He later continues to aid the Major Crimes Division (MCD) as their FBI liaison after Johnson leaves MCD and, during season 3 of Major Crimes, he retires from the FBI to become Deputy Chief of Special Operations Bureau, covering LAPD's SWAT, K-9, Air, Mounted and other special units.
Extremely smart and well-liked, Howard has many law enforcement connections and knows how to track down information for criminal cases.
He is extremely kind, almost to a fault, when it comes to Brenda, and he is so supportive and loving to her that he might even overstep professional bounds and risk his career to help her with cases.
In season 3, Assistant Chief of Operations Russell Taylor suggests Howard for the job of Deputy Chief of the Special Operations Bureau of the LAPD, pointing out that he is an excellent candidate whose 27 years with the FBI means that he could easily retire with his full pension and start a second career.
[2] After helping resolve a hostage situation, Howard ultimately accepts the job and spends his last days as an FBI agent helping solve a case,[3] before officially taking up the job,[4] However, Howard has a heart attack that he keeps secret from all but Tao, including his wife Brenda.