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Mayor Brandon Scott made it official on Monday when he nominated Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley to the position permanently in a motion before the Baltimore City Council.
Worley, who entered the role in a temporary capacity after former Commissioner Michael Harrison surprised the city by announcing he would step down, appears to face a smooth path to confirmation.
Nominees must receive a preliminary sign-off from the Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee, which is chaired by Councilman Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer, before they head before the full council at a regular meeting for final approval. Worley’s nomination hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15.
The council meets just once a month instead of every other week during the summer; the earliest Worley could be confirmed is Aug. 21, when the council is next slated to meet. That’s assuming that he receives the committee’s stamp of approval, which Schleifer hinted would not be a problem. The following council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18.
“Worley is a known entity and he’s had a stellar career,” the Democrat said. “He’s the perfect man for the job, and I think the City Council knows that.”
After most council members expressed their shocked over Harrison’s departure, they described Worley as a veteran of the agency who knows the rank and file well.
Worley is without a doubt the right person to lead the department, Scott said in a statement.
“With his leadership and vision, we will continue to confront Baltimore’s public safety challenges, continue increasing trust in the department, and continue making our communities safer,” he said.
The Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee was unafraid to vote down Scott’s nominee Faith Leach for the prominent position of city administrator earlier this year, as some members complained that they do not understand the role of the office, despite viewing Leach as a solid public servant. A few days later, the committee did an about-face and unanimously approved her nomination. Sources speaking on background at the time said senior aides to the mayor whipped votes by promising additional accommodations during budget negotiations.
Besides Schleifer, the Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee includes Mark Conway, Kristerfer Burnett, Eric Costello, Sharon Green Middleton, Odette Ramos and James Torrence.
David Pontious, a spokesman for Conway, said the councilman has viewed the mass shooting event at Brooklyn Homes earlier this month and its subsequent fallout as a test for both Worley and the department.
“He will listen closely to Worley’s vision and what he lays out for both himself as a leader and the agency as a whole over the next couple weeks,” Pontious said.
At a hearing last week where city agency leaders testified about the Brooklyn Homes shooting, Worley received nods from some council members for a mea culpa he delivered early in the meeting. Costello thanked Worley for his “brutal honesty” in admitting the department made mistakes, saying his predecessor would not have done the same.
The administration will also host four public town halls with Scott and Worley in the Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern police districts, as well as one virtual and two telephone town halls to accommodate people who can not attend in person.
Marvin James, the mayor’s chief of staff, said each council member has been invited to host a private town hall with Worley where they can invite local community and neighborhood leaders. “We wanted to give them ownership of being able to host the commissioner,” he said.
“As I meet with Baltimoreans around the city over the next few weeks, I am eager to learn and hear from them, and to discuss how we can build a safer Baltimore for all,” Worley said in a statement.
emily.sullivan@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Emily Sullivan covers Baltimore City Hall. She joined the Banner after three years at WYPR, where she won multiple awards for her radio stories on city politics and culture. She previously reported for NPR’s national airwaves, focusing on business news and breaking news.
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