He will be going back to Pittsburgh, Pa. to its police chief.
Chief Jason Lando
Frederick, Md (KM) The Frederick Police Department will be looking for a new chief. Jason Lando, who has been police chief for the past five years is stepping down. He’s going back to his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be its police chief.
“While this decision was certainly not made lightly, it represents a tremendous professional honor and a personal opportunity to give back to the department and city where my policing career began,”: Lando said it a letter to department.
He had worked for the Pittsburgh Police Department before coming to Frederick.
Chief Lando called being Frederick’s Police Chief “the greatest honor’” of his career. He says he witnessed the dedication , professionalism an compassion the officers and professional staff bring to their work. “I’ve also witnessed the way this community loves and supports its police department,” his letter goes on to say. “Your willingness to collaborate with FPD every day makes me so proud as a Chief.”
Lando called leaving Frederick “bittersweet,” but he says he leaves the agency in a good place. “Our team has worked hard to make FPD the best agency in the region….and we’ve’ accomplished so much! A brand new headquarters; a nationally recognized Crisis Response Team; our Multi-Cultural Liaison Unit,; and our Law Enforcement Diversion Program, just to name a few things,” he went on to say.
Since he left Pittsburgh, Lando says in his letter that has seen from a distance the staffing, resources and support for the department have dwindled. Rather than do a national search , he says the newly elected Mayor of Pittsburgh, also named O’Connor, contacted Lando and asked him to be chief of police.
Lando says his last day on the job is Friday, December 5th. He says at that time, one of the Frederick Police Department’s Captains will serve as acting Chief while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.
By Kevin McManus