{{short description|Former Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox police officer |name = Peter Newsham |image = Newsham Official Department Photo.jpg |caption = Newsham in 2021 |birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|53|2017|February|23}}<ref name=wcp20170227/> |birth_place = Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |education = College of the Holy Cross (BA)<br>University of Maryland (JD) |allegiance = {{flagicon image|Flag of Washington, D.C..svg|size=23px}} District of Columbia<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Prince William County, Virginia.svg|size=23px}} Prince William County, Virginia |department = {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.png|size=23px}} Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia<br>Prince William County Police Department |service_years = 1989-2020<br>2020-present |rank = Chief of Police }}
'''Peter Newsham''' (born {{birth based on age as of date|53|2017|February|23|noage=1}})<ref name=wcp20170227/> was the Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) from January 2017 to January 2021. He is currently Chief of the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia, having been appointed to that post in November 2020.
A veteran of the police department of Washington, D.C., since 1989, he participated in various capacities in numerous high-profile investigations and arrests, including the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the Washington Navy Yard shooting, and the murder of Seth Rich. He became the Chief of Police in January 2017, after having previously served as deputy to his predecessor, Police Chief Cathy Lanier. In November 2020, it was announced that Newsham would be leaving the District to become Chief of Police for nearby Prince William County, Virginia; he was succeeded in the District of Columbia in January 2021 by Robert Contee.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayor chooses veteran officer Robert J. Contee as District's next police chief |newspaper=Washington Post |date=December 22, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/washington-police-chief-newsham-bowser-contee/2020/12/22/34739df8-30ef-11eb-bae0-50bb17126614_story.html |accessdate=January 3, 2021}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Newsham was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts.<ref name="Our Town">{{cite web |url=https://ourtowndc.com/peter-newsham-chief-police-dc/ |title=Peter Newsham – Chief of Police Metropolitan Police Department |first=Andy |last=Ockershausen |work=Our Town with host Andy Ockershausen |publisher=Our Town DC |date=December 5, 2017}}</ref> He attended North Adams State College (since renamed the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) and received a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.<ref name="MPDC">{{cite web |url=https://mpdc.dc.gov/biography/peter-newsham |title=Biography of Peter Newsham |publisher=Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> After graduating, Newsham moved to Washington, D.C., with the intention of getting a job on Capitol Hill. Newsham never worked on Capitol Hill, and ended up applying to the Metropolitan Police Department.<ref name="Our Town"/>
In 1996, Newsham attended the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and earned his J.D. degree in 2000.<ref name="WP20170223" /> {{As of|2020}}, Newsham is a member in good standing of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars.<ref name="WP20170223" /><ref name="MSBA">{{cite web |url=https://www.msba.org/about/member-directory/ |title=MSBA Member Directory |publisher=Maryland State Bar Association |access-date=March 23, 2020 |archive-date=December 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226005403/https://www.msba.org/about/member-directory/?fwp_member_directory_search_first_name=Dawn&fwp_member_directory_search_last_name=Gile |url-status=dead }} Data available by completing CAPTCHA and searching by first and last name for Peter Newsham.</ref>
==Career== Newsham joined the Metropolitan Police Department in 1989.<ref name="MPDC"/> In the 1990s, Newsham was selected by then-Chief Charles H. Ramsey "to oversee a department overhaul after concerns surfaced in the late 1990s over the high number of deadly shootings by officers".<ref name="WP20170223"/> In 2000 Chief Ramsey appointed Newsham Commander of the Second District.<ref name="MPDC"/> In April of that year he participated in the investigation of a high-profile shooting at the National Zoo.<ref>"Boy, 16, arrested in zoo shooting", ''The Berkshire Eagle'' (April 26, 2000), p. 3.</ref> Newsham also participated in the investigation of the May 2001 disappearance of federal intern Chandra Levy.<ref>Arthur Santana and Cheryl W. Thompson, "Washington Police Checking Crimes in Missing Woman's Neighborhood",''Hartford Courant'' (May 19, 2001), p. A6.</ref> In April 2002, Newsham was reported to have "ordered police officers to cordon off Pershing Park, about two blocks from the White House, after he observed some protesters committing acts of vandalism".<ref>"Court Rejects Police Immunity", ''Tyler Morning Telegraph'' (January 14, 2006), p. 10.</ref> This was characterized by detractors of the decision as a mass arrests of protesters, with attorneys claiming protesters were arrested without any notice to disperse.<ref name="WP20170223"/> The final settlement resulting from the case was $13.25 million.<ref name="WP20170223"/>
===Assistant Chief positions and matters=== In 2002, Chief Ramsey promoted Newsham to Assistant Chief and placed him in charge of the Office of Professional Responsibility,<ref name="MPDC"/> which includes the Internal Affairs Division, Civil Rights Division, and the Force Investigation Team.
