News

Montgomery County picks new top cop

Thomas Manger is a Blair graduate and former chief of Fairfax County

BY JOSEPH MARTI

After 15 months without a Police Chief, the Montgomery County Council approved County Executive Doug Duncan’s choice to head the department.

Col. J. Thomas Manger, a 1973 Blair High School graduate, returned to Montgomery County after four years as Chief of Fairfax County, Virginia. He had served on the force for 27 years, where he rose through the ranks.

Manger replaces Charles Moose, who resigned over an ethics dispute with the County over his right to profit from book about the sniper investigation. Duncan supported Moose’s desire to write the book. The County’s Ethics Commission argued that the County Code prohibits public officials from profiting from their public service. Before resigning, Moose filed a lawsuit challenging the commission’s ruling. In December, Moose was a finalist for the Chief’s position in Minneapolis.

William C. O’Toole had been acting Chief of Police during the search process. O’Toole also applied for the Chief’s job. Council member Michael Subin, who abstained during the Council’s vote to confirm Manger, expressed a desire to hire the new Chief from within the department.

While Chief of Fairfax, Manger was a member of the Sniper Task Force. He frequently stood alongside Chief Moose during the daily news conferences. Both suspects were prosecuted by the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Fairfax. Last January, after the suspects were arrested, Manger was forced to deny that his department was responsible for several leaks to the New York Times about the evidence, after a judge issued a gag order prohibiting the police from discussing their investigation.

In addition to participating with the Sniper Task Force, Manger was involved in several other prominent cases. Most recently, the Chief was again in front of national news cameras when a Senator’s wife was kidnapped at knifepoint and forced to withdraw money from her bank. The two suspects were arrrested in New Jersey a short time later. He has also been a regular speaker at national conferences focusing on how terrorist threats have effected local police departments.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored Manger for his years of service and his many accomplishments. Their accolades to the Chief included recognizing his ready wit, self-depracating humor, sensitivity to and understanding of people, ability to put ego aside. The Resolution called Manger a consumate team player.

Although the Chief certainly faces new challenges in his new position, one issue is well known to him. Both Counties have struggled with the high number of pedestrian fatalities. In Fairfax, there were more more pedestrian fatalities than homicides during the past five years. Manger stepped up enforcement of pedestrian safety measures and oversaw a campaign to increase fines for motorists who failed to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Fines were increased from $100 to $500 for motorists.

Manger also increased community policing initiatives by placing cops inside schools and and increased officer accountability to the residents. He also initiated a program to give victims of domestic violence cell phones to use in emergencies. As Chief, he also patrolled on the street with an officer one night per week.

Manger also oversaw a controversial program that allowed County officers to act as sharpshooters in County parks during deer shoots. While he supported the deer shoot program as necessary to control the County’s deer overpopulation, he also suggested that using deer contraception was effective. The deer meat went to homeless shelters.

Manger also took efforts to create a more diverse police department while in Fairfax. In order to hire more Asian and minority officers, Manger pushed for a got a waiver in the citizenship requirement for hiring officers. Montgomery County currently offers a pa differential of $1,000 - $4,000 per year for officers who participate in a language certification program that evaluates the skill level of those employees possessing language skills, including American Sign. The Fairfax Department has 1,300 officers and 500 civilian staff. The Montgomery County Police has 1,100 officers and 400 civilian staff.

Manger was sworn in on January 30.