Villaraigosa Appoints
Arif Alikhan Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security & Public
Safety
Los
Angeles, CA: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa September 22 announced
the appointment of Arif Alikhan to the position of Deputy
Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety. Mr. Alikhan
is currently a senior official with the United States Department
of Justice where he has served for more than nine years in
Los Angeles and Washington DC.
In his role as Deputy Mayor, he will oversee and advance all
aspects of the Mayor’s criminal justice, emergency preparedness
and counter-terrorism policy, serve as the principal liaison
to federal, state and local law enforcement, and administer
federal and state criminal justice and homeland security grants
awarded to the City of Los Angeles.
He replaces departing Deputy Mayor Maurice Suh, who is returning
to private practice. “Arif Alikhan is a prosecutor with
results. He brings to this critical role a breadth and depth
of experience and intellect that will serve our City well
as we put 1,000 new police officers on the street, better
prepare for emergencies and expand our counter-terrorism capabilities,”
said Mayor Villaraigosa. “Arif has been on the forefront
of criminal justice issues and I look forward to him joining
our team.”
Commenting on his appointment, United States Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales praised Arif’s accomplishments at the
Department of Justice. "Arif Alikhan's appointment as
Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety is outstanding
news for the city of Los Angeles, though we will certainly
miss having him as part of the Department of Justice team.
Arif has served with distinction as both an Assistant US Attorney
and as Vice Chairman of the Intellectual Property Task Force.
His leadership within the Department has dramatically increased
the profile of intellectual property and cyber crime issues,
and he has been highly effective in overseeing the national
Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) Program.
"Arif leaves behind a legacy of hard work, innovative
thinking, and dedication to the rule of law. These are characteristics
that he will bring to his new position, and the city of Los
Angeles will be fortunate to have him."
Mr. Alikhan began his legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk
to US District Judge Ronald S.W. Lew in Los Angeles and then
joined the Los Angeles law firm of Irell and Manella where
he handled civil and white-collar criminal defense matters.
In 1997, Mr. Alikhan joined the Criminal Division of the United
States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles where he handled
a wide variety of criminal matters as a federal prosecutor
for over eight years. He received several awards from law
enforcement agencies for his work and was recognized by the
Department of Justice for his superior management and supervisory
performance.
Mr. Alikhan was an adjunct professor of law at the University
of Southern California Law School where he taught criminal
procedure and has been a frequent lecturer at universities
in the Southern California area.
Mr. Alikhan graduated with honors from Loyola Law School,
Los Angeles in 1993 and was recognized by the Los Angeles
Daily Journal as one of the top California attorneys under
the age of 40. He graduated cum laude from the University
of California, Irvine in 1990 where he earned a degree in
Social Ecology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice, Criminology
and Legal Studies.
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