Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin High is expected to announce his retirement at a news conference today where midyear crime statistics will be announced, sources told The Examiner on Wednesday.
It remains unclear what led to the chief’s decision, but not the first time the idea has been floated last year, sources said.
High has been leading the county’s police force since May 2003 after serving as the Norfolk, Va., police chief. He was a District of Columbia police officer from 1969 to 1993.
In 2005, the number of homicides in the county jumped to 152 from 134 in 2004, but the rate has fallen off since, with 119 in 2006 and 124 in 2007.
Under his command, the county’s police force has grown by about 300 officers.
