By Joe Johnson
Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Cleveland Spruill has lost out to another candidate to become the next chief of the city of Frederick in Maryland.
According to The Frederick News-Post, Jason Lando of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police edged out Spruill after the search for a police chief had been narrowed to the two candidates.
Lando, whose most recent position with Pittsburgh police was commander of the narcotics and vice unit, was nominated by the city’s mayor and confirmed by the Frederick Board of Aldermen in a closed meeting Friday morning — nearly one year after the previous police chief retired, the newspaper reported.
Lando competed against Spruill as finalists for the position. A citizens committee vetted the applicants for chief and then a committee of the city’s leadership team narrowed the candidates down further.
Spruill, who became chief at ACCPD in February 2019, could not be reached for comment about what his plans were for the immediate future.
His house in Athens went on the market several weeks ago, and reportedly has since been possibly under contract with a buyer.
In December, Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz said that he understood that Spruill was looking for employment in Frederick to be closer to family and for "personal reasons."
The Frederick area is close to where Spruill has roots.
A native of New York City, Spruill grew up as a teenager in Richmond, Va., and after serving in the military he was employed for 27 years with the Alexandria police department.
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