In light of the resignation of Montgomery County’s police chief earlier this year following the results of an OIG investigation, the Advisory Commission on Policing sent a letter to County Executive-Elect Will Jawando regarding his upcoming selection of a new chief of police for the county.
The letter, sent on Tuesday, outlined qualifications the commission would like to see considered before the appointment is made.
What the letter spelled out
The group asked for “an open and transparent selection process, considering all qualified internal and external candidates.”
It also recommended that the county’s next police chief hold an advanced degree in a related discipline, graduate from an intra-professional training school and have experience in overseeing a multimillion-dollar budget, among other recommendations.
MCM spoke with Eva Quittman, chair of the Advisory Commission on Policing, who called the selection a “major event.” She pointed out that the statement was the first-of-its-kind for the commission since its inception in 2024. The most recent police chief appointment occurred before the commission was established. She said the group wanted to ensure “a broad and thorough selection process.”
The police union response
MCM asked the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 for a response to the letter. Below is what they wrote:
The Advisory Commission on Policing posed valid questions and brought up great points when they mentioned how the next police chief will need to address policies on juvenile crime, [Community Engagement Officers] CEOs and most importantly addressing recruitment/retention and the burnout of our members.
Lodge 35 simply wants a chief who is qualified to do the job, willing to work with us when it comes to the rights, benefits, working conditions of our members and adhere to our collective bargaining agreement. We need a chief who is going to speak publicly in support of our members and who will be fair, just, and consistent in disciplinary matters.
Earlier Jawando comments
In earlier remarks about the chief’s selection, County Executive-Elect Jawando has cited it as a top priority. He stated it would be “if not my first decision, one of the very first.”
MCM reached out to Jawando’s office for comments following the ACP document, but had not received a response at the time of publication. MCM will continue to cover this story as additional information becomes available.
The Advisory Commission consists of 13 civilian volunteer voting members and two ex-officio members from the Fraternal Order of Police and MCPD.
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