Who is Anthony Washington Sr.?

Anthony Washington Sr. is a U.S. Army and Maryland Army National Guard veteran, a coach and official of more than twenty years, and the founder of After Today, LLC. He builds leadership training, athletic recruiting education, and people-first AI systems for student-athletes, families, schools, and organizations. He is based in Pennsylvania and works primarily across Pennsylvania and Maryland.

What does Anthony Washington Sr. do?

He works in three connected areas: athletic recruiting education that gives student-athletes and families a repeatable daily process, leadership training for first-time supervisors and public-sector leaders, and people-first AI and workflow implementation for organizations. He also speaks and runs workshops for schools, teams, and districts.

What is athletic recruiting infrastructure?

Athletic recruiting infrastructure is the repeatable system a family or program uses to manage recruiting — film, academics, communication with coaches, eligibility tracking, and follow-up — instead of relying on exposure events and luck. Anthony teaches recruiting as infrastructure so progress comes from a daily practice rather than a seasonal scramble.

What does people-first AI implementation mean?

People-first AI implementation means adopting AI to improve the work without displacing or sidelining the people who do it. In practice that means starting from the actual workflow, keeping a human accountable for decisions, training staff on the tools they will use, and setting guardrails before scale — not buying software and hoping the team adapts.

Who are Anthony's programs designed for?

Student-athletes and their parents, high school and grassroots coaches, athletic programs, schools and districts, first-time supervisors, public-sector leaders, and organizations that want leadership training or help implementing AI without leaving employees behind.

Does Anthony Washington Sr. provide leadership training?

Yes. He trains first-time supervisors and team leads on the first ninety days, difficult conversations, accountability, and building trust, drawing on his military service, public-sector supervision, and coaching experience. Training is delivered as courses, workshops, and organizational consulting.

How can a school, district, or organization work with Anthony?

Schools, districts, and organizations can book speaking engagements and workshops, bring in leadership training for supervisors and staff, or engage him on recruiting support and AI and workflow implementation. Start on the contact page and say which of those you need.

How can I book Anthony Washington Sr. to speak?

Send an inquiry through the contact page with your event date, audience, format, and location. The speaking page lists topics, session formats, and the audiences he speaks to most often.

Where is Anthony Washington Sr. based?

He is based in Pennsylvania and works primarily across Pennsylvania and Maryland, with virtual sessions available beyond that area.

When was Kirk Banton appointed Chief of District Heights Police?

Kirk Banton was appointed Chief of the District Heights Police Department on August 11, 2026, as announced by the City of District Heights. He had previously served in the role as Interim Chief.

What is Banton's stated leadership focus?

According to recent city communications, Banton's leadership has focused on modernizing the Department of Police. Specific details about what modernization includes have not been publicly detailed.

Why did District Heights move Banton from interim to permanent Chief?

The City of District Heights has not publicly detailed the specific reasons for making Banton's appointment permanent, though recent announcements indicate his interim leadership was viewed favorably enough to warrant the permanent role.

How does this appointment compare to other recent police leadership changes in Maryland?

The transition from interim to permanent Chief is a common practice in police leadership, though individual circumstances vary by department and jurisdiction. No public comparison data has been released for District Heights specifically.

Where can I find more information about District Heights Police Department leadership?

Official communications are available through the City of District Heights website and social media channels. The Maryland State Archives maintains a directory of state and local law enforcement leadership, though it may not reflect the most recent appointments immediately.

Home › Blog › Kirk Banton Named Chief of District Heights Police Department

Kirk Banton Named Chief of District Heights Police Department

supervisors · August 24, 2026

The City of District Heights appointed Kirk Banton as Chief of Police in August 2026, following his work as Interim Chief modernizing the department.

Key takeaways

Kirk Banton was appointed Chief of the District Heights Police Department in August 2026, following his service as Interim Chief.
Before District Heights, Banton served as Deputy Chief of the Forest Heights Police Department and was involved in a significant shooting incident in April 2024.
The appointment represents a transition from interim to permanent leadership after Banton had already been leading the department.
District Heights has stated that Banton's focus includes modernizing the department, though specific measures of modernization have not been publicly detailed.
The Maryland State Archives directory had not yet been updated to reflect the permanent appointment at the time of this report.

