{{Short description|Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department in 2000}} {{Use mdy dates |date=April 2024}} {{Use American English |date=April 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | caption = | alt = | office = [[Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]] | term_start = January 3, 2000 | term_end = March 30, 2000 | predecessor = [[List of commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department#Rotation|Rotation]] ''(acting)'' | successor = [[Ed Norris]] | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|50|1999|12|22}} | birth_place = | children = 2 | education = {{ubl|[[Johns Hopkins University]]|[[Morgan State University]]}} | salary = | module = {{Infobox police officer | embed = yes | department = [[Baltimore Police Department]] | service_years = 1973–2000 | rank = }} | footnotes = }} '''Ronald L. Daniel''' (born 1948 or 1949) is an American police officer who served as [[commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]] from January to March 2000. He resigned after 88 days in office, making him the shortest-serving commissioner in the department's history.
== Early life == Daniel was born in 1948 or 1949 and grew up in [[West Baltimore (region)|West Baltimore]]. He graduated from [[Baltimore City College]] in 1967, received a degree in [[business development]] from [[Johns Hopkins University]], and was a [[pre-medical]] [[Academic major|major]] at [[Morgan State University]].<ref name="Baltimore Sun 1999">{{Cite news |date=December 22, 1999 |title=Col. Daniel to be city's police chief; O'Malley expected to appoint veteran of 26 years on force; 'Honest, straightforward'; Mayor's choice supports philosophy of 'zero tolerance' |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1999/12/22/col-daniel-to-be-citys-police-chief-omalley-expected-to-appoint-veteran-of-26-years-on-force-honest-straightforward-mayors-choice-supports-philosophy-of-zero-tolerance/ |access-date=April 18, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref><ref name="Daemmrich et al. 1997">{{Cite news |last1=Daemmrich |first1=JoAnna |last2=Siegel |first2=Eric |last3=Hermann |first3=Peter |last4=Buote |first4=Brenda |date=April 25, 1997 |title=Police chief faces drop in support |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-police-chief-faces-dro/145691423/ |access-date=April 19, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |pages=1A, 16A–17A |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
== Career == [[File:Kurt Schmoke 2023 (53407831211).jpg|thumb|Mayor [[Kurt Schmoke]] intervened to restore Daniel after he was suspended by police commissioner [[Thomas C. Frazier]].|alt=Kurt Schmoke smiling at a keynote address]] Daniel was recruited to the [[Baltimore Police Department]] in 1973, attending the [[FBI National Academy]] after joining the department. He received a bronze star from the department in 1977 for apprehending two armed robbery suspects. According to ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'', he held "more than a dozen posts", ultimately being promoted from [[police major|major]] to [[police colonel|colonel]] in 1994 by commissioner [[Thomas C. Frazier]], becoming head of the [[Criminal Investigation Department|criminal investigation division]] later the same year.<ref name="Daemmrich et al. 1997" /><ref>{{Cite news |last1=James |first1=Michael |last2=Haner |first2=Jim |date=March 29, 1994 |title=Frazier promotes 5 to upper echelon posts |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-frazier-promotes-5-to/145640056/ |access-date=April 18, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |pages=1B, 9B |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=James |first1=Michael |last2=Siegel |first2=Eric |date=June 2, 1994 |title=Frazier unveils shake-up aimed at police reform |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-frazier-unveils-shake/145641484/ |access-date=April 19, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |pages=1A, 12A |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He became chief of the field operations bureau, the second-in-command at the department, in 1996, serving alongside future acting commissioner [[John E. Gavrilis]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hermann |first=Peter |date=December 4, 1996 |title=Top city police staff shuffled |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-top-city-police-staff/145674234/ |access-date=April 19, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |pages=1B, 8B |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name="Daemmrich et al. 1997" />
Frazier suspended Daniel in 1997 following a comment at a [[Vanguard Justice Society]] meeting implying that Frazier should be fired if he did not address "internal racism" in the department, accusing him of "insubordination" and that his comments amounted to advocating "an overthrow of the government". This caused a revolt by 13 high-ranking members of the Vanguard Justice Society and calls for Frazier's resignation. Frazier's supporters described the revolt as an attempted [[coup d'état]]. Mayor [[Kurt Schmoke]] intervened to restore Daniel, the first time the mayor publicly reversed a major decision by a commissioner.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 1999" /><ref name="Daemmrich et al. 1997" /><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hermann |first1=Peter |last2=Rivera |first2=John |date=April 24, 1997 |title=Officers seek to oust police chief |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-officers-seek-to-oust/145676982/ |access-date=April 19, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |pages=1A, 10A |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
Daniel became commissioner on January 3, 2000.<ref name="Compere 2018">{{Cite news |last=Compere |first=Brian |date=May 15, 2018 |title=Darryl De Sousa's time as Baltimore police commissioner was short — but not the shortest |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2018/05/15/darryl-de-sousas-time-as-baltimore-police-commissioner-was-short-but-not-the-shortest/ |access-date=April 18, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref>
While commissioner, Daniel and O'Malley argued over how to fight crime, with the latter twice stating his impatience with Daniel over being slow to fight crime and disagreeing with advisors appointed by O'Malley. The advisors suggested 87 reforms, half of which Daniel declined.<ref name="Compere 2018" />
Daniel resigned on March 30, 2000, having served 88 days in office. According to ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'', his resignation surprised his top aides.<ref name="Compere 2018" />
== Personal life == {{As of|1997}}, Daniel was married with two sons, living in [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County]].<ref name="Daemmrich et al. 1997" />
== References == {{reflist}} {{s-start}} {{s-civ|pol}} {{succession box|before=[[List of commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department#Rotation|Rotation]] (acting)|title=[[Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]]|years=2000|after=[[Ed Norris]]}} {{s-end}} {{Baltimore Police Department}} {{Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniel, Ronald L.}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department]] [[Category:Date of birth uncertain]] [[Category:1940s births]]