As state officials target Maryland's capital as a guinea pig for new crime-fighting strategies, Annapolis Police Chief Joseph Johnson announced yesterday that he will be stepping down after nearly 14 years at the helm of the department.
Johnson, 65, was the city's first black police chief when he was appointed in 1994, after a career spanning more than two decades with the Baltimore City police. In his first few months alone, he was credited with easing racial tensions and boosting morale in a department where the police union had voted no confidence in the previous chief.
The Annapolis native and Army veteran briefly stepped aside last year after suffering from heart troubles and returned in a limited capacity as he continued to undergo rehabilitation.
Johnson was not available for comment yesterday, but said in a statement that his health was a significant consideration and that he plans to leave the agency in June.
"I will leave with pride in what we as a city have accomplished in the 14 years that I have directed the force," he said. "My retirement will allow me to spend a lot more time with my wife, children and grandchildren, and after 43 years in the demanding career of law enforcement, it's long overdue."
Mayor Ellen O. Moyer praised Johnson for his steady leadership, saying the city was losing a "very dedicated and professional public servant."
"[When he came in], the department was so fragmented and was losing officers faster than we could fill them," Moyer said. "He was able to bridge that and bring it back to a professional status and give us a daggone good record in bringing down crime statistics."
Detective John Lee, the head of the Annapolis police union, credited Johnson with modernizing the agency.
"He brought us from an agency that operated like it was the 1970s to an agency that operates as a modern, accredited agency," Lee said. "He's a true cop's cop, and it's a tremendous loss to us."
Public safety in Annapolis has received much attention in recent months, with Johnson and Moyer's office seemingly disconnected on crime-fighting strategies and residents increasingly protesting crime.
Though serious crimes dropped 9.6 percent from 2006 to 2007, homicides continued on an upward trend with a record eight homicides last year and three so far this year.
Last week, state leaders including Gov. Martin O'Malley and House Speaker Michael E. Busch announced plans to bring together federal and state authorities to help the city police, which is struggling with 20 vacancies, strengthen its supervision of the city's most violent offenders. The plan is being billed as a model for the rest of the state.
Aides for Busch said Johnson was very involved in the partnership.
"I don't think this type of partnership has been done to this magnitude before," Moyer said. "Whatever acting police chief comes in will have to have some understanding of the state system - a variety of difference agencies - and be another professional police enforcement person that has had urban experience."
She said Johnson has made recommendations for his replacement, all of whom are from outside the city police department. Moyer will appoint the next chief, who must be approved by the city council.
justin.fenton@baltsun.com