A recent survey of more than 1,100 Montgomery County residents found that the most important quality in the next police chief is integrity. The results were released Wednesday evening.
County Executive Marc Elrich’s administration launched the survey this spring as part of the process of hiring a chief to replace 15-year veteran J. Thomas Manger, who retired in April. The seven-question poll asks residents to name the most important characteristics they hope to see in the next chief, as well as what issues the chief should focus on. There were 1,028 responses online, and an additional 95 received at a community forum on policing held at John F. Kennedy High School in Wheaton on June 6.
Twenty five percent of the respondents answered that the most important quality in the next chief was “integrity,” followed by 17% who said appreciation of diversity was the most important quality, 15% who answered “honesty,” 14% who answered “apolitical” and 10% who said “good judgement.”
Among those who participated in the survey, 62% were white, 13% were black and 12% were Hispanic or Latino, with the other 15% being comprised of either Asians, American Indians or other races. Whites, blacks and Latinos agreed that public perception and trust were the most important issues facing the next chief and that community outreach was a policy that should be continued. But on the question of what issues the chief should focus on, the first choice among white respondents was “crime and safety,” while blacks and Latinos answered “community outreach/engagement.”
The county’s police department has come under scrutiny during the last year due to incidents of perceived racial bias that included the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in Silver Spring last year and the use of a racial slur by a white police officer toward four black men at a McDonald’s in White Oak in May. Other residents of color shared similar negative encounters with police during the June 6 forum.
Elrich, members of his staff and community members are in the process of conducting interviews with a list of candidates, with the goal of making an appointment in August. As of June 6, Elrich said there were less than 20 candidates. Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Caroline Sturgis said during the forum last month that feedback from the survey would be used in the selection process.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
