BPD Commissioner Michael Harrison Announces More Structure, Staffing Changes
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison announced new developments in restructuring the Baltimore Police Department on Monday.
The department will now be divided into four bureaus, he said. Administration, operations, and two newly-formed bureaus of compliance and public integrity.
Each of the bureaus will be led by a deputy commissioner, a release from the department said Monday.
The new organizational structure will go into effect on April 24.
Another change includes an effort to streamline the chain of command. They said they will reduce its total number of colonels to two and lieutenant colonels to four.
"These moves are an important first step towards making the Baltimore Police Department a more efficient, effective and responsive organization. We simply had too many people in high-ranking positions without an appropriate span of control to justify their rank," said Commissioner Harrison. "Moving forward, I will continue to evaluate BPD's structure and capacity. More changes will be necessary, but we have begun building an effective structure for the Department and putting the right people in the right places,"
Commissioner Harrison also announced he promoted Jim Gillis to Deputy Commissioner of Administration. Gillis previously worked as BPD's chief of staff and before that, director of government affairs.
Additionally, Eric Melancon, who was named BPD's Chief of Staff, begins work today, and Deputy Commissioner Danny Murphy, who will lead the newly-created Compliance Bureau, began work last week. Both previously worked for the New Orleans Police Department.
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