Carol Mehrling was the first female Police Chief of the Montgomery County Police Department. At the time she was appointed, Montgomery County had the second-largest police force in the nation headed by a woman, with more than 900 sworn officers.
While she was at Blair, Carol was a terrific student, and was involved in all kinds of school activities. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the O’Debs, and the Dance, Safety, and Homecoming Committees. On top of that, she never missed a Blair sporting event in three years.
After Blair, Carol graduated from Towson University and eventually made her mark in police work.
She worked her way up through almost every position in the MCPD, becoming Chief in 1995. During her time as chief, she became a role model for women who aspired to leadership in law enforcement.
Carol retired as Chief in 1999 after leading the force for four years, and after serving in the police
department for 25 years. She received the 2000 Montgomery County Women’s Fair Alpha Award for
her achievements in furthering the profile of women by becoming the first female Chief of Police in the County. The Alpha Award was instituted that year by the Montgomery County Women’s Fair to recognize a resident Montgomery County, Maryland, who had achieved a “first” for women, and made Carol the first recipient of the prestigious award.