Nicholas Picerno

Captain Nicholas Picerno, JD, MA, BA

Nicholas Picerno is a Captain with the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department and currently serves as the 5th District Commander; he oversees patrol operations in one of the county’s fastest‑growing areas. He has nearly 25 years of law enforcement experience and has held progressive roles where he has worked as a patrol and homicide detective as well as commanded major investigative, operational and administrative units.

At the command level, he has led the Special Investigations Division, the Training and Education Division and the Special Operations Division, where he oversaw tactical and special event deployments as well as the department’s Drone as First Responder program. He created and directed the Real Time Intelligence Center from concept to fully operational status and has been involved with projects that advanced multi‑agency information and intelligence sharing across the National Capital Region.

Picerno is a certified instructor and has taught courses on investigations, criminal enforcement and supervisory and administrative responsibilities. He is also a subject matter expert and lecturer in the field of state and local anti-terrorism operations. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Penn State University, a master’s degree in human science from Hood College and a juris doctor, cum laude, from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Captain Picerno is admitted to the Maryland Bar and is a practicing attorney. In addition, he is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management in Policing program.