Mount Airy’s new police chief hopes to increase force to 12 officers

Michael Ginevra was sworn in as chief of the Mount Airy Police Department this week, succeeding former chief Douglas Reitz, who led the department from its inception in 2016 until he resigned March 28.

Ginevra, 51, has served as interim chief since May and was among the first several officers hired by the department when it was created. The Mount Airy resident said his term as police chief will focus on community engagement.

“We want to be out there with the community,” Ginevra said. “We want to keep transparent and let them know the door’s always open. We’re here to listen, to do what we can to help. That’s what I want.”

Mount Airy Mayor Larry Hushour said the town’s government has complete confidence in Ginevra’s leadership ability. The town council unanimously approved Ginevra’s appointment last month.

“He has maintained all the professional standards of the department, while reaching out to the community and becoming an advocate,” Hushour said.

Ginevra makes a point of attending local events and getting out of his car to interact with residents as much as possible, Hushour said, and encourages fellow officers to do the same.

“A leader should be out there with their people,” Ginevra said, “and that’s me.”

Hushour said community engagement has increased since Ginevra was named acting chief.

“Citizens have already seen an increase in community policing around the area,” Hushour said. “[Residents] are starting to learn our officers by name, as opposed to just by the fact that they’re in a uniform. The businesses, certainly the downtown businesses and the businesses surrounding downtown, have seen an increase in police presence. They tend to get out of their vehicles more and say “hi” to everybody, especially at our local banks, and I’ve gotten positive responses since Ginevra became the acting chief.”

Ginevra served as a Baltimore police officer for more than 20 years before he retired in 2016. Although he would not change a thing about his career in Baltimore, Ginevra said he was burnt out after years of working serious crime cases.

Mount Airy’s charm drew Ginevra to the town. He said it reminds him of his hometown of Rochester, New York. Transitioning to policing a small town was an adjustment, he said, and his standoffishness toward strangers, learned from years policing a large city, soon melted away.

“It’s a small, tight-knit community here,” Ginevra said. “They like the engagement with officers.”

The heroic ideals of serving justice and locking up bad guys that Ginevra held when he was younger have given way to an underlying drive to serve his community in the best ways he knows how, the police chief said.

“I’m quite humbled and honored to be chosen for this job,” Ginevra said, “and I’m going to do the community well.”

The Mount Airy Police Department employs nine full-time officers, including Ginevra and a newly hired officer scheduled to start on Monday , Ginevra said. Two civilians are also employed by the department — a code enforcement officer and an administrative assistant.

Ginevra said he hopes the town council will approve a measure to increase the department’s size to 12 officers, which he said would allow for 24-hour policing of the town, as well as more community-centric patrols on foot.

The department currently provides police service from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., daily, Ginevra said, across two 10-hour shifts.

Maryland State Police protected and served the town before the Mount Airy Police Department was created. Hushour said having an in-town department increased the ways police have been able to help residents and enforce local laws.

“It’s not cheap, but we are extremely happy with the quality that we get out of our police department,” Hushour said.

Ginevra will be paid a salary of $92,394.

In addition to the interactions officers have with civilians on the street, at banks, and at events, Ginevra said the department is always available to respond to any type of call and serve as a community resource. If police cannot help a resident, they will try their best to put them in touch with someone who can, he added.

“The door for the Mount Airy Police Department is always open,” Ginevra said. “Whatever we can do to help anybody — whether you’re in town or out of town — we’re here to provide a service, and that’s what we’re about.”