Committee approves amended regulation clarifying civilian assistant chief role in Montgomery County Police Department

The Montgomery County Council Public Safety Committee voted Jan. 27, 2025, to approve an amended executive regulation that clarifies the managerial and supervisory scope of the civilian assistant chief of police, voting 3-0 to recommend the change.

The regulation, identified in committee papers as Executive Regulation 17-24, was advertised in the October 2024 register and received no public comments, Central Staff member Susan Farag said. The rulemaking is intended to allow the civilian assistant chief to supervise and manage police personnel and civilian divisions without authorizing the civilian to direct sworn officers to exercise police powers.

Chief Mark Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department, told the committee the updated description will let the civilian assistant chief oversee civilian divisions such as management and budget and the emergency communications center while preserving the limit that the civilian cannot “direct somebody to go arrest someone.” Yamada outlined candidate skills he is seeking for the post, including communication, strategic planning, change management and the ability to work across demographic and cultural boundaries. “I view diversity not just in terms of black and white or male and female,” he said, describing an intent to expand the role beyond community engagement to broader organizational planning and business processes.

Farag said the position was created by law in 2020 and that the 2023 regulation language had been interpreted to restrict the civilian assistant chief’s supervisory reach; the current amendment aims to “right size” that managerial authority so the civilian leader can direct administrative functions but not police powers. Committee members asked whether salary parity with sworn assistant chiefs would be affected; Yamada said pay is set within a band and there is some flexibility but final decisions will depend on how responsibilities are apportioned.

Committee members also asked about the hiring process; Yamada said the selection would follow the department’s internal promotional practice and include a written component, oral assessment and face-to-face interviews. The committee moved to approve the amended regulation and voted 3-0 in favor.

The regulation change clears the Public Safety Committee stage; committee discussion indicated staff expect to finalize a job posting and begin recruitment once the regulation is in place and the job description is refined.