For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 6, 2004
Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today announced that J. Thomas Manger has been selected as Montgomery’s new Chief of Police. Manger served as Fairfax County’s Police Chief for the past five years – a community that is comparable in both size and population to Montgomery County -- and he worked closely with Montgomery County law enforcement officials last year as a member of the Sniper Investigation Task Force. He will fill the vacancy left by Charles Moose, who resigned as Montgomery’s Police Chief in July 2003.
“I am extremely pleased to bring Tom Manger back to Montgomery County, where he grew up,” said Duncan. “He is committed to the highest ethical standards for policing, and he has a proven record of being accountable to the public. His more than 27 years of law enforcement experience and his strong record of supporting human rights and combating bias crimes will serve the residents of this community well.”
Manger graduated from the University of Maryland in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He began his career with the Fairfax County Police Department as a patrol officer, and rose through the ranks to Acting Police Chief in 1998 and Police Chief in 1999 -- where he led a sworn force of 1,300 officers and 500 civilians. In Montgomery County, he will oversee more than 1,100 sworn officers and nearly 400 civilians.
Manger is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, the National Executive Institute, the Police Executive Leadership School of the University of Virginia, and the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and serves on the Highway Safety Committee; and his memberships on various boards and community groups include Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), Shelter House Community Partnership Council, Alcohol Safety Action Policy Board and the Community Criminal Justice Board.
Manger’s selection for the post comes after an extensive six-month national search and a comprehensive evaluation process that included a series of focus groups with various community groups and other opportunities for public input. During that time, William C. O’Toole served as Acting Chief.
“Bill O’Toole has done an outstanding job as acting chief, and I am grateful to him for stepping up to the plate and keeping our Police Department on track,” said Duncan. “We had an extraordinary group of finalists, and this was an extremely difficult choice. Bill is a leader in his field and I appreciate his commitment over the past year.”
Manger, who lives with his wife and son in Vienna, Virginia, is subject to County Council confirmation.
Release ID: 04-009