Forest Heights council appoints Daniel Ruffin as police chief

The Forest Heights mayor and council on Thursday unanimously adopted Resolution 54-25 to appoint Daniel Ruffin as the town’s chief of police, approving the measure after amending the resolution to correct the nominee’s first name and to add a public-safety salary line item.

Mayor Lilly introduced the resolution and moved for its adoption; the motion was seconded and, after two amendments were approved, the council adopted the resolution by unanimous roll call. The clerk announced the vote was unanimous and the motion carried.

The council first approved an amendment to correct a name error in the draft resolution, striking “David” and inserting “Daniel” as the appointee’s first name. Mayor Lilly praised Ruffin’s background, saying, “Mister Ruffin comes to us from the town of Mount Rainier in Prince George’s County, and he’s widely respected for his discipline, integrity, and ability to build strong, effective teams.” The mayor added that Ruffin once served on the town’s patrol and would bring operational readiness and a deep understanding of law enforcement best practices.

Town counsel advised the council that a salary line item was not strictly required to appoint an officer but said additional information could be provided. Council member Hines proposed adding a public-safety salaries line item and recited a code number during the meeting. The council approved the line-item amendment and then adopted the resolution as amended. The transcript recited the line-item code in varying ways; it appears in the record as 9007-7001 (public-safety salaries) though the spoken recitation varied and the official minutes should be consulted for the precise coding used in town records.

After the vote, Mayor Lilly invited Ruffin to the front to be sworn in. Ruffin repeated the oath of office and, addressing the council and attendees, said, “I am honored to be the next chief of police here at the town of Forest Heights. I plan on leading with integrity, ethics, and leading a dynamic team of officers that are already here.” He referenced local ties and family presence in the room and said he intends to serve the community fairly and support officers.

Before adjourning the open session, the mayor moved that the council enter closed session under Article subsection 3-305(b)(7) to consult with counsel on a specific matter of pending or potential litigation. The motion was seconded, the clerk called the roll, and the council voted unanimously to go into closed session. The mayor said the council would resume afterward to report what actions were taken, who attended and what was discussed.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 54-25 (appointment of Daniel Ruffin as chief of police), amended and adopted — unanimous vote in favor (Hines; Brownson; Little; McDonald; Kennedy; Council President Noble; Mayor Lilly).