The City of District Heights announced on August 11, 2026, that Kirk Banton was appointed Chief of the District Heights Police Department. Banton had been serving as Interim Chief prior to the permanent appointment, marking a transition from interim to permanent leadership after demonstrating performance in the acting role. Recent city communications indicate that his leadership has focused on modernizing the department, though specific measures and outcomes have not been detailed publicly.

What We Know About the Appointment

Banton's move to permanent Chief follows what appears to be a standard practice: testing a leader in an interim capacity before committing to a permanent role. This approach allows a department to observe leadership performance under real operational conditions before making a long-term commitment. The fact that the City of District Heights moved him from interim to permanent suggests that his performance during that period met the department's expectations.

Notably, the Maryland State Archives, which maintains the official directory for state and local law enforcement leadership, had not yet updated its records to reflect Banton's permanent appointment at the time this report was prepared. This lag is typical for state archives; official records catch up to city announcements within weeks or months. Recent public activity, including Banton's representation of the department during District Heights' August 2026 National Night Out activities, confirms his current role.

Banton's Previous Leadership Experience

Before joining District Heights, Banton served as Deputy Chief of the Forest Heights Police Department. In April 2024, while in that role, he delivered the initial department statement following an officer-involved shooting at Rivertowne Commons in Oxon Hill. According to Banton's account, officers had stopped a vehicle connected to an assault suspect. The driver initially refused to exit the vehicle, then exited armed with a knife, and was shot by a Forest Heights officer. Banton stated that officers were wearing body cameras and that Prince George's County Police would assist with the investigation into the incident.

News coverage at the time included reporting from FOX 5 and WJLA, which provided additional details and scrutiny surrounding the shooting. After delivering his initial statement, Banton declined further questions from reporters. The Washington Post also identified him as Forest Heights Deputy Police Chief Kirk Banton during its coverage of the incident.

What the Appointment Signals

Police leadership transitions from interim to permanent roles typically signal that the department's leadership and the city administration view the interim leader as having demonstrated competence and alignment with departmental goals. Banton's permanent appointment, after already serving in an acting capacity, suggests that District Heights determined he had the necessary operational experience, credibility with staff, and vision to lead the department forward.

The emphasis on modernization in official announcements reflects a broader trend in law enforcement leadership: updating policies, technology, training, and community engagement practices to meet current operational and public expectations. What modernization means specifically in District Heights' context, what measurable outcomes have been achieved, and what remain under way have not been disclosed in public announcements to date.

For those interested in understanding police leadership transitions, organizational appointments, or the direction of law enforcement in Prince George's County, this appointment marks a significant step for the District Heights Police Department. The Department's next phases of communication will likely provide clearer detail on its modernization priorities and performance metrics.

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Frequently asked questions

When was Kirk Banton appointed Chief of District Heights Police?: Kirk Banton was appointed Chief of the District Heights Police Department on August 11, 2026, as announced by the City of District Heights. He had previously served in the role as Interim Chief.
What was Kirk Banton's previous position?: Before becoming Chief in District Heights, Banton served as Deputy Chief of the Forest Heights Police Department.
What is Banton's stated leadership focus?: According to recent city communications, Banton's leadership has focused on modernizing the Department of Police. Specific details about what modernization includes have not been publicly detailed.
Was there a shooting incident involving Banton's department?: Yes. In April 2024, while serving as Deputy Chief of Forest Heights Police, Banton gave the initial statement after a Forest Heights officer shot Jhomari Delevante at Rivertowne Commons in Oxon Hill. Banton reported that officers had stopped a vehicle connected to an assault suspect, the driver initially refused to exit, then exited armed with a knife, and was shot by an officer. He noted that body cameras were worn and that Prince George's County Police assisted with the investigation.
Why did District Heights move Banton from interim to permanent Chief?: The City of District Heights has not publicly detailed the specific reasons for making Banton's appointment permanent, though recent announcements indicate his interim leadership was viewed favorably enough to warrant the permanent role.
How does this appointment compare to other recent police leadership changes in Maryland?: The transition from interim to permanent Chief is a common practice in police leadership, though individual circumstances vary by department and jurisdiction. No public comparison data has been released for District Heights specifically.
Where can I find more information about District Heights Police Department leadership?: Official communications are available through the City of District Heights website and social media channels. The Maryland State Archives maintains a directory of state and local law enforcement leadership, though it may not reflect the most recent appointments immediately.

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