The Design of Information Systems for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Executives Charles Drescher  More Info

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

Martin Zaworski is a retired Captain of the Baltimore County Police Department (Maryland) and former Technical Services Division Commander of the Miami Beach Police Department (Florida) and most recently, former Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (Florida).  He has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Navy’s Space and Warfare Systems Command, Charleston, for whom he has evaluated prototype public safety and Homeland Security technology.

Dr. Martin Zaworski has lectured nationally and has coauthored a book and numerous articles on the topic of public safety technology.  He is a member of and has been an advisor to several national public safety committees including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and has served as a subject matter expert - conducting grant reviews - for both the National Institute of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.  He holds both an MPA and Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida International University.  Martin Zaworski is the co-author of The Design of Information Systems for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Executives.

According to the book description of The Design of Information Systems for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Executives, “Many fundamental assumptions about the information needed by today’s law enforcement agencies are founded in tradition. The Design of Information Systems for Law Enforcement suggests the need to view things differently. The authors present a step-by-step process for determining agency needs for information—from gathering to processing to utilization. Having the right information can prove valuable in planning a community policing approach, improving the quality of life in the community, and bridging the gap between police and the public. This book provides details of writing a Request for Proposal (RFP), explaining the reasons behind each vendor requirement and offering advice on how to avoid pitfalls. From there, elements in choosing a system and writing a contract is addressed. The authors offer advice about what to look for when choosing a system and address the differences between the two major systems in use today: the computer-aided dispatch and records management systems. Building a project implementation team is key to successfully implementing the new system and points to consider are presented to ensure transition is smooth and effective. The final chapter brings all the elements of the book together and shows how these all fit together to form a totally automated police agency.”