“I never want to be in a situation where I can't help somebody. ... I put myself in this position so that if I could help, or if I could do something, I had the ability to do it.”
That’s why Daniel Ruffin chose a career in law enforcement. Ruffin graduated from Anne Arundel Community College’s police academy in 2014 and went on to become chief of the Forest Heights Police Department in 2025. He also teaches in the same academy that trained him.
"I love teaching and educating the students and getting them ready to become police officers out in the field,” he said. “The thing that I'm most proud of is I was able to see the growth in some of the recruits ... hearing them say, ‘You taught me this, and I learned it, and it worked.’ That warms my heart every time.”
His commitment to education shapes his leadership as chief. Whether working with new recruits or seasoned officers, he approaches each conversation as an opportunity to guide and reinforce strong policing practices.
“Because I'm still connected to the guys who are up-and-coming, I'm able to take what I'm teaching in the academy and use it in real-time here,” he said. “I want us to train officers correctly on how to do stuff, and I want them to come here and be able to learn.”
For Ruffin, that simple promise he made at the start of his career still guides him. Every recruit he trains, every officer he mentors, is part of his effort to make sure someone is always ready to help when they are needed.