He says citizens have a good relationship with their police department.
Frederick, Md (KM) All across the country there have been calls by some citizens to defund the police. This has been taking place since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
During a recent appearance on the “Morning News Express” on WFMD, Mayor Michael O’Connor says there’s hasn’t been much of a call to defund or reduce the Frederick Police Department’s budget. “I’ve talked to it about it in a general sense. But no one in city leadership is having a conversation about reducing the budget for the Police Department in the way in which most people seem to use that phrase ‘defunding the police,'” he said.
The Mayor says Frederick citizens have had a good relationship with their police department for many years. “So we want to strengthen what we already have in terms of a really good police department,” he says. “In finding the next police chief permanent, we want to retain the best of what we already have, and make it better where we can.”
The City of Frederick is expected to begin a search for a new police chief. Former Chief Ed Hargis retired earlier this. Captain Patrick Grossman has been serving as Acting Chief since that time.
Since George Floyd’s death, there have been demonstrations against police conduct around the country, including Frederick city. Mayor O’Connor says most of the local demonstrations have been peaceful. “Our Police Department, through the last two months–certainly, with everything that’s been going around the country–have exhibited enormous professionalism, and have done a wonderful job of de-escalating situations that have certainly not been de-escalated in other places. The tension has been very high,”: he said.
By Kevin McManus