County Executive John G. Gary might take at least six months to name a new county police chief, Mr. Gary's spokesman said yesterday.
"Mr. Gary's transition team is taking time to look at the police department to see how it operates," said Larry Telford, the spokesman. The team's report is not due until April, and Mr. Gary will not name a permanent chief until after he studies the report, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Robert Beck will continue running the department as acting chief, Mr. Telford said.
Chief Beck assumed the job Nov. 15 after the former chief, Robert P. Russell, resigned.
Mr. Telford denied rumors that the next chief would be a major from the Baltimore County or Baltimore City police departments.
* Sgt. Robert Johnson, chief
spokesman for the force, said department personnel received a memo from Chief Beck last week saying he would make "minor movements of personnel but nothing permanent will be done for awhile."
The memo promised "no wholesale transfers" within the department, Sergeant Johnson said.
Officer Dennis Howell, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 70, which represents county officers, was not surprised that the choice of a new chief has been delayed.
"I would not have suspected [Mr. Gary] would name anyone sooner," Officer Howell said. The executive probably is seeing how Mr. Beck fares in the job, Officer Howell suggested.
Chief Beck is a 26-year veteran of the county police force who will turn 49 Christmas Day. He started as a patrol officer and was one of the few in the department to hold the rank of major before he was promoted to deputy chief a few years ago, said Officer Randy Bell, a spokesman for the department.
Mr. Russell, the former chief, now works for Coronet Security Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Crown Central Petroleum Corp. He resigned after the man who appointed him, Robert R. Neall, chose not to run for another term as county executive. Traditionally, new county executives in Anne Arundel choose their own police chiefs.