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About Prince George’s
County Police Department
Prior to 1927, Prince George's
County had no organized police
force. The County was policed by a
handful of part-time volunteer
deputy sheriffs and constables.
However, with the start of
urbanization in the County, the
200-year-old sheriff/constable law
enforcement system broke down and
the County government set in motion
a series of events that led to the
formation of a four-man County
police force. This was reorganized
in 1931 and placed the County's
force of now eleven officers under
the command of a police chief who
was appointed by the County
Commissioners
Prince George's County, has
grown1100 percent between 1930 and
1980. During the Department's
74-year history a total of 22
police officers have made the
ultimate sacrifice and given their
lives in the line of duty. Today,
the Prince George's County Police
Department serves approximately
800,000 citizens throughout the
County. In 2001, the Department
answered close to 500,000 calls for
service. Our Department currently
has an authorized strength of 1,420
officers and 263 civilians.
Today, while the jurisdiction size
has remained relatively unchanged, the number of personnel to police that jurisdiction has changed considerably. This department
now serves a population of nearly 1.5 million residents and 40 million tourists visit each year. We now have 2,635 commissioned
police officers, 747 commissioned corrections officers, and over 1,600 civilian personnel working in both the police and
corrections fields.”
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Lieutenant Maurice R. Hicks, Prince George County Police Department
(ret.) served two years with the
Baltimore Police Department and 18
years with the Prince George's
County Police Department.
Lieutenant Maurice Hicks is the
author of Looking for Trouble.
According to the book description of Looking for Trouble, it is “An
incredible true story of
extraordinary courage and grit!
Leading an FBI Homicide Task Force,
working undercover, conducting
covert operations in the shadows,
and investigating drug smugglers,
drug kingpins, murderers, and serial
rapists would be the last thing you
would expect from an introvert. But,
as destiny would have it, Maurice
was that guy. Maurice had spent his
entire life trying to avoid trouble.
However, life changed dramatically
when Maurice joined the PD. Maurice
faced the most dangerous and
horrific close encounters imaginable
while patrolling Baltimore City and
Prince George's County.
During Maurice's 20–year career, he memorialized his cinematic
transformation from a rookie
patrolman to a relentless,
battle–hardened police veteran.
While mastering the art of "Looking
for Trouble," Maurice soared through
the ranks and was promoted to
Lieutenant. The police veteran
graphically describes his
action–packed career. Maurice was
forced to examine and reconcile his
upbringing as he operated in the
shadows immersing himself in a
lifestyle that he spent his entire
life trying to avoid. While battling
some of the most dangerous criminals
in the Baltimore–Washington
Metropolitan area, another battle
emerged and expanded beyond the
streets.
Some of his fiercest battles extended to the halls of the Criminal
Investigations Division and the
Narcotics Enforcement Division. Life
began to lose its luster, and
Maurice believed his career was in
free fall. However, a crisis shook
the community. Against the odds,
Maurice emerged as the lead
investigator of an FBI Safe Streets
Homicide Task Force, creating the
biggest challenge of his career.
Maurice was confronted with the same
drug dealer whom he clashed with
while a patrol officer. The drug
dealer ascended to become a Kingpin
while Maurice became a detective.
Maurice worked frantically to stop
the killings, trying to nab the most
dangerous and elusive Drug Kingpin
in county history, suspected of 12
murders.
The book reveals the incredible psychological complexities of
police work and the emotional
devastation that crime has on
members of our community.”
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