Since 1920, the Baltimore Police Department has been led by a single commissioner. Prior to this, it was led by a multi-member board of commissioners.
Before 1920, the department was led by a multi-member Board of Police Commissioners. This board was led by a president.
Order | Name | Tenure start | Tenure end | Mayor(s) served alongside/under | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Charles Howard | 1850 | 1861 | [1] | |||
Department under United States Military control (June 1861–March 29, 1862) | |||||||
2nd | Nicholas L. Wood | March 29, 1862 | 1864 | ||||
3rd | Samuel Hindes | 1864 | November 15, 1866 | ||||
4th | James Young | November 15, 1866 | March 1867 | ||||
5th | LeFevre Jarrett | March 1867 | March 14, 1870 | ||||
6th | John W. Davis | March 14, 1870 | March 15, 1871 | ||||
7th | William H. B. Fusselbaugh | March 15, 1871 | March 15, 1881 | ||||
8th | March 15, 1881 | March 15, 1887 | |||||
9th | Edson M. Schryver | March 15, 1887 | March 15, 1897 | ||||
10th | Daniel C. Heddinger | March 15, 1897 | May 7, 1900 | ||||
11th | May 7, 1900 | May 2, 1904 | |||||
12th | George R. Willis | May 2, 1904 | May 4, 1908 | ||||
13th | Sherlock Swann | May 4, 1908 | May 2, 1910 | ||||
14th | John B. A. Wheltle | May 2, 1910 | April 4, 1912 | [2] | |||
15th | April 4, 1912 | December 31, 1913 | [3] | ||||
16th | James McEvoy | December 31, 1913 | December 28, 1914 | ||||
17th | Daniel C. Ammidon | December 28, 1914 | March 22, 1916 | ||||
18th | May 1, 1916 | 1920 |
Order | Name | Tenure start | Tenure end | Mayor(s) served alongside/under | Notes | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19th | 1920 | 1937 | First solo police commissioner after disestablishment of board of commissioners | |||||
20th | 1937 | July 31, 1938 | [4] | |||||
Stephen G. Nelson (interim) | July 31, 1938 | September 23, 1938 | ||||||
21st | Robert F. Stanton | September 23, 1938 | 1943 | [5] | ||||
22nd | Hamilton R. Atkinson | 1943 | 1949 | |||||
23rd | Beverly Ober | 1949 | April 7, 1955 | Died in office. | [6] | |||
Fred L. Ford (interim) | April 7, 1955 | 1955 | ||||||
24th | James M. Hepbron | 1955 | 1961 | |||||
25th | Bernard Schmidt | 1961 | 1966 | |||||
26th | 1966 | 1981 | ||||||
27th | 1981 | 1984 | ||||||
28th | 1984 | 1987 | ||||||
29th | Edward J. Tilghman | 1987 | 1989 | |||||
30th | Edward V. Woods | 1989 | 1993 | |||||
31st | Thomas C. Frazier | 1994 | October 1, 1999 | [7] | ||||
John E. Gavrilis, Elbert Shirley, and Robert Smith rotated as interim police commissioners | October 1, 1999 | 2000 | ||||||
32nd | February 7, 2000 | March 29, 2000 | [8] | |||||
33rd | 2000 | 2002 | ||||||
34th | 2002 | 2004 | ||||||
35th | 2004 | 2007 | ||||||
36th | 2007 | 2012 | ||||||
37th | September 27, 2012 | July 8, 2015 | [9] [10] [11] | |||||
38th | July 8, 2015 | January 19, 2018 | Interim commissioner from July 8, 2015, to October 19, 2015. | [12] [13] [14] | ||||
39th | Darryl D. De Sousa | January 19, 2018 | May 15, 2018 | Interim commissioner from January 19, 2018, to February 26, 2018. | [15] [16] | |||
Gary Tuggle (interim) | May 15, 2018 | 2019 | [17] | |||||
40th | March 12, 2019 | June 8, 2023 | [18] | |||||
41st | June 8, 2023 | Interim commissioner from June 8, 2023, to October 2, 2023. | [19] [20] |
Time period | President | Other members | |
---|---|---|---|
1850–1861 | Charles Howard |
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June 1861–March 29, 1862 |
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March 29, 1862–1864 | Nicholas L. Wood |
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1864–November 15, 1866 | Samuel Hindes |
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November 15, 1866–March 1867 | James Young |
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March 1867–March 14, 1870 | LeFevre Jarrett |
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March 14, 1870–March 15, 1871 | John W. Davis |
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March 15, 1871–March 15, 1875 | William H. B. Fusselbaugh |
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March 15, 1875–March 15, 1877 |
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March 15, 1877–April 12, 1878 |
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April 12, 1878–March 15, 1881 |
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March 15, 1881–August 5, 1884 |
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August 5, 1884–February 25, 1886 |
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February 25, 1886–June 25, 1886 |
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June 25, 1886–March 15, 1887 |
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March 15, 1887–January 23, 1888 | Edson M. Schryver |
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June 25, January 23, 1888–December 1, 1894 |
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December 1, 1894–March 27, 1896 |
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March 27, 1896–March 15, 1897 |
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March 15, 1897–May 7, 1900 | Daniel C. Heddinger |
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May 7, 1900–March 23, 1904 | George M. Upshur |
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March 23, 1904–May 2, 1904 |
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May 2, 1904–May 4, 1908 | George R. Willis |
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May 4, 1908–May 2, 1910 | Sherlock Swann |
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May 2, 1910–April 4, 1912 | John B. A. Wheltle |
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April 4, 1912–May 6, 1912 |
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May 6, 1912–December 31, 1913 |
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December 31, 1913–December 28, 1914 | James McEvoy |
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December 28, 1914–March 22, 1916 | Daniel C. Ammidon |
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March 22, 1916–May 1, 1916 |
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May 1, 1916–1920 |
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The following is a list of all of those who served as members of the former board of commissioners. Periods as board president are also noted in itallics:[1]