David B. Mitchell

2010 – Present 

Chief David B. Mitchell is in his 52nd year in law enforcement. He began his career in 1971 with the Prince George’s County Police Department. He worked his way through the ranks at PGPD until, in 1990, he was appointed Chief of Police. As Chief he instituted Community Policing and the Department became nationally accredited. 

In 1995, Governor Parris Glendening appointed Chief Mitchell to his Cabinet as the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. As Superintendent, he led the seventh largest state police department in the nation for eight years, including during the 9-11 attacks in 2001 and the Beltway Sniper case in 2002.

In 2004, Chief Mitchell was tapped by Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Chief Mitchell took the reins of the University of Maryland Police Department in 2010. He serves as the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police for the University System’s Flagship Campus. 

Chief Mitchell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology and Management and  a Master’s Degree in Public Policy/Financial Management from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar Associations. As an attorney, he specializes in representing the families of police officers killed in the line of duty.

Chief Mitchell is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (154th Session) and the FBI National Executive Institute (1991). He is an Adjunct Professor at The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School and the University of Maryland.