Montgomery County police in Maryland announced Saturday who will replace outgoing police Chief J. Thomas Manger.
Assistant Chief Russell E. Hamill III will serve as acting chief on March 31, while a nationwide search to replace Manger, who is retiring, is completed.
After 42 years in law enforcement, Manger will be leaving the department to take a new job at the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association.
Hamill has been with the department since 1986, first as a patrol officer. He became a detective in the drug investigations unit, and in 1994 he was promoted to sergeant in the Drug Enforcement Section of the Special Investigations Division, his career spanning the Police Action Team, the Public Safety Training Academy and the Investigative Services Bureau and the Chiefs Office.
Hamill became a lieutenant in 2001 and a captain 2004. He was the commander of the 2nd District in 2007. In 2011, County Executive Isiah Leggett appointed him to assistant chief of police.
Hamill graduated from the University of Maryland and has a law degree from Howard University. He lives in Montgomery County with his family.
Taking over as acting assistant chief is Cmdr. Dinesh Patil. He was a police explorer in Montgomery County in 1998 and was hired in 1994, serving in the Silver Spring district until 2004. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004, lieutenant in 2008 and captain in 2012.
Patil was most recently the commander of the Sixth District. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor and masters degrees.
