Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader and proponent of constitutional, community-based policing, Michael S. Harrison has been at the forefront of bringing about departmental reforms and changing for the better essential relationships between the police and the communities they serve. He most recently led the Baltimore Police Department as its 41st Commissioner from March, 2019 to August, 2023. Harrison has earned an unparalleled reputation among law enforcement officials at local, state and national levels for his ability to implement reforms mandated by federal consent decrees, coordinate effectively with political and community leadership, and forge trusted relationships with local residents faced with endemic violence and the collateral effects that result.

Before coming to Baltimore, Harrison served the New Orleans Police Department for nearly three decades. He joined the NOPD in 1991 and ascended steadily through the ranks. He served in supervisory assignments as an Assistant Commander and Commander of a patrol District and the Specialized Investigations Division of the Public Integrity Bureau. He was appointed to Superintendent in 2014 and led the Department for over four years. Michael Harrison has been instrumental in the development, implementation and assessment of community policing programs that have led to demonstrably increased partnership and collaboration. Moreover, he is skilled at moving progressive law enforcement bills forward through the legislature and implementing evidence-based crime fighting strategies, many of which assisted in tangible crime reductions. Harrison was appointed to the Police Executive Research Forum Board of Directors in 2019, serving as its President from 2021 to 2023. He has been a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and served as both the Central and Eastern Region Representative. Additionally, he was active as a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force.
Harrison received a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix and a Masters of Criminal Justice from Loyola University New Orleans. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police, as well as Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. He is a graduate of the F.B.I’s National Executive Institute.

Harrison has considerable experience in navigating a policing agency through the rigors of operating under a federal consent decree, having led two large police departments under Department of Justice oversight. A firm believer in civic duty, Michael Harrison served honorably for eight years with the Louisiana Air National Guard. Additionally, he has served as a professional mentor to several police chiefs across the country as part of the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association, Police Executive Leadership Institute (PELI).