He’s been the chief of one of Maryland’s largest police forces for nearly a year, but few people outside of law enforcement recognize the name James Johnson.
A 1976 graduate of Kenwood High School, Johnson, 50, has held nearly every post imaginable since starting with the Baltimore County Police Department in 1979, culminating in his ascent to chief in the middle of last year.
He?s been a patrol officer in Essex, a sergeant in Dundalk, and a lieutenant in Catonsville and White Marsh. He?s been assigned to the traffic division, commanded Internal Affairs and ranked as a major in the Western Patrol Division and a colonel in Human Resources.
Johnson now commands around 2,000 officers and recently moved from Harford County to the Middle River area of Baltimore County.
Q How would you describe your personality?
A Quiet. That?s a description many use. I?m very committed to the work. I enjoy the work today as much as I did when I started 30 years ago.
Q You sometimes mention growing up in Eastern Baltimore County and some of the educational difficulties you went through as a boy, including a “severe stuttering problem.” What did you learn from that?
A People who have to overcome various impediments, be they physical or otherwise, can always find another door. One door shuts on you, you keep searching until you find another.
Q One of the things you?ve touted is a major decrease recently in robberies in Baltimore County. Is that just a statistical fluctuation, or the result of good police work?
A I don?t subscribe to these mysterious crime cycles or the influence of weather on crime. The significant robbery-crime decreases this year are due to the hard work of both the officers on the street and the men and women who wear detective?s badges. We increased adult robbery arrests last year by 38 percent. This year, there?s been a 34-percent reduction in robberies. One has a relation to the other, without question.
Q From a police standpoint, what do you think is the biggest problem facing Baltimore County?
A The number of violent crimes has actually declined over the last 30 years. However, what we are seeing is an increase in the frequency of handgun use in the violent crimes that are committed.
Q Is there an area of the county ? a town or a precinct ? that?s giving you a particular problem?
A We?re focused on all precincts, all communities within the county. There?s no particular area that I anguish about. We?re delivering well-balanced police services throughout the county.
Q You?ve often said there?s nothing much you would change about the Baltimore County Police Department. Is there anything that you?ll do differently than your predecessors?
A I?ve been a part of creating the vision, the direction, the organization for over a decade. I worked very closely with Chief [Terrence] Sheridan [currently the state?s police superintendent] over the last six or seven years creating what we are. You don?t try to fix what?s not broken. However, there are some changes that are on the horizon. We have a very effective mobile crisis team ? a partnership between the police and the health department to deliver services to those suffering from mental or emotional health issues. This a team that?s on the east side. It?s time to expand this team to the west side. Another initiative is to increase our cadet employees by a third. That?s significant. That means more employment opportunities for someone graduating from high school. The final initiative is narcotics, [which] is a highly specialized area with many policies, many procedures. It?s my goal to look at how we?re performing narcotics investigations and reorganize that area.
Q How is the county doing in the war on drugs?
A We have a well-established team of detectives, who are focusing on narcotics reduction. I believe we?re very successful in Baltimore County.
Q What can Baltimore County do to help the city with its rampant crime? There are several joint task forces, but is that even your problem?
A All jurisdictions should be concerned about a neighboring jurisdiction?s crime and social issues. We?re involved in a variety of task forces: the warrant apprehension task force; the auto-theft task force; and a new gun task force that?s forming. Regionally, we?re beginning discussions about gang initiatives.
Q How severe is the gang problem in Baltimore County?
A It is real. However, we need to keep the issue in perspective. We know in Baltimore County we have approximately 350 to 400 verified gang members. We have a gang squad. Each precinct has gang detectives. It?s an issue we are concerned about.
Q Chief Sheridan, your predecessor, was criticized over the county?s handling of a potentially toxic K-9 park and how some injured or ill officers were forced out of the department. In both cases, the county?s police union accused Sheridan of siding with the county over the rank-and-file officers. How do you feel about those issues?
A I was involved with the K-9 initiative [which decentralized the K-9 unit and put such officers in every police station]. In the end, the county administration and the FOP believe this issue was handled appropriately. Service to the citizens were not interrupted. I was the architect of the decentralization of K-9 services, and I believe that brought the utility of those K-9 services closer to the citizens. As far as individual officers on light-duty assignments, you handle those on a case-by-case basis. Much of that information is protected. But I believe that these matters are being handled appropriately.
Q What do you think is the most important case your officers have solved during your first year as chief?
A Certainly, a number of the homicides. We have a very high homicide case clearance rate. I am particularly impressed with robbery reduction. What we?re seeing today is a single robber who may commit 12 to 15 offenses before he?s apprehended. I?m also very impressed with our work of clearing old cases through DNA analysis [and] by the initiative the entire agency is showing to create productivity.
Q Baltimore County has a traditionally high homicide clearance rate. Already, 68 percent of last year’s murder cases are closed and more than 80 percent of 2006’s cases are cleared. That?s much higher than the national average of 62 percent. What do you attribute this to?
A I have some of the best detectives in America working here in Baltimore County on homicide and other violent crimes. We also have an elected administration in Baltimore County that?s very focused on crime prevention and crime reduction.
Q What?s been the most troublesome or nagging case?
A There have been a number of homicides that I?d like to see solved. I?m also very concerned about crimes against the elderly. We will not have our citizens victimized, and it?s particularly troublesome when criminals target the elderly.
Q How much independence do you have to make personnel decisions?
A The county administration wants and demands that the police chief run the police department. We have very little county administrative influence in the agency itself. I do rely on them and work with them in a partnership for budget and resource matters.
Q The 911 Center is understaffed. Has that affected police services at all?
A No. There are times when two channels will be merged, such as in Parkville and White Marsh. We?ve become accustomed to that. I know they?re striving to maintain their ranks, and they?ve got some great people doing a difficult job.
The Examiner interviewed Johnson prior to the tragic murders of the Browning family in Cockeysville two weekends ago. Johnson responded to that case Friday in a follow-up question.
Q: With the murders of the Browning family in Cockeysville, how are you, as police chief, dealing with the tragedy personally? Also is there anything that can be done from a law enforcement or legislative perspective that could help prevent another similar tragedy from occurring in the future?
A: I am struck by the dimensions of this tragedy. As a father and public safety official, I am concerned and deeply saddened by the murders of the Browning family. The agency has performed its professional duty well. Our community and officials have rallied together to help each other with grief.
