David Bowdich is the Assistant Director of the FBI office in Los Angeles. He has been with the FBI since 1995 and is accountable for 19 million people in seven counties in Southern California. He is currently building a team that reflects the diversity of L.A.’s population and fights corruption, crime and terrorism in the region.
Bowdich believes that Southern California is home to major potential terrorist targets including L.A., an iconic American city with a large population and internationally-known landmarks like Hollywood. He encourages people to report all suspicious behavior to the FBI since it keeps people safe and at least in his mind, builds a relationship of trust between law enforcement and the general population in a time when people are increasingly skeptical about abuses of power in the law enforcement community overall.
Bowdich insists that terrorist threats in the area are very real and that events like 9/11, as well as the actions of ISIS and Boko Haram, are not random or coincidental. He believes that people who are mentally ill are most likely to be attracted to extreme terrorist groups, citing Arizona, Aurora and Newton as examples that support his theory.
In an attempt to combat this, the city of Los Angeles is participating in a program designed to intervene and prevent tragic events caused by extremists whose behavior is fueled by mental health issues. The initiative seeks to involve the community, as well as mental health professionals, based on a successful UK model.
Bowdich is passionate about doing his part to ensure the safety of each and every citizen in Southern California by leading his team in daily activities designed to prevent terrorism. Colleagues feel that he is an inspiration and an example of integrity in duty.