Once the only African American on his shift. Now he’s set to become Baltimore County’s first Black police chief.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Friday announced that he had picked Robert McCullough to be the county’s next police chief, turning to a retired leader who had worked his way up through the ranks and would become the first Black person to head the agency. The 35-year department veteran, who retired as a colonel and operations bureau chief in 2021, said he was drawn back by the importance of the job and the chance to help change the culture of policing.