Towson community leaders expressed disappointment Saturday morning at the reassignment of Capt. Jonathan Trentzsch, which was announced Friday by Baltimore County Police.
Trentzsch, a 30-year veteran of the department, was reassigned from Towson to the Woodlawn precinct after barely 18 months in command.
"Captain Trentzsch has been an outstanding precinct commander whose best quality was his responsiveness to community leaders," Councilman David Marks, who represents the 5th District including Towson, said. "It's essential we have a precinct commander who immediately communicates with the public, and I hope others recognize we need that in his successor."
Police said Capt. Richard Howard, who is currently assigned to the Community Resources Section will replace Trentzsch in Towson. Captain Andre Davis, who Trentzsch will replace in command at Woodlawn, will move to the Community Resources Section.
Towson Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nancy Hafford said she heard from several people Friday after they learned that Trentzsch, a 1980 graduate of Loch Raven High, was reassigned.
The community is very disappointed because of the fact that he's only been here for a short time, but he's worked very hard with the restaurants and bars when they've had issues," Hafford said.
Trentzsch assumed command in Towson in Dec. 2011. Baltimore County Police announced earlier this month that in 2012, his only year in command, Towson was the only precinct that saw a rise in crime rate over the five-year averages.
Baltimore County Police gave no reason for his reassignment in a Friday evening statement announcing the changes.
"It takes a while to introduce a new person to the diverse culture of Towson, because of the university, being the county seat and because of the great growth we have," Hafford said. "It's a shame we have to start over."