In July 2004 Newsham was placed in charge of Regional Operations Command-North.<ref name="MPDC"/> In that capacity, Newsham reported in 2003 that the department had confirmed that a class of armor-piercing handguns that Congress was seeking to ban had been tested by the department and found to be capable of penetrating police body armor.<ref>Donna de la Cruz, "Bill banning assault pistol is introduced", ''Press and Sun-Bulletin'' (March 4, 2005), p. 10.</ref> In 2007, Newsham took over as Assistant Chief of the Internal Affairs Bureau.<ref name="MPDC"/> In 2008, Newsham oversaw the issuance by police of the first handgun permits in the District of Columbia in 32 years, following the ruling by the United States Supreme Court in ''District of Columbia v. Heller'', which struck down the District's ban on handgun ownership.<ref>Brian Westley, "D.C. police issue handgun permits", ''The Charlotte Observer'' (July 18, 2008), p. 4A.</ref>
The following year, in 2009, Newsham was given charge of the Investigative Services Bureau, overseeing all of the city's detectives as well as all cases.<ref name="MPDC"/> As Chief of Investigations to Chief Lanier, Newsham "was instrumental in helping Lanier reduce homicides".<ref name="WP20170223"/> This oversight included a 2008 case where an 11-year-old girl reported being raped twice, but was then charged by the investigating officers with filing a false report after she confused which men raped her; Newsham inherited oversight of the case with his 2009 promotion, and his handling of the case was later criticized in the mid-2010s.<ref name="WP20150312"/> In 2013, Newsham commanded the response to the Washington Navy Yard shooting.<ref name="Brasch">Ben Brasch", ''Police chief candidates state their cases'', ''Fort Myers News-Press'' (June 17, 2016), p. A5.</ref> In 2016, Newsham oversaw the investigation of the murder of Seth Rich, noting that there was no information to support internet rumors that the death was connected to WikiLeaks involvement in the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak.<ref>Peter Hermann and Clarence Williams, "WikiLeaks offers reward for killer of Nebraskan", ''Lincoln Journal Star'' (August 10, 2016), p. A3.</ref> Over the course of his career, Newsham was also the commanding officer supervising four presidential inaugurations and papal visits to the District by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and Pope Francis in 2015.<ref name="Brasch"/>
Newsham was a finalist for the position of chief of police in both Fort Myers, Florida, and Phoenix, Arizona. Of the 65 applicants for the position in Phoenix, Newsham was one of the three finalists, the only one not previously associated with the Phoenix Police Department.<ref>Megan Cassidy, "Phoenix narrows field of police chief candidates to 3", ''The Arizona Republic'' (May 24, 2016), p. A3.</ref> Newsham was one of eight finalists for the position in Fort Myers.<ref name="Brasch"/>
===Appointment as Chief of Police=== thumb|Newsham in January 2017Following the departure of Cathy Lanier as Chief Of Police in September 2016, Newsham was named Interim Police Chief by Mayor Muriel Bowser.<ref name="WP20170223"/> As Interim Police Chief, one of the first matters to be addressed by Newsham was the investigation of Edgar Maddison Welch for firing shots from an AR-15-style rifle at the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria. Welch had been convinced by Pizzagate conspiracy theory proponents on the internet that the restaurant was part of a Democratic Party child sex ring.<ref>"Police: fake news story led gunman to popular DC pizzeria", ''Whitehorse Daily Star'' (December 5, 2016), p. 9.</ref> Newsham visited the restaurant in a show of support the following week, speaking out against the consequences of fake news.<ref>"Patrons use dough to back pizza place", ''Rocky Mount Telegram'' (December 11, 2016), p. 6A.</ref> In January 2017, Newsham oversaw city-wide police preparations for the Inauguration of Donald Trump, with its anticipated high number of protests.<ref>Kevin Johnson, "Scope of protests poses challenge for inaugural security", ''The Wilmington News Journal'' (January 7, 2017), p. B1.</ref>
In February 2017 Newsham was nominated as Chief of Police by Mayor Muriel Bowser.<ref name="WP20170223"/> Protester disruptions caused the suspension of his first oversight hearing,<ref name="WP20180301"/> and the ACLU recommended delaying the confirmation vote until an investigation was concluded.<ref name=aclu/><ref name="WT20170502"/> In defending her nomination of Newsham to be police chief, Mayor Bowser praised his "commitment to transparency" and "“availability to his officers and members of the public",<ref name="WP20170223"/> and said she was impressed with the job her nominee did as interim chief, citing the police department's performance during the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump and the ensuing Women's March on Washington on his watch.<ref name="WT20170502"/>
On the eve of a confirmation vote by the D.C. council, the ''Washington City Paper'' said of the nominee, "He's generally respected by the rank-and-file when it comes to policing, and he has managed to forge his own reputation as a leader despite years of being the main enforcer for former Chief Cathy Lanier, who was not particularly well liked by the rank-and-file", while noting allegations of domestic and alcohol abuse made in the 1990s, and "a professional history stained by a high-profile mass arrest gone bad".<ref name=wcp20170227/> Newsham was approved by the Council in a 12-1 vote,<ref name="WT20170502"/> with the sole dissenting vote coming from Councilmember David Grosso.
