Marc Yamada, a 35-year veteran of the Montgomery County police force in Maryland, has been nominated as the county’s new police chief.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich made the announcement on Tuesday, at a press conference in Gaithersburg., Maryland. Elrich also made formal announcement at a Wednesday news conference.
“Assistant Chief Marc Yamada brings the skills and experience that we need to continue the great progress the department has made under Chief Jones’ leadership”, said Elrich in a statement. “Assistant Chief Yamada has been a steadfast advocate for modernizing our police force, fostering community trust, and ensuring that our officers have the resources and training they need.”, Elrich further added. “His vision for the future of policing is rooted in accountability and a deep respect for the diverse communities we serve.”
Montgomery City Council also confirmed that Yamada will be replacing current Police Chief Marcus Jones, who is expected to retire on July 1st. Yamada currently heads the department’s Field service bureau, which covers tactical operations, traffic enforcement, community engagement, and other services.
In an interview with Montgomery County Media, Jones said Yamada was “a great selection”, and that “He is a leader. The men and women of this department have the ultimate respect for him.”, further adding that Yamada has “has the highest amount of ethics and integrity.”
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If confirmed, he will also be the first Japanese American to serve as police chief in the county.
“My father’s parents were both Japanese”, Yamada said in a brief bio statement, “He was the first member of his family to be born in the United States in 1910. My mother’s parents were German, and she was born in New York in 1920. My father’s family was placed in a Japanese internment camp in Poston, Arizona after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and he made the decision to join the US Army. He met my mother in Washington DC when she was serving breakfast to soldiers. They later married and settled in Wheaton in 1955.”.
Yamada attended public schools in Wheaton, and later enrolled at Montgomery College and Frostburg State University. He joined the Montgomery department in 1988, and has been involved in multiple roles, including patrol work, major crimes supervisor, narcotics detective, lieutenant in the Wheaton District, and director of community engagement.
In order to continue, Yamada must first be approved by the city council, and is scheduled to be interviewed by council members on June 11th.
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