Top Cop

Mason alumnus named Alexandria police chief

By David Driver

In his office, David P. Baker, BIS ’00, has a photograph of Baseball Hall of Famer Babe Ruth. It sits near boxing gloves worn by former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. But perhaps Baker’s most cherished item in his office is a George Mason University lamp, a graduation gift given to him by his former boss, Charles E. Samarra.

In the early 1990s, Samarra lured Baker from Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department. When Samarra retired last fall, Baker, who had spent 16 years as Samarra’s second-in-command, was selected over other qualified finalists to become the new police chief of the city of Alexandria, Virginia.

When Baker began his career as a Metropolitan Police Department patrol officer in 1970, he did not have a college degree. Taking classes at Mason, Baker earned his bachelor’s degree, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 4.00 and receiving the John M. Smith Award for Academic Excellence. Baker also earned a graduate certificate in administration of justice from Mason in 2004.

Baker gives Catherine Hoover, BIS ’ 80, director of the Prince William Professional Center, Office of Continuing Education at Mason, a great deal of credit in assisting in his education.

“She has been extremely important to law enforcement officers in this region,” says Baker, who notes that approximately 50 Alexandria officers have taken classes in degree completion programs administered by Mason’s Administration of Justice Department and the Office of Continuing Professional Education. Hoover has been actively engaged in professional outreach to local law enforcement programs.

Baker now oversees 484 employees, 324 of whom are sworn officers, and a budget of $49 million.

“One of the challenges I have is to take what is already a special program, in terms of crime reduction, outreach to the community, and techniques, and figure out how to improve it,” Baker says. One of his goals is to get out and meet as many of the 50 to 60 community clubs or groups in Alexandria as possible. He speaks to about two or three groups a week.

Baker is “very visible in the community,” says Alexandria City Manager James K. Hartmann. “He is sincere and energized about what he does.”

For almost two decades, Baker says he could pass along important decisions to Samarra but no longer has that luxury. “Now, I can’t hold that [decision] for the chief. The buck stops here.”