==Administration as Chief of Police== Newsham has identified his priorities as chief to address trust in the community and officer morale.<ref name="WP20170223"/>
Following a massive gunfight in Northeast Washington in January 2019, in which more than 40 bullets were fired in front of a barbershop long suspected by police to be an "open-air drug market", activists and D.C. Council members criticized what they called illegal and aggressive searches by officers.<ref name="WP20190105"/> In response, Newsham asserted that Council members had emboldened the drug dealers by suggesting that police had acted inappropriately.<ref name="WP20190105"/> Community activists called the assertion shocking.<ref name="WP20190118"/>
In September 2019, data released by MPD pursuant to a court order found significant disparities among stops by officers. African Americans accounted for 70% of all police stops while D.C. is 47% African American. Newsham disputed whether the data, taken over a four-week period, was representative.<ref name=wamu20190919/> By October 2019, homicides had increased 11 percent from the same time in 2018, which rose 40 percent from the previous year. 2019 had the highest number of homicides in a decade and the trend continued into 2020.<ref name="WP20191231"/><ref name=dcist.homicide/> To fight the rise, Newsham authorized overtime pay for officer patrol.<ref name="WP20191001"/><ref name=fox20190116/> Newsham was inadvertently caught on camera saying that he thought homicides would continue unabated.<ref name="WP20191231"/> In January 2020, Newsham announced that D.C. police will no longer handcuff children under 12, except as needed to protect the child or the public from danger.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-will-no-longer-handcuff-children-under-12/2020/01/28/d7b63c40-4154-11ea-b5fc-eefa848cde99_story.html |title=D.C. police will no longer handcuff children under 12 |first1=Clarence |last1=Williams |first2=Fenit |last2=Nirappil |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 28, 2020}}</ref> In a March 2020 D.C. Council meeting, Newsham confirmed that the MPD was conducting multiple internal investigations into crime underreporting, but assured the council that "when we report out on crime statistics, we do it as accurately as we can".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/dc-police-chief-admits-internal-investigations-into-underreporting-denies-departmentwide-effort/65-cec5617e-38cb-4fca-a10d-01a3f0f5a2fa |title=DC Police Chief: Multiple internal investigations into crime underreporting, but not a department-wide issue |first=Eric |last=Flack |date=March 5, 2020}}</ref>
As he had in his previous roles, Newsham also addressed gun violence as Chief of Police. In October 2019, he "expressed frustration that more isn't being done to deal with repeat gun offenders".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wtop.com/dc/2019/10/frustrated-d-c-police-chief-wants-more-done-to-target-repeat-gun-offenders/ |title=Frustrated DC police chief wants more done to target repeat gun offenders |first=Kristi |last=King |publisher=WTOP-FM |date=October 13, 2019}}</ref> In February 2020, he noted that detectives were working with federal agencies to investigate the origins of privately made firearms. Newsham joined the mayor and other officials in saying that "action was necessary to stop the flow of ghost guns into the city".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-mayor-police-chief-want-to-keep-untraceable-ghost-guns-out-of-district/2020/02/28/5bc8f1d6-5a5e-11ea-9000-f3cffee23036_story.html |title=D.C. mayor, police chief want to keep untraceable 'ghost guns' out of District |first=Peter |last=Hermann |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 28, 2020}}</ref> In March 2020, Newsham praised incoming U.S. Attorney Tim Shea for the latter's agreement to aggressively pursue gun violence and gun crimes by repeat violent offenders.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wtop.com/dc/2020/03/dc-police-chief-new-us-attorney-will-be-aggressive-in-stopping-repeat-gun-offenders/ |title=DC police chief: New US attorney will be 'aggressive' in stopping repeat gun offenders |first=Megan |last=Cloherty |publisher=WTOP-FM |date=March 6, 2020}}</ref>
Following George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., in May and June 2020, Newsham objected to some reforms introduced by the D.C. Council, while supporting others. The Council sought to bring greater accountability, limit the use of force against unarmed civilians, and make it easier to fire officers, among other reforms. In particular, Newsham objected to provisions regarding the release of body-camera footage, which historically had generally not been released.<ref name=wp20200611/> Newsham said police officers "feel they have been abandoned", and that the council's actions failed to reflect years of reforms within the department, while Councilmembers said he had missed the point of the protests, with members Robert White, Charles Allen, and Vincent C. Gray asserting that his comments were dangerous.<ref name=dcist/> In July 2020, in response to litigation filed in the aftermath of the use of force to clear protesters for the Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church, Newsham denied that officers in his department were involved in that action.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wtop.com/dc/2020/07/dc-police-added-to-aclu-lawsuit-alleging-excessive-force-against-protesters-on-june-1/ |title=DC Police added to ACLU lawsuit alleging 'excessive force' against protesters on June 1 |first1=Dan |last1=Friedell |publisher=WTOP-FM |date=July 9, 2020}}</ref>
