'I Would Not Lie To You,' Police Chief Wants Open Dialogue

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Policing has evolved ever since William Lowry joined law enforcement in 1973. With ongoing protests against police brutality, the interim chief of police reminds his officers that conversation is the vehicle for progress.

Though Lowry doesn't always agree with protesters, he asks the Anne Arundel County Police Department to at least listen to them. Law enforcers can only improve if they acknowledge their flaws, he believes.

"There’s no such thing as status quo," Lowry said in a video posted last Friday. "We are either moving backward or we are moving forward."

Tensions between police officers and racial justice advocates rose when the death of George Floyd sparked protests across the nation. Floyd, a Black man, died in May underneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.

Some protesters have urged legislators to "defund the police." Those callers point to mental health emergencies and homelessness complaints as situations where other professionals may be more helpful. To ease police workload and create more sensitive treatment, some advocates request politicians to defer a sliver of police budgets to social services.

Other protesters ask for universal body cameras. Some demand more oversight in use-of-force cases.

Patch asked county police for specifics on their body camera, use of force and red flag policies. So far we have not received specifics. We will update this story when we receive a response.

Lowry is the first to remind Anne Arundel County residents that the department has already implemented some of these reforms. He still insists that it's "imperative" that police continue these conversations with the community. Maintaining open dialogues builds trust, he contends.

"I would not lie to you," Lowry promised. "I hope you understand that I will never lie to you."

The acting police chief took office on Aug. 1. Lowry's predecessor, Timothy Altomare, retired the day after an Odenton man filed a use-of-force lawsuit against the department. Daniel Jarrells, the Black plaintiff, accuses police of kneeling on his neck while he was already handcuffed.

Lowry thinks there may be a misunderstanding that he asked officers to "pull back" since he assumed leadership.

"That couldn’t be further from the truth," he said. "I want our officers to be proactive."

The interim chief added that he stands by officers who make "valid, lawful, constitutionally-based arrests." He also cheered first responders who engage in conversations with community members.

It's hard for residents to understand the difficulty of policing. Lowry knows that. He offered the department's handling of a recent crime as testimony to its values.

Police responded to a kidnapping in Pasadena on Sept. 4. Officers claim that a man stole a car with a toddler and an infant inside. Given the young lives at hand, Lowry said off-duty officers called in, asking to help. The large crew found the children later that night and arrested the accused man five days later.

"Folks, that’s who we are," Lowry said. "Nobody asked what day, what time, what race, what circumstances. That’s who we are at our heart."

By Anne Arundel County law, Lowry's tenure was initially scheduled for 60 days, ending on Sept. 30. The County Council added another four months to his term with a Sept. 21 resolution.

Lowry's contract will now end in January of 2021. It may not extend any further unless the county promotes him to permanent police chief.

"I believe that Chief Lowry is uniquely qualified for the task before us," County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a July 30 press release, announcing Lowry's promotion from deputy chief. "He is widely respected by our officers, and he is deeply respected by me. The Anne Arundel County Police Department is in good hands under Chief Lowry, as are the 580,000 people who live here."

When Pittman appointed Lowry, he transferred one of his staffers to the acting chief's team. That employee, Derek Matthews, now serves as Lowry's special assistant. Matthews is in charge of implementing and overseeing Anne Arundel County's body camera policies.

"I honestly believe that the county executive and his staff supports us," Lowry said. "I believe they love us. That doesn’t mean, again, that we agree on everything."

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