Prior to joining Mt. Vernon Police Department, Commissioner Bell spent twenty one years as an Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He was most recently, a Staff Coordinator in the Office of Financial Operations with The Drug Enforcement Administration. While in this capacity, he provided guidance, assistance and coordination for the implementation of specialized money laundering groups in DEA’s domestic field divisions. Provide oversight, coordination and support to each of DEA’s Sensitive Activity Review Committee (SARC) approved proactive money laundering operations and to the Priority Target Investigations under its supervision. Additionally, provide specialized money laundering/ financial investigations training. In addition, represent DEA’s interests with federal, state, local and international counterparts, and the financial services industries regarding money laundering and financial investigations.

Commissioner Bell Joined DEA in 1990 where he was assigned as a Special Agent in the New York Divisional office where he conducted complex domestic and international narcotic and money laundering investigations. During his years as a Special Agent in the New York Division Office, he worked in numerous capacities to include the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Operation Sunrise, a joint local, State and Federal fugitive apprehension program and background and recruitment coordinator. In 2000, Mr. Bell was assigned as Assistant Attache to the Bridgetown Barbados Country office, where he was responsible for developing narcotic enforcement strategies within the Island nations of Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, Antigua, and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis. He coordinated with the Commissioners of each of these nations to devise targeted strategies to combat narcotics trafficking. He organized enforcement operations within these nations providing guidance and expertise in drug law enforcement. In 2003, Mr. Bell was promoted back to the New York Division Office as Group Supervisor of the DEA Mobile Enforcement team which targeted violent narcotics organizations operating in local jurisdictions with limited resources. In 2004, Commissioner Bell led his team of Agents on a deployment which led to the dismantlement of a violent drug organization in the City of Mt. Vernon. In 2005, Commissioner Bell was then moved back to the New York City Office where he led the Clandestine laboratory team where he responded to requests from local law enforcement agencies to enter and clean up illicit make shift laboratories operating in New York State. His group also was responsible for identifying and dismantling the financial infrastructure of high level narcotics trafficking organizations facilitating the movement of proceeds back to source countries.

Commissioner Bell was born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y. and spent much of his youth in the City of Mt. Vernon. He continues to maintain close relationships with those in the Mt. Vernon Community and still considers Mt. Vernon his home. Commissioner Bell received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from SUNY New Paltz and received his Master of Arts Degree in Public Administration from Marist College.