Prince William Hiring Process For Police Chief Draws Criticism

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Prince William County leaders picked a new police chief who is familiar to residents of the Washington, D.C., area after his long tenure with the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C., including four years as police chief of the nation's capital.

On Tuesday night, after a closed-door meeting, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors announced the hiring of MPD Chief Peter Newsham. After working for the MPD for 31 years, Newsham will be replacing former Prince William County Police Chief Barry Barnard, who retired July 1. Newsham is expected to begin his new job in Prince William County on Feb. 1.

The process used to hire Newsham caught some groups and officials in Prince William off-guard. The D.C. police chief also attracted criticism for certain police tactics he used during his time as police chief and as a high-ranking official in the MPD.

The county said Newsham's hiring followed a nationwide search with a public survey and competitive hiring process. The county received 50 applications for the police chief's job. The candidates went through a vetting process as part of a contract with a recruiter GovHR USA.

“Chief Newsham brings a wealth of experience and leadership to this position,” Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler (D) said in a statement.

Newsham's annual salary as Prince William County police chief will be $215,000, a reduction from his current salary in D.C. of $282,716.46, Prince William Times reported. He also is eligible for retirement and a pension from the MPD and will collect his pension while working in Prince William County.

Some groups in Prince William County expressed concern with the process used in the hiring of a new police chief.

Prince William County is the most diverse county in Northern Virginia, with a 25 percent Latino, 22 percent African American and 9 percent Asian population.

CASA, a community-based organization that advocates on behalf of Latino residents and immigrants in the Mid-Atlantic region, said the selection process for a new police chief in Prince William County was rushed and lacked transparency.

"Given the lack of participation from community groups, it was not in alignment with the goal of being inclusive," Luis Angel Aguilar, CASA's Virginia director, said Wednesday in a letter to Prince William County Executive Chris Martino.

At a time when policing practices are being scrutinized for negatively impacting communities of color across the nation, "it would be a disservice to the community members of the county if we do not undergo a new inclusive process that will bring diverse voices to the table," Aguilar said.

Cozy Bailey, president of the Prince William area branch of the NAACP, said he was "surprised" and "disappointed" with the board's decision to hire Newsham.

"The process that was used has not been transparent to the public,” Bailey told Patch.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 7-1 Tuesday to hire Newsham and announced the decision in a press release later that night. Supervisor Margaret Franklin (D-Woodbridge) was the sole vote against Newsham’s hiring.

"I voted against this appointment understanding that the new Police Chief should reflect the values and diversity embedded in Prince William County," Franklin said in a statement released Wednesday. "As the next Chief, I expect Chief Newsham to prioritize public engagement and community involvement and amplify the police department’s mantra to protect and serve."

Over the past 20 years, Newsham has been directly involved in the use of controversial police tactics in D.C. In 2002, Newsham ordered D.C. police to corral, or "kettle," hundreds of protesters in Pershing Park.

The city’s Office of the Corporation Counsel decided not to prosecute a single one of the 400 people who were arrested. Numerous lawsuits followed, with D.C. paying $11 million in settlements.

The D.C. police used the same "kettling" practice on inauguration day in 2017 under Newsham's leadership and continued to kettle protesters during Black Lives Matter demonstrations this summer.

"His department kettled dozens of protesters at Trump's inauguration, charged them with felonies that carried upwards of 70 years each, and not one of them was convicted," Virginia Del. Lee Carter tweeted in response to the county's hiring of Newsham. "But the damage was already done. He ruined people's lives for exercising their 1st Amendment rights."

"I'm extraordinarily disappointed that the county is hiring him despite (or perhaps because of) his long track record of violently suppressing dissent in DC," said Carter, who represents the city of Manassas and parts of Prince William County as delegate for Virginia's 50th House District.

In his announcement of Newsham's hiring, County Executive Martino said the county is "happy to welcome Chief Newsham to Prince William County" and welcomed "the level of expertise he brings to the position." As chief of the MPD, Newsham oversees the policing of a city of more than 705,000 residents. The police department has about 4,500 total employees.

Prince William County has a population of about 470,000. Its police department has just under 1,000 employees.

Bailey, president of the NAACP branch, noted that with the county so close to the District of Columbia, groups in Prince William County were aware of the Black Lives Matter protests in D.C.

"We were seeing those reports there and were saying, 'Oh, man. That guy has his hands full, and he doesn't seem to be doing such a good job.' And then we see an announcement Tuesday night that's our next police chief," Bailey said.

However, going forward, Bailey said the local NAACP will work to create a working relationship with Newsham when he takes over as police chief in order to achieve the NAACP's goals, especially in how they apply to criminal justice.