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Bel Air promotes Senior Officer Nicholas Rhodes; resident urges funding for two police hires
Summary
The board honored Nicholas T. Rhodes with a promotion to senior officer. In public comment, resident John Stump urged the board to fund two new police officers in the 2026-27 budget, citing recent investigative successes and growing town activity.
The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners recognized Nicholas T. Rhodes in a promotion ceremony at its Feb. 2 meeting, and a resident subsequently urged the board to add two police officers in the upcoming budget.
Chair Eddington reviewed Rhodes’s career with the Bel Air Police Department, noting that Rhodes began as a cadet in 2013, attended the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy in 2016, served as a school resource officer at Bel Air Middle School for about eight years and later returned to patrol. The chair said Rhodes has taken on collateral duties including firearms instructor, active-shooter instructor and training liaison, and praised his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. “Nick, we salute you on your well deserved promotion to the rank of senior officer,” the chair said during the ceremony.
Later in the public-comment portion of the meeting, John Stump of 523 East Broadway spoke about the town’s 2026-27 budget and public safety. Stump praised the department’s recent investigative work and told the board: “Approve the funding for the 2 new police officers. This is not a luxury. It is a baseline for safety, stability, and public trust.” He said more officers on the street are a proven deterrent and urged the board to act decisively in the budget.
Commissioners praised Rhodes and thanked the police department for recent arrests tied to local vehicle break-ins. The board did not take an immediate vote on police staffing at the meeting; budget decisions were noted as part of the forthcoming 2026-27 budget process.
