Chevy Chase Village Hires Bowie's Top Cop As New Chief Of Police

CHEVY CHASE, MD — The Board of Managers of Chevy Chase Village has appointed John Nesky as its new police chief, effective Oct. 1, the board announced this week.

Nesky will be coming to Chevy Chase from the Bowie Police Department, where he has served as its police chief since 2011. Nesky will succeed John Fitzgerald, who announced he will be retiring this fall after 12 years as Chevy Chase Village police chief.

Nesky, 58, has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. Along with serving as chief of police in Bowie, he served as chief of police for the City of District Heights in Prince George's County.

Six people submitted applications for the chief of police position in Chevy Chase Village. Most have served as senior officers in and near Montgomery County, and half had served in senior leadership positions, the village said.

“All of us at the Village Board of Managers were impressed by the caliber and talent of those who applied for this position, and we look forward to welcoming Chief Nesky, who brings deep prior municipal experience,” Elissa Leonard, chair of the Village's governing Board of Managers, said in a statement. “Chevy Chase Village is fortunate to hire him.”

Chevy Chase Village has 720 homes and 2,000 residents in an area that abuts the northwestern corner of the District of Columbia and extends north for a mile from D.C. on both sides of Connecticut Avenue. The village's police department has 11 sworn officers.

While violent crime is rare in Chevy Chase, the community has experienced burglaries from homes and larcenies from parked automobiles, the village said.

Nesky, who is married with two grown children and five grandchildren, began his career in law enforcement as a military police officer in the U.S. Army. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in criminal justice, Nesky began his civilian law enforcement career with the City of District Heights.

While working as a patrol officer, Nesky received numerous accolades, including Officer of the Year and the American Legion Law and Order Award.

Nesky is a past president of the Prince George’s Chiefs Association, as well as a past president of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association.