Town of Cheverly to Swear in Acting Chief, Jarod J. Towers, as Next Chief of Police 

September 3, 2019

The Mayor and Council of the Town of Cheverly have selected the town’s next permanent chief of police. On Thursday, September 12, 2019, at the regularly scheduled town meeting, Mayor Riazi will have the pleasure of swearing in the current “Acting” Chief of Police, Jarod J. Towers, as Cheverly’s next chief of police. The Cheverly community is encouraged to join the Mayor and Council in welcoming Chief Towers at an informal reception, beginning a 7:15 pm in the Cheverly Community Center, located at 6401 Forest Rd, Cheverly, MD 20785.

In sharing the news of the selection of Chief Towers, Mayor Riazi noted that, “Following a robust selection process, Chief Towers decisively emerged as the best candidate for our community. He has inspired confidence across a diverse base of our constituencies, both through his leadership as Acting Chief, and his insight and commitment to building relationships that lead to effective, co-produced public safety in our community. I have no doubt that he is committed to serving all of us who call Cheverly home. I appreciate how Chief Towers holds both himself and the Cheverly Police Department to a high standard of accessibility, responsiveness, inclusion, and accountability. Collectively, we have a great deal of good work ahead, and I welcome working with Chief Towers in supporting a department that epitomizes a high standard of accessibility, responsiveness, inclusion, and accountability in policing.”

Towers grew up in Thornburg, VA and Cherry Hill, NJ before joining the United States Marine Corps at the age of 18. During his service in the Marine Corps, Towers served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Administration, with a minor in Homeland Security, from the University of Maryland, University College.

Towers began his law enforcement career, in 2006, with the Maryland State Police where he was recognized for his overall performance and efforts to combat impaired driving.

In 2009, Towers joined the Cheverly Police Department, as a patrol officer, working his way through the ranks, and receiving numerous awards, serving as a detective, patrol supervisor (sergeant), and eventually acting chief of police.

While serving as a Sergeant with the Cheverly Police Department, Towers was responsible for significant technology upgrades to the department’s IT infrastructure, body worn and in-car camera systems, communications equipment, and patrol vehicles.

Towers' appointment as Acting Chief, in October 2018, brought with it his continued dedication and commitment to the department, staff, and community. Towers set out to create numerous events and programs with the established purpose of strengthening the relationship between the community and the department.

Through his leadership, the Cheverly Police Department developed community initiatives, including the Teen Kickball League, Community Movie Nights, Coffee with the Chief events, and Ice Cream Socials, all firsts for the department, and welcomed within the community. The department revitalized its social media presence, garnering much appreciation from Cheverly residents, due to a more interactive communication channel with the department.

The department itself has seen beneficial changes to include the reopening of the Criminal Investigative Division, the addition of a second, full-time police clerk, funding of the Lieutenant’s position, and a change in the department’s hours to better accommodate the community. A refocus on staff development has brought with it more specialized training for the department, including a seminal curated, training program to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, de-escalation training, and a continuing and sustained program of implicit bias training.

“I could not be more excited to accept this opportunity and the responsibility that the Mayor and Council have entrusted in me,” said Towers upon hearing of his selection as the town’s next chief of police. “There is much work to be done and I look forward to working with the men and women of this department, as well as the residents of our community, to continue to create meaningful conversation, foster relationships, reduce crime, and promote public safety.”
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Cheverly’s Town Charter specifies that it is the responsibility of the Mayor and Council to appoint a Police Chief. The Mayor and Council both respected Charter provisions and ensured an extraordinary level of community engagement on both the selection process and qualifications for Cheverly’s next chief of police. A regional search produced a diverse pool of twenty applicants. Mayor and Council met in closed session and chose four top candidates to advance to the review and interview steps. The final selection process included an oral board of outside professionals, the community-organization perspective of the Police Chief’s Advisory Board (PCAB), professionally researched background and reference packets, and closed-session interviews with the Mayor and Council.