The Arlington city manager has announced the hiring of a new police chief. Al Jones will begin serving as police chief January 11, 2021.
Jones is currently the chief of the Baltimore County, Maryland's Police Department's Community Relations Bureau. Arlington City Manager Trey Yelverton says Jones has 25 years of experience with Baltimore County.
"We have a great police department, and we have identified a leader who can continue ensuring excellent service to our residents and move our city positively forward," Yelverton said in a statement. "In the true spirit of community policing, I know that our whole community will come together and support Chief Jones and our police department in keeping our community safe."
A news release from the City of Arlington says Jones became a Baltimore County police officer in 1995 and "steadily rose through the ranks of the 18th largest law enforcement agency in the nation." He has led the Community Relations Bureau since 2018, "focused on building trust within communities throughout the county while diversifying the agency to better mirror the communities it serves."
"Officers can't be everywhere, which is why it is vitally important for the community to be engaged and help serve as our eyes and ears. Neighborhood involvement with the police department creates not only a safer community, but a stronger community," Jones said in a statement.
Arlington plans a public event in January when Jones takes over. Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye has been serving as interim chief since Will Johnson retired in June.
