Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison Steps Down

BALTIMORE, MD — Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said Thursday he's stepping down after more than four years in the role.

Harrison's departure was announced during a news conference at City Hall. During the conference, Harrison said after weeks of discussion with Mayor Brandon Scott, he decided now is the most opportune time to "pass the torch."

"I have been truly blessed to serve the city of Baltimore," Harrison said.

During the news conference, Scott named Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley acting commissioner. Worley is a longtime veteran of the force.

Harrison was appointed commissioner in 2019 and granted a five-year contract, which would have ended in March 2024. He moved to Baltimore from New Orleans, where he spent three decades in various roles and led that city’s police department through a reform process similar to the court-ordered changes being implemented in Baltimore.

The Baltimore Police Department was placed under a federal consent decree in 2017 after Department of Justice investigators found a pattern of unconstitutional policing. Harrison was chosen to lead the department through that period of reform.

During a police department budget hearing earlier this week, Harrison denied to Baltimore City Council members that he was seeking a position in Washington, D.C. But he hedged when asked whether he would stay in Baltimore through the end of his contract.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.