community for his hard work at every level of preparing cases. This was not a man content with just showing up for the trial — he worked his cases from the bottom up.

Judge Chertoff has been confirmed by the Senate on three separate occasions, most recently for a judgeship on the U.S. court of appeals for the third circuit in June 2003. His nomination is further evidence that this administration has a strong commitment to and track record of involving law enforcement in crafting and implementing a national homeland-security policy.

The Fraternal Order of Police, which represents more than 318,000 members in every region of the country, is the oldest and largest labor organization of law-enforcement professionals in the United States. We have every confidence that Judge Chertoff will continue his predecessor's strong partnership with state and local law enforcement.

President Bush has made an excellent choice in Judge Michael Chertoff to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and we are proud to support his nomination.

— Chuck Canterbury is national president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

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