Amal Awad took the oath of office as the Anne Arundel County Police Department's 19th Chief of Police on November 17, 2020. On December 7, 2020, she become the first female Chief to be confirmed by the County Council in Anne Arundel County's history.
Chief Awad began her career in policing thirty years ago as a patrol officer in Prince George’s County. She returned home to the Anne Arundel County Police Department, where she served as Chief of Staff under former Police Chief Kevin Davis. She became the first female, first person of color and first member of the LGBTQ community to serve as permanent Chief of Police in Anne Arundel County.
One of her first priorities as Chief was the creation of the Community Services Bureau. The Bureau is comprised of the Training Division, the Community Relations Division and Section, School Safety, Crisis Intervention Team, Youth/Victim Engagement Services, the Office of Re-Entry and Community Collaboration and the Youth Activities Program.
Prior to her selection with Anne Arundel County, Chief Awad was appointed as the City of Hyattsville's eighth Chief of Police in December 2018. She was the first woman to be appointed in the City's 134-year history. Chief Awad has strong ties to and affection for the Hyattsville community. She began her policing career in Hyattsville over 29 years ago as a Prince George's County Police Department patrol officer assigned to District I - Hyattsville Station. Throughout her career, she served on the Action Team, the Community Policing Unit, the Special Assignment Team, and the Robbery Suppression Team.
Among her many accomplishments with the Prince George's County Police Department, she served as the Commander at District II - Bowie Station, the Administrative Officer and Executive Officer for the Office of the Chief of Police. Following her retirement at the rank of Major in July 2013, she joined former Chief of Police Kevin Davis as his civilian Chief of Staff with the Anne Arundel County Police Department until December 2014.
Chief Awad is a native Washingtonian and resident of Prince George's County, Maryland. She holds a Master of Science in Management from Johns Hopkins University where she graduated with honors.
She is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, former Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission board member, past President of the Police Chiefs’ Association of Prince George's County and a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute.