Alsobrooks Names Interim Police Chief, Vows To Fix Department

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — County Executive Angela Alsobrooks named Assistant Chief Hector Velez as the interim chief of police on Friday, following the resignation of Chief Hank Stawinski amid a racial discrimination lawsuit. Velez will oversee the department while the county conducts a national search for a permanent chief.

"I am under no illusion that there aren't things that are broken in our police department," Alsobrooks said, during a Friday press conference. "What I can tell you is that I am committed however, along with Chief Velez and others, to conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine where are challenges are."

The review process is not something new, she added. Several months ago, the county looked to bring in a consultant to examine the police departments policies and procedures.

"Whatever we find that is broken, I assure you I will fix it," she said.

Stawinski stepped down on Thursday, the same day that filings as part of a lawsuit against the Prince George's County Police Department claimed a pattern of discrimination and retaliation against Black and Latinx officers.

The lawsuit by a group of officers includes sworn statements from several officers of color attesting to the ingrained pattern of race discrimination, retaliation, and abuse that permeates the county police department. (See the 129-page court filing here.)

A report written as part of a 2018 lawsuit filed by 13 Black and Brown officers against Prince George's County said the police department has for years tolerated racist conduct, including the use of racial epithets or offensive imagery, with few repercussions. The ACLU of Maryland and the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association have filed suit against the county, and released the report.

"The expert report finds that there is an an intentional system of retaliation retaliation for black and brown officers who speak out on the Prince George's Police Department," the ACLU tweeted Thursday.

Stawinski's resignation came an hour before the Prince George's County chapter of the NAACP planned a no-confidence vote, the ACLU said.

When asked about the lawsuit and accusations on Friday, Alsobrooks said she could not comment on them because they were part of a court proceeding.

Friday's press conference started off with Alsobrooks thanking Stawinski for his service to the county and acknowledged some of his achievements as chief. These included Chief On The Go, which allowed him to communicate directly with the community, and the addition of two new district stations.

She then went on to thank members of the police department for their dedication and service to the county.

"As we approach this new season, I want to say thank you to the men and women of this department," she said. "I will make sure that you receive everything you need to succeed. That includes the best training, health care, and together we will hold ourselves accountable."

Velez has served as the assistant chief of the Prince George's County Police Department since January 2017, according to his LinkedIn page. Before that, he was deputy chief of the county's Bureau of Investigation for four years and served as deputy chief for the Bureau of Patrol prior to that. Before joining PGPD in January 2012, he worked as a police officer for five years at the Howard County Police Department and was a military police officer in the U.S. Army.

"I stand before you humbled and ready to listen and motivated to lead this police department into the future," Velez said Friday. "We're at a crossroads, where we have an opportunity to choose a path that helps strengthen the relationship between the residents of Prince George's County and the men and women of Prince George's County Police Department."

Stawinski's resignation and the review of PGPD's policies and procedures come at a time when many communities across the country are looking at police violence and how departments handle individuals of color.

Earlier in the week, Alsobrooks said she would be sending enabling legislation to the County Council that would shift $20 million from the police department's budget toward the construction of a health facility to treat mental health and addiction.

"I believe we have to address injustices in policing in our communities, but I also believe that if we only focus on policing, we will have missed an opportunity for meaningful change," Alsobrooks said, in a letter to county residents. "I believe this moment in history also requires us to look at the social injustices that have harmed the African American community for centuries, like disparities in healthcare and education, and work toward reform in those areas as well."

Related:

• County Police Chief Resigns, Lawsuit Claims Racial Slurs Used
• Alsobrooks Aims To Shift Police Money To Fund Medical Facility