Yesterday the Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted to approve Peter Newsham as its newest Chief of Police. The PW Perspective discussed the tenure of the soon-to-be-former Chief of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department who will succeed the county’s outgoing Chief, Barry Bernard, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Since the announcement, reactions have been rather mixed. While the responses hailing from the DC Metropolitan area have been celebratory in nature, residents of Prince William County are singing a different tune. The response on Twitter from PWC locals thus far has been quite negative, with users lambasting the Board regarding its decision to bring on a new Chief with such a poor reputation in regards to race relations.

Newsham, who will begin serving the Prince William area in February 2021, faces tremendous scrutiny from those familiar with his tenure, as highlighted in the following tweet from the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.

Woodbridge Supervisor Margaret Franklin has released the following statement expressing her displeasure with the recent hire:

“Last night, our Board of County Supervisors voted to hire Chief Peter Newsham of Washington, D.C. as the next Police Chief. I voted against this appointment understanding that the new Police Chief should reflect the values and diversity embedded in Prince William County. As the next Chief of Police, I expect Chief Newsham to prioritize public engagement and community involvement and amplify the police department’s mantra to protect and serve.”

Franklin was the only Board of County Supervisor to vote against the appointment. It remains to be seen if Newsham’s appointment will continue to erode the confidence of a county hoping to see its leadership reflect the diversity of its majority-minority community.