Posted on 06/14/23
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - June 14, 2023 - After getting tapped to lead the Baltimore Police Department on June 8, questions were raised about the city’s residency requirement for Richard Worley.
Worley was named acting commissioner by Mayor Brandon Scott as former commissioner Michael Harrison announced he was stepping down from the post before his contract expires in March 2024. Worley, who served as deputy commissioner for operations prior to his promotion, is from Baltimore City but currently lives in Anne Arundel County with his wife.
According to the city charter, anyone who reports directly to the mayor must live in the city and be a registered voter in Baltimore. If the person selected doesn’t at the time of the selection or promotion, they can sign a letter of intent to move, starting a six-month timeframe to comply with the charter. The same requirement applies to a deputy commissioner.
“The [acting] commissioner will be following and abiding by all the rules as he always has,” Mayor Scott told FOX45 news when asked if Worley was violating the charter by not living in the city as deputy commissioner. “He is Baltimore guyhe will live in the city as commissioner.”
Mayor Scott said Worley and his wife have been actively looking to buy a home in Baltimore City, though it’s unclear when that process will be complete. Meanwhile, Worley’s nomination must be confirmed by the City Council.
When asked when that process will begin, Mayor Scott told FOX45 News it would likely not take place until after the budget is finalized.
Worley was named deputy commissioner in September 2022; prior to that, he was chief of detectives and worked his way through the ranks after joining BPD in 1998.