Bealefeld was born in August 1962.^[1] One of his great-grandfathers, grandfathers, and grand-uncles served the Baltimore Police Department.^[2][3] His grand-uncle was killed on duty, while his younger brother later became a homicide detective.^[2][4] He graduated from Chesapeake High School in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and attended Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), dropping out due to a broken collar bone preventing him from getting a lacrosse scholarship.^[5][6]

After dropping out from AACC, Bealefeld joined the Baltimore Police Department as a cadet on May 11, 1981, beginning his career as a patrol officer in the Western District. He was promoted to a sergeant in 1987, leaving the patrol division to become a detective in 1989. He rose through the ranks of the department, becoming a lieutenant in 2000, a major in 2002, commander of the Second District in 2003, chief of patrol of East Baltimore and a lieutenant colonel in 2005, and chief of the Criminal Investigation Division and a colonel in 2006.^[3][7] He become deputy commissioner of operations for the department in February 9, 2007, being appointed by commissioner Leonard Hamm to replace Marcus Brown, who left for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.^[2][6][4]

Following Hamm's resignation on July 19, 2007, Mayor of Baltimore Sheila Dixon was expected to name Bealefeld acting commissioner, however other potential candidates included Errol Dutton, deputy commissioner of administration at the Baltimore Police Department, Jesse B. Oden, head of the Baltimore housing division, Antonio Williams, the chief of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County police department, Barry W. Powell, former deputy commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, and Eddie Compass, the former superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department. At the time of Hamm's resignation, the city was on track to exceed 300 homicides in 2007, the highest since 1999, non-fatal shootings had rose 30%, and police morale was low.^[6] Bealefeld assumed the position of acting commissioner the same day, with Dixon revealing that she asked Hamm to resign because of falling approval, rising crime rates, and that she "wasn't feeling that drive like I wanted to" with Hamm and was impressed with Bealefeld. She also said that Bealefeld had been the de facto leader of the department for a few months.^[8]

Paul M. Blair Jr., the president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), said that he had no comment on Bealefeld becoming acting commissioner, however he noted that Bealefeld had been the department's eighth commissioner in eight years and that he wanted "someone who is in charge" and someone who "really wants to work with the rank and file and is concerned with morale and getting back on the right track". Robert F. Cherry Jr., vice president of the FOP, described him as "the hardest-working cop in the department" and "an excellent motivator". In contrast, Frederick V. Roussey, a former FOP official, said that "he is a good street cop, but was in way over his head as deputy commissioner".^[6]

While campaigning for the 2007 Baltimore mayoral election, Dixon began to search for the next permanent commissioner. She considered eight candidates, including Charles H. Ramsey, former chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and future commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, who she considered to be neck and neck with Bealefeld, however, according to Dixon, Bealefeld edged out Ramsay because of his performance as acting commissioner, during which homicide rates and shootings were down from the same period in 2006, however, overall year-to-date homicides and shootings increased. It was also hypothesized that Bealefeld had been picked due to being within the department, in contrast with the commissioners picked by previous mayor Martin O'Malley. Bealefeld was officially nominated for commissioner by Dixon on October 4, 2007. As commissioner, Bealefeld vowed to reduce crime rates and stabilize the department, while Blair commented that Bealefeld would bring stability to the department and that "we don't need another outsider with no ties to the Baltimore community coming in here to try to tell us how to police".^[3]

Immediately after being appointed commissioner, he appointed Anthony E. Barksdale as deputy commissioner of operations and Deborah A. Owens as deputy commissioner of administration.^[3] He also announced his intent to move to Baltimore from Howard County, where he lived with Linda and their children, due to a clause in the city charter which requires the commissioner to live in Baltimore.^[6] As commissioner, he was known for his colloquialisms, calling criminals "bad guys with guns", "morons", and "knuckleheads".^[5][9]

On May 2, 2012, Bealefeld announced to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake that he would resign as commissioner effective August 1, 2012, to spend more time with his family, citing stress. While Rawlings-Blake asked that he reconsider, after consulting with his family, his retirement was officially announced the next day. During his five years as commissioner, the longest since the 15-year tenure of Donald Pomerleau, gun crime reduced by 24 percent and, in 2011, Baltimore had under 200 homicides, its lowest homicide rate since 1976, while arrest rates dropped from over 100,000 in 2005 to around 45,000 in 2011.^[5][9][10] On August 28, 2012, Rawlings-Blake announced the appointment of Anthony Batts, the former chief of the Oakland Police Department, as commissioner to replace Bealefeld.^[11]

In either 1982 or 1983, he married his wife, Linda, with whom he had two children, Frederick IV and Erica, in 1991 or 1992 and 1995 or 1996, respectively.^[2] On November 26, 2012, Bealefeld joined Stevenson University as a distinguished professional in criminal justice as well as an instructor. At the time of him joining Stevenson, Justin Fenton, writing for The Baltimore Sun, described Bealefeld as "perhaps the city's most effective commissioner in recent history", also crediting him with improving officer education.^[10]