He began his police career on the streets of Germantown in 1989, and later served as Commander of the 5th District in Germantown, and now Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Luther Reynolds is one of the finalists to be Chief of Police in Dallas, Texas.

   Reynolds is one of seven finalists who were in Dallas on Tuesday for a meet and greet with Dallas community leaders who will have some say in the final decision as to who will replace Chief David Brown, who retired in October.

   Four outside candidates and three internal candidates are vying for the job. Two females for the first time are among the finalists.

   The list of finalists includes Dallas Deputy Chiefs Malik Aziz and Rick Watson, Dallas Assistant Chief Gary Tittle, Seattle Deputy Chief Carmen Best, Detroit Deputy Chief Renee Hall, Los Angeles First Assistant Chief Michel Moore and Assistant Chief Luther Reynolds of Montgomery County, Maryland.

   The candidates spent Tuesday being grilled by six different panels selected by Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax. Each of the candidates was scheduled to meet with Broadnax Wednesday. He will make the final selection.

   Reynolds is currently serving MCPD as the Assistant Chief in charge of the Management Services Bureau, which includes the oversight of the Legal and Labor Division, the 911 Emergency Communications Center, and Information Management and Technology Division, as well as the MCPD Training Academy. He also helped to institute the MCPD’s body camera program.

   Before becoming assistant chief, Reynolds was the Commander of the Germantown District station from August 2010 to March of 2013. In 2000, he was promoted to captain and served as Commander of the Bethesda District Station.

   Reynolds began his career as a patrol officer in the Germantown area in 1989. In 1996 he was promoted to sergeant and was assigned as the administrative assistant to the Field Services Bureau and as a patrol supervisor in the Germantown District. In 1998, Reynolds was promoted to lieutenant and assigned as the Deputy Commander of the Wheaton District station.

   According to reports on Dallasnewsmax.com, Reynolds wrote in his cover letter applying for the Dallas post that he has a personal connection to Dallas because he has close family here.

   "In addition to professional qualifications, as a lifelong change agent, I have a sense of calling into this important and challenging opportunity," he wrote in the letter, according to Dallasnewsmax.com

   The current top pay for the chief of police is $213,000. However, the Dallas City Council has given Broadnax the authority to pay whatever he deems appropriate, according to local Dallas news reports.

Photos courtesy MCPD website and DPD website.