How will Jawando choose the next police chief? An advisory group weighs in.

Eva Quittman, who chairs Montgomery County’s Advisory Commission on Policing, fears a repeat of the process that resulted in the hiring of ex-Police Chief Marc Yamada, who resigned in September after a critical inspector general report.

“It was a very rapid process,” said Quittman, recalling that the commission at that time expressed concerns. “There was not really an opportunity for public dialogue or input.”

Now the county has the chance to do better, Quittman said.

The county executive appoints a new chief, who must be approved by the County Council.

Incoming County Executive Will Jawando, who will take office Dec. 7, has said nominating a police chief will be, “if not my first decision, one of the very first.”

But he has said relatively little about how he will make the choice — whether the search will be national and how interested he is in appointing from within the Montgomery County Police Department.

Jawando, currently an at-large County Council member, did not respond to requests for comment.

Though Quittman said they speak only for themselves, the Advisory Commission on Monday sent a letter to Jawando suggesting “important criteria” for the search.

The search for a new chief

The commission, established in 2019 to build trust between the police department and the public, wants a transparent process that considers all qualified internal and external candidates. It should also be led, the letter states, by an outside organization with expertise in hiring police executives.

The commission called for leadership that “results in effective strategies to measurably reduce crime and improve response times, as well as strengthen public trust and legitimacy, improve morale, recruitment and retention, lower liability and manage risk.”

The letter also calls for the chief to have graduated from an executive training school, such as the FBI National Academy, and possess experience overseeing a “complex multi-million budget,” among other qualifications.

The commission also suggested questions for Jawando to ask candidates, including: “What policies, programs, or initiatives would you propose to tackle youth-related crime?” and “What disciplinary action(s) do you consider appropriate for changing the behavior of officers who repeatedly fail to adhere to departmental policies, such as failing to activate their body-worn cameras?”

Although crime rates are generally falling in the county, police grapple with repeat juvenile offenders, pedestrian fatalities and serious crashes. The department also has a shortfall of about 200 patrol officers, even though it is allotted 1,300 positions for sworn officers.

The officer shortage was a factor in the department’s decision to scrap a specialized unit focused on pulling over drunk drivers.

The commission has 13 voting members, 11 designated by the County Council and two by the county executive. They serve three-year terms.

It also includes two nonvoting members — a member of the police department and a member of the union that represents officers.

Interim Chief Darren Francke, who has led the department since Yamada’s departure, has expressed interest in a permanent appointment to the job.

“Public safety is extremely important to our residents,” Jawando said in September. “Crime is down. We want to keep that going in that direction, but you need continuity.”