In November 2020, it was announced that Newsham would be leaving the District to become Chief of Police for nearby Prince William County, Virginia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wtop.com/prince-william-county/2020/11/prince-william-co-board-chair-on-hiring-peter-newsham-to-be-police-chief/ |title=Prince William Co. board chair on hiring Peter Newsham to be police chief |first1=Michelle |last1=Basch |publisher=WTOP-FM |date=November 25, 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Newsham lives in Southeast Washington. He has two children from a previous marriage.<ref name="WP20170223"/> Newsham has lived in Washington for over 30 years and is a Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan; however, he has stated that the Washington Commanders is his favorite National Football Conference team.<ref name="Our Town"/> {{As of|2020}}, Newsham is a member of the Maryland State Bar.<ref name="MSBA"/>
==References== {{reflist|2|refs=
<ref name=aclu>{{cite web |url=https://www.acludc.org/en/news/monica-hopkins-maxwell-testifies-confirmation-hearing-mpd-police-chief |title=MONICA HOPKINS-MAXWELL TESTIFIES AT CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR MPD POLICE CHIEF |date=March 24, 2017 |website=acludc.org |publisher=ACLU of DC |access-date=March 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821142622/https://www.acludc.org/en/news/monica-hopkins-maxwell-testifies-confirmation-hearing-mpd-police-chief |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=dcist>{{cite news |last=Austermuhle |first=Martin |date=June 17, 2020 |title=D.C. Council And Police Chief Square Off Amid Police Reform Debate |url=https://dcist.com/story/20/06/17/d-c-council-and-police-chief-square-off-amid-police-reform-debate/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617183103/https://dcist.com/story/20/06/17/d-c-council-and-police-chief-square-off-amid-police-reform-debate/ |url-status=live |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |work=DCist |location=Washington DC |access-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name=dcist.homicide>{{cite news |last=Schweitzer |first=Ally |date=November 3, 2020 |title=D.C. Homicides Reach The Highest Number In More Than A Decade |url=https://dcist.com/story/20/06/17/d-c-council-and-police-chief-square-off-amid-police-reform-debate/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617183103/https://dcist.com/story/20/06/17/d-c-council-and-police-chief-square-off-amid-police-reform-debate/ |url-status=live |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |work=DCist |location=Washington DC |access-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name=fox20190116>{{Cite news |url=https://www.fox5dc.com/news/dc-mayor-bowser-police-chief-newsham-visit-fox-5-to-discuss-fight-against-violence-in-the-district |title=DC Mayor Bowser, Police Chief Newsham visit FOX 5 to discuss fight against violence in the District |access-date=January 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020201040/https://www.fox5dc.com/news/dc-mayor-bowser-police-chief-newsham-visit-fox-5-to-discuss-fight-against-violence-in-the-district |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=wamu20190919>{{cite news |last=Austermuhle |first=Martin |date=September 10, 2019 |title=D.C. Police Release Long-Delayed Stop-And-Frisk Data, Showing Racial Disparities In Stops |url=https://wamu.org/story/19/09/10/d-c-police-release-long-delayed-stop-and-frisk-data-showing-racial-disparities-in-stops/ |work=WAMU |location=Washington DC |access-date=September 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022022402/https://wamu.org/story/19/09/10/d-c-police-release-long-delayed-stop-and-frisk-data-showing-racial-disparities-in-stops/ |archive-date=October 22, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=wcp20170227>{{cite news |last=Anderson |first=Jeffrey |date=February 27, 2017 |title=An Interview with Peter Newsham, D.C.'s Top Cop |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/article/20853303/an-interview-with-peter-newsham-dcs-top-cop |work=Washington City Paper |location=Washington DC |access-date=February 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302035116/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/article/20853303/an-interview-with-peter-newsham-dcs-top-cop |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20150312">{{cite news |last=Walters |first=Joanna |date=March 12, 2015 |title=An 11-year-old reported being raped twice, wound up with a conviction |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/a-seven-year-search-for-justice/2015/03/12/b1cccb30-abe9-11e4-abe8-e1ef60ca26de_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=March 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314030423/http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/a-seven-year-search-for-justice/2015/03/12/b1cccb30-abe9-11e4-abe8-e1ef60ca26de_story.html |archive-date=March 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20170223">{{cite news |last=Hermann |first=Peter |date=February 23, 2017 |title=D.C. police chief, mayor