About the Baltimore Police Department
The preservation of the peace, protection
of property and the arrest of offenders has been the goal of Baltimore residents since August 8, 1729, when the Legislature
created Baltimore Towne.
The first attempt to organize a force
to guard Baltimore occurred in 1784. Constables were appointed and given police powers to keep the peace. The State Legislature on March 16, 1853, passed a bill, "to provide for the better security for the people
and property in the City of Baltimore." This statute provides that police officers should be armed and that a badge and commission
be furnished each member.
Today, the Baltimore Police Department’s
jurisdiction encompasses an area of 86.0 square miles: 78.3 sq. miles of land and 7.7 sq. miles on waterways. The present
Headquarters Building of the Police Department was opened in 1972.
baltimorepolice.org/
