Will the new police commissioner have the experience, vision, and courage to attack the top-heavy—and seemingly inept—police department’s upper command staff? Will he or she be able to rebuild the trust of a wary citizenry and formulate an innovative strategy that incorporates constitutional, well-managed policing into a successful plan? Will he or she be able to reform a badly damaged agency, rocked by scandal, while improving the morale and working conditions for the majority of officers who put on the uniform and badge of the agency every day with pride and integrity? The new commissioner must deal with these issues while at the same time restoring a system of strict checks and balances that can best prevent recent failures from reoccurring. It seems a Herculean task under the best of circumstances, much less the present circumstances. It will require the skills and bravado of a magician instead of a law-enforcement executive.

Baltimore is a wonderful, high-spirited city with a rich culture, history and diverse residents. That is what makes it one of the most unique places in the country. The Baltimore Police Department has served the city since 1845 and itself has a proud and storied history. The citizens of Baltimore deserve (and have every right to expect) a safe and accessible city, served by a competent and transparent police department. The selection of the new police commissioner will be one of the most crucial decisions made by the mayor and city council because it will either give Baltimore a chance to return to its former glory or push it farther into the abyss.

Mark Tomlin is the investigative supervisor for the State of Delaware ARMS Unit. He was the Chief of Police of the town of Port Deposit, Maryland, from 2001 to 2005. Prior to that, he was a police officer in the city of Baltimore from 1978 to 1999 and spent several years of that time investigating homicides.

Image: An 11-year-old boy watches as police discuss a September 2 shooting on N. Rose Street. The shooting occurred by the border that separates Baltimore's Southeastern District from its Eastern District.  Maggie Ybarra