In mid-May, after prayer and deliberation, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison informed Mayor Brandon Scott that he would be resigning as the city’s top cop. He gave 90 days’ notice as required in his contract.
But less than a month later, Harrison was at City Hall, revealing during a hastily called news conference that he was stepping down — effective immediately. A successor, Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley, had already been chosen and was now in charge.
The scene — the mayor, the outgoing police commissioner and his replacement standing side by side to announce the handoff of power — belied what had been a whirlwind 36 hours behind the scenes. Worley, without interviewing for the job, was given less than 10 hours’ notice that he would be named the city’s next police commissioner the following morning.
All three sat down with The Baltimore Banner and media partner WJZ-TV on Wednesday, providing new details about the process. The city had previously refused to provide answers, denying, delaying or redacting public records requests.
During the interview, Harrison maintained that his departure was his choice and said the timeline was hastened by increasing questions about his future.
“This was totally my decision,” Harrison said. “The mayor was very, very gracious. And we did have a plan. But we had to make an adjustment.”
Harrison’s exit was the latest in a string of high-profile departures from City Hall. Scott’s administration has seen an exodus of top officials throughout its two-and-a-half-year run, from a handful of communications directors — some of whom were fired after months on the job — to multiple chiefs of staff, to Shantay Jackson, who led Scott’s new, non-police public safety office.
Harrison revealed that he informed Scott on May 13 that he would be stepping down early from his five-year contract paying him $287,500 annually that was set to expire next March. It was just days after word leaked that Jackson was also leaving her post. Harrison’s contract required him to give 90 days’ notice, meaning he expected to leave in mid-August.
“When I look back over the four years that I was here, it was readily apparent to me that we had accomplished many, if not most, of the goals that we set,” Harrison said.
Noting the 20% reduction in homicides so far this year, Harrison said, “I was convinced that the time was now. You can only pass the torch when you are not in crisis. And it was the most opportune time to pass the torch.”
The story continues at the Baltimore Banner: A whirlwind 36 hours: Behind the leadership change at the Baltimore Police Department
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