authorize overtime to combat shootings, homicides |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/newsham-to-be-named-dc-police-according-to-officials-familiar-with-the-process/2017/02/23/a35f882c-d1b6-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224025857/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/newsham-to-be-named-dc-police-according-to-officials-familiar-with-the-process/2017/02/23/a35f882c-d1b6-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html |archive-date=February 24, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20180301">{{cite news |last=Hermann |first=Peter |date=March 1, 2018 |title=D.C. police hearing ends before all testimony could be heard due to protester disruptions |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-hearing-suspended-after-protesters-disrupt-chiefs-testimony/2018/03/01/8473b56e-1d8c-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302064034/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-hearing-suspended-after-protesters-disrupt-chiefs-testimony/2018/03/01/8473b56e-1d8c-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html |archive-date=March 2, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20190105">{{cite news |last=Hermann |first=Peter |date=January 5, 2019 |title=D.C. police chief says critical council hearing 'emboldened' drug dealers |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-chief-says-critical-council-hearing-emboldened-drug-dealers/2019/01/04/1c23bdf2-1029-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105040055/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-chief-says-critical-council-hearing-emboldened-drug-dealers/2019/01/04/1c23bdf2-1029-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20190118">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Jonathan |date=January 18, 2019 |title=Chief Newsham is wrong. Police oversight is essential. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/chief-newsham-is-wrong-police-oversight-is-essential/2019/01/18/58ded4b6-1902-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118235914/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/chief-newsham-is-wrong-police-oversight-is-essential/2019/01/18/58ded4b6-1902-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html |archive-date=January 18, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20191001">{{cite news |last=Hermann |first=Peter |date=October 1, 2019 |title=D.C. police chief, mayor authorize overtime to combat shootings, homicides |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-chief-mayor-authorize-overtime-to-combat-shootings-homicides/2019/10/01/bc03942a-e470-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002014554/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-chief-mayor-authorize-overtime-to-combat-shootings-homicides/2019/10/01/bc03942a-e470-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="WP20191231">{{cite news |last=Hermann |first=Peter |date=December 31, 2019 |title=Killings in District reach decade high as leaders struggle to reduce gun violence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/killings-in-district-reach-decade-high-as-leaders-struggle-to-reduce-gun-violence/2019/12/31/bb990334-1c20-11ea-8d58-5ac3600967a1_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101040305/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/killings-in-district-reach-decade-high-as-leaders-struggle-to-reduce-gun-violence/2019/12/31/bb990334-1c20-11ea-8d58-5ac3600967a1_story.html |archive-date=January 1, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=wp20200611>{{cite news |last=Herman |first=Peter |date=June 11, 2020 |title=D.C. police reform measures make it easier to fire officers for misconduct, expand civilian review over force |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-police-reforms-make-it-easier-to-fire-officers-for-misconduct-expands-civilian-review-over-force/2020/06/11/3804dcaa-ab45-11ea-a9d9-a81c1a491c52_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington DC |access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="WT20170502">{{cite news |date=May 2, 2017 |title=Peter Newsham confirmed as chief of DC police |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/2/peter-newsham-confirmed-as-chief-of-dc-police/ |agency=Associated Press |access-date=May 2, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522162040/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/2/peter-newsham-confirmed-as-chief-of-dc-police/ |archive-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref> }}
{{s-start}} {{s-civ|pol}} {{s-bef | before = Cathy Lanier }} {{s-ttl | title = Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia | service_years = 2016–2021<br>Interim: 2016<br>Acting: 2017 }} {{S-aft | after = Robert Contee }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newsham, Peter}} Category:1960s births Category:Living people Category:Chiefs of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia Category:American police chiefs Category:Law enforcement officials from Virginia Category:People from Prince William County, Virginia Category:People from Providence, Rhode Island Category:People from Weymouth, Massachusetts Category:Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts alumni Category:College of the Holy Cross alumni Category:University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law alumni