Olszewski taps agency veteran Delp to be interim police chief

Col. Dennis J. Delp will become Baltimore County’s interim police chief beginning in early December as a national search for a permanent replacement is mounted, the county announced Monday.

The current police chief, Melissa Hyatt, will leave the department Dec. 5 at the conclusion of her contract, a decision announced by county executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. last week. He has declined to comment on the reason behind her departure.

Delp has worked 28 years for Baltimore County Police, the Olszewki administration said in a news release. He’s led the agency’s Training Section, Cockeysville Precinct and Forensic Services section, it said.

The administration has provided no timeline for the national search.

Other personnel moves announced Monday include:

Sameer Sidh, former chief of staff to the Howard County executive, will join county government as a deputy administrative officer for economic development and infrastructure;

Dori Henry, currently the interim chief of staff and past director of communications, will become the permanent chief of staff;

Jennifer Aiosa, the county’s chief sustainability officer, will be Olszewski’s director of government affairs; and

Sevetra Peoples-Brown, a former special assistant to the Baltimore County administrative officer, will serve as the county’s chief of diversity, equity and inclusion. She’s served in that role on an interim basis since July.

Olszewski won a second term in office in November and last week announced a handful of department directors and chiefs who would be leaving county government. Other departures include the leaders of the Office of Budget and Finance, Department of Recreation and Parks, Office of Information Technology and Department of Corrections.

He has declined to say whether Hyatt, the police chief, was asked to leave or it was a voluntary decision. She is the first woman to lead the county police force and has emphasized bolstering community trust and officer wellness during her tenure.

Hyatt also faced a no-confidence vote in May from the police union representing Baltimore County officers.

Her permanent replacement will be nominated by Olszewski and must be confirmed by the Baltimore County Council.

Olszewski praised Delp, the interim chief, as a “highly-respected” member of the department.

“I am confident that his decades of experience in the department and proven leadership will help ensure Baltimore County remains a safe place to live, work and raise a family,” Olszewski said.