If he’s appointed to take over the county police department, Assistant Chief Marc Yamada says he’s ready to tackle hot-button issues such filling officer vacancies, creating a more diverse workforce and improving the department’s performance when it comes to racial equity and social justice.
Yamada talked about his plans while fielding questions Tuesday from County Council members during their meeting in Rockville as they interviewed the veteran officer for the post of police chief.
Yamada was nominated by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich in May to replace Chief Marcus Jones, who is retiring July 1. If confirmed by the council, Yamada would take over a department that has the highest vacancy rate of sworn officers in 10 years, according to a memorandum presented in March by the County Council’s Public Safety Committee. A vote on Yamada’s nomination has not been scheduled.
Yamada–a Japanese American and the father of a county police officer–would be the department’s 18th police chief and the first Asian American to hold the post if appointed.
Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) asked Yamada how he’d address frequent turnover in the department and Yamada said he wants to establish a formal version of a mentoring program he has worked on informally.
“My focus will be to recruit, retain and promote a diverse workforce that’s reflected in the communities that we serve,” Yamada said. “We have a multitude of officers and professional staff in our department who are more than capable of becoming leaders. … My goal is to get them to realize their fullest potential.”
When asked about his proudest accomplishments in 35 years with the department, Yamada pointed to his involvement in the Drone as First Responder program.
Under the department’s drone program, police deploy a drone after a 911 call if the dispatcher and drone pilot believe it would be useful. Once the drone arrives on the scene, the police officer remotely piloting the aircraft can assess whether a threat is credible, if more emergency responders are needed, and determine other details that could help expedite an emergency response, according to police.
A pilot program operating in Silver Spring and Wheaton was considered so successful by county officials that it was expanded to Bethesda, Gaithersburg and Germantown in the fiscal year 2025 operating budget.
An assistant chief for three years, Yamada is in charge of the Field Services Bureau, overseeing department services and divisions ranging from special operations, SWAT and K9 to traffic operations, school safety, community engagement and crisis response, according to Elrich’s office.
“[Elrich] wanted someone inside the department to have a record of helping to lead that change and keep the progress going within the police department,” county Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno told the council Tuesday.
Yamada told the council that he’s also passionate about community engagement and brainstorming new ways to reach residents. He said he thinks it’s important to develop and strengthen partnerships, including with Montgomery County Public Schools, to reach youth. One would be to have resources and events at county high school wellness centers.
Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large) asked how Yamada has incorporated “21st century policing” philosophies into his work.
“In terms of racial equity and social justice, our scores are pitiful, very low. We’ve already incorporated racial equity and social justice into some of our performance evaluations,” Yamada said. “We’re looking to revamp the officers’ evaluations to be more reflective of those types of things. Hopefully, from a racial equity and social justice standpoint, I can move us forward from a very low score.”
Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large) asked Yamada how he would strategize ways to divert calls from the police department to both relieve strain on officers and also have medical professionals respond to mental health crises and similar incidents.
“We would love to divert calls from the community to the appropriate resources other than a police department. Sometimes we’re needed, and that’s obvious, and we are 24/7. Not all agencies are, so in the end, a lot of it falls in our lap,” Yamada said. “I will continue to collaborate with various agency directors on how to do that better and more effectively to provide the response that’s needed or required and not overstep. We would certainly not want to force the issue on any of these levels.”