GAITHERSBURG, Md. — It would be an understatement to call Chief Marcus Jones's tenure at the helm of Montgomery County Police anything less than transformational. Less than two years into the job he had to navigate a public-facing staff of 1,100 police officers through the coronavirus pandemic and shortly after the protests which materialized after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In an interview Wednesday, Chief Jones says he takes credit for rebuilding trust within the department and increasing transparency.
His brother helped him get a job with the force in 1985. He says he always had an eye towards leadership but thought he would have to leave Montgomery County if he ever wanted to lead a police force.
"Definitely looks a lot different than when I first started," said Chief Jones.
But after rising through the ranks, Jones was appointed chief in 2019 and shortly after had to face tough questions about the future of policing in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.
"I understood the feelings on every side. I may have not agreed with everyone's assessment, but the reality was I at least respected what they had to say and listened to what they had to say," said Jones.
Among the memorable moments in his 38-year-long career, Jones was a patrol sergeant in 2002 during the DC Sniper attacks.
"[We were] stopping white box trucks and it got so bad we had to put stickers on the trucks to prove they had been searched," the Chief recalled.
Jones led the team that stomped out Montgomery County's last open-air drug market at the Damascus Gardens Apartment Complex in 2010, but now his department is confronting new challenges including an epidemic of gun violence and increasing juvenile crime.
"There's got to be more, from an adult perspective. We all have to get more into the game here," said Jones.
With an uncertain road ahead, the Chief in his final days is urging county leaders to make a larger investment in its police force.
"We need to grow. You need a larger police department in order to serve this community," he said. "There are many demands from this community about the type of service they want."
Montgomery County leaders say they will begin their search for a new police chief right away. Chief Jones will remain on the job for another five months. His last day is set for July 1.
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