Lando named chief of Frederick Police Department

Feb. 19—The next chief of the Frederick Police Department hails from Pittsburgh and brings with him more than 20 years of law enforcement experience.

Jason Lando, 43, was nominated by Mayor Michael O'Connor and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen in a closed meeting Friday — nearly one year after former chief Ed Hargis retired.

Lando will take command on March 8.

"While I may not be from here originally, starting today I call Frederick home," Lando said in news conference at city hall Friday afternoon.

Lando has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in the city where he was born and raised. He most recently worked as a commander in the investigations branch managing the narcotics and vice division. Before entering law enforcement, he worked as a flight paramedic.

He said his first goal is to get to know the community. He wants to build relationships "rooted in trust and transparency."

Lando competed against Chief Cleveland Spruill of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, in Georgia, as finalists for the position. A citizens committee vetted the applicants for chief, and then a committee of the city's leadership team narrowed the candidates down further. The mayor then narrowed the pool to two.

"I think what really stood out [about Lando] is that sense of collaboration and a level of what I'll call warmth and empathy and humility," O'Connor said.

The mayor praised Lando for his work rebuilding police and community relationships while he was commander of Pittsburgh's zone 5 police station for six years. In this role, Lando led more than 100 officers. Frederick Police Department has nearly 150 officers.

O'Connor called Lando a "catalyst" behind community programs in Pittsburgh, including a program that connected youth with officers. This and other initiatives led to increased community cooperation but decreased crime and complaints, O'Connor said.

Lando also led programs involving body-worn cameras, the opioid overdose medication Narcan and less-lethal weapons for zone 5.

He has provided training on procedural justice, de-escalation and implicit bias for the Pittsburgh police force. Lando taught similar lessons to companies through his side business, DBA Training Solutions.

In Pittsburgh, Lando served on the boards of community organizations such as Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, Foxwall Emergency Medical Service and Small Seeds Development, Inc. He volunteers as a big brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bigs in Blue program.

Lando previously told the News-Post that while he loves Pittsburgh, he wanted an opportunity to become a police chief, which led him to Frederick. He also has family in the D.C. region.

The city sought feedback on the top chief candidates through a community survey, O'Connor said, which elicited more than 680 responses. Of those, 130 came after the virtual public forum held in January.

During that forum, Lando said he'd like to have a civil affairs team in Frederick to work with protest groups to ensure demonstrations occur peacefully. Lando also noted he would support a youth connections program to build relationships between police and children.

For Lando's soon-to-be fellow officers, his appointment brings a sense of stability to the department. Patrick Grossman served as acting chief after Hargis, and Grossman then announced his retirement, which took effect in October. Dwight Sommers has served as acting chief since then.

"We are just happy the process is over and we have a permanent chief in place," said Charles Snyder, president of Francis Scott Key Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 91. "We look forward to working with the new chief to lead the department forward."

Lando has a bachelor's degree in emergency medicine management from the University of Pittsburgh and holds a master's in legal studies with a focus in criminal justice from the California University of Pennsylvania.

The new chief and his partner, Troy, look forward to moving to Frederick with their dog, Benson.

"I am ready to get to work," Lando said, "And I promise I will not let you down."

Follow Mary Grace Keller on Twitter: @MaryGraceKeller