About the Baltimore
County Police Department
The Baltimore County Police Department was established by the Maryland State Legislature
on April 11, 1874. The Maryland Legislature approved what became Chapter 374 of the Laws of Maryland. This authorized the
Baltimore County Commissioners "to appoint such number of policemen as they may deem necessary, for the better protection
of persons and property; the number not to exceed thirty at any one time, and to designate such number of said policemen as
they may deem advisable, not exceeding five, as chief policemen." A second provision stated that "the pay of each
policeman shall be two dollars per day, except such police as may be mounted; and mounted policemen shall furnish their own
horses, trappings, equipment and forage for horses, and the pay of the mounted policemen shall be three dollars per day."
On June 17, 1874, the County Commissioners divided the two mile portion of the county bordering the
Baltimore City boundary into five districts and appointed the first police force. Officers were appointed to one year terms.
Today, the Baltimore County Police Department is
a full service law enforcement agency that handled more than a half million calls for service during 2006. The
more than 2,500 sworn an civilian personnel of the Baltimore County Police Department are organized into three large bureaus:
Administrative and Technical Services Bureau; Operations Bureau; and, Human Services Bureau.
The Operations Bureau of the Baltimore County Police Department
includes the Criminal
Investigations
Division as well as the two patrol divisions (Eastern and Western), the
Support Services Division and the Community Resources Division.
Source:
baltimorecountymd.gov
