BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Transportation Authority Police named Col. Joseph Scott as its new chief on Thursday. Scott, a 24-year veteran of the force, is the first African American to serve in the position.

“I’m so humbled and honored to serve in this role, and it’s not lost on me that I am the first African American MDTA Police Chief,” Scott said in a statement. “This agency is one of diverse voices and perspectives, and it’s been a privilege to have risen through the ranks to this position of leadership.”

Scott began his career with the MDTA Police in 2000 after serving four years in the U.S. Army. He has served in a variety of supervisory and command positions, including bureau chief of both the MDTA Police’s Administrative and Operations bureaus.

Scott has also served as the commander of several different detachments, including the Hatem Memorial Bridge Detachment and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Unit.

“Colonel Scott has proven himself as a law enforcement leader,” MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner said in a statement. “I’m especially impressed by his commitment to developing relationships between the MDTA Police and our internal and external communities and look forward to helping him expand upon those efforts.”

Scott is also an advocate for community engagement and plans to build on the MDTA Police’s existing partnerships with local communities.

More in the video below.

https://youtu.be/3nnDrYH_TeM?si=FM0caCqeuQ2zPEUR

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.