Whitehead named interim police chief

Deputy Chief Johnny C. Whitehead has been appointed interim director of Public Safety and police chief, effective Jan. 4, according to Joyce Hatch, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance.

Whitehead, who has served as deputy chief for operations at the UMass Police Department since March 2007, was tapped to lead the department following the departure of Chief Barbara R. O’Connor, who accepted a job at the University of Illinois.

“I look forward to working with Deputy Chief Whitehead in his new role, and I am confident that he will lead in an exemplary fashion and continue to grow UMPD’s reputation as a top law enforcement unit in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Hatch.

Before joining UMPD, Whitehead was senior policy advisor on public safety issues to the lieutenant governor of Maryland from July 2001 to January 2003. He oversaw policy development and provided research and advice on issues ranging from community-based policing, highway traffic safety, domestic violence and gun violence to emergency preparedness, the state judiciary, and state and federal legislation.

From 1997 to 2001, Whitehead served as director of operations for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration, where he directed more than 900 employees in 25 branch offices and 19 vehicle inspection stations, and managed operations components of the agency. Among his duties were customer service, fraud prevention and detection, and budget management.

Prior to that, Whitehead rose through the ranks from police officer to colonel and chief of field operations bureau at the Baltimore County Police Department from 1979-97. As colonel from 1995-97, he oversaw 1,300 employees in eight precincts, with marine, aviation, auxiliary, tactical and K-9 units, a traffic section and youth and community service sections. Whitehead managed the department, was responsible for a $55 million budget, and established policy and strategic planning.

Among his other roles in the department, he was a major and commander of the Towson Precinct from December 1994 to December 1995 in charge of 105 officers. He also commanded the employment and basic training division as a captain from June 1993 to December 1994 in charge of recruitment and basic training, and was a legislative liaison to local, state and federal lawmakers as a sergeant and lieutenant from 1986-91.

Whitehead earned a master’s degree in applied behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University in 1996 and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Baltimore in 1992. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Federal Executive Institute.

December 30, 2008.

E-mail story to a friendPrinter-friendly version

/more talking points/