Anne Arundel County Police Department
Encyclopedia
The Anne Arundel County Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency of Anne Arundel County, Maryland
, serving a population of more than 510,878 in 588 square miles (1,522.9 km²) of jurisdiction. The Department was created by an Act of the Maryland General Assembly
in 1937, and originally consisted of a Chief of Police
, three sergeants, and seventeen patrolmen.
The department is currently staffed by approximately 600 sworn officers plus civilian
members, including chaplains, crime scene technicians, animal control officers, communications call-takers and dispatchers, and volunteer "reserve officers" under the leadership of Chief of Police, Colonel James Teare, Sr.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department has been internationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
since July 30, 1994.
, Ford Explorer
, Dodge Intrepid
, Dodge Charger
, Chevrolet Impala
and Chevrolet Lumina
. Motorcycle
s are supplied by Harley Davidson. The color scheme on mark vehicles is of a two toned blue. The top half of vehicles are light blue and the bottom half are dark blue. This paint scheme was used in the 1960s-1970s before the color of vehicles were changed to the more visible white with blue stripe. The colors were eventually changed back to the two toned scheme in 2000.
The agency also utilizes a number of different vehicle models for covert operations and traffic enforcement.
, Eastern District in Pasadena Western District in Odenton
and Southern District in Edgewater. Additional facilities are the Police Department Headquarters in Millersville, the Special Operations Complex in Gambrills, the K-9 center in Severn, the Criminal Investigation Division in Crownsville
and the Police Training Academy in Davidsonville
. The agency also has several sub-stations at various locations throughout the county.
The Aviation Unit provides aerial tactical support of ground units including traffic enforcement, aerial observation and pursuits, missing persons, search and rescue, tactical patrol operations, and extraordinary police incidents.
for all county police, fire and DPW communications. Broadcasts are currently digital communications.
Before the Sig Sauer 229 was issued in the late 90's, officers were equipped with the Beretta 92F in 9mm.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
, serving a population of more than 510,878 in 588 square miles (1,522.9 km²) of jurisdiction. The Department was created by an Act of the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
in 1937, and originally consisted of a Chief of Police
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
, three sergeants, and seventeen patrolmen.
The department is currently staffed by approximately 600 sworn officers plus civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
members, including chaplains, crime scene technicians, animal control officers, communications call-takers and dispatchers, and volunteer "reserve officers" under the leadership of Chief of Police, Colonel James Teare, Sr.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department has been internationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., is a credentialing authority , based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredited public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, training academies, communications centers, and campus public safety...
since July 30, 1994.
Rank structure
The Anne Arundel County Police Department operates as a para-military organization using these sworn personnel ranks:| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Colonel/Chief of Police Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
 |
| Lt. Colonel/Assistant Chief of Police Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... |
 |
| Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
 |
| Captain Police captain - France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant.... |
 |
| Executive Officer |  |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
 |
| Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... |
 |
| Officer First Class Private First Class Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term... |
 |
| Police Officer Police officer A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force... |
Fleet
Anne Arundel County Police have a diverse fleet of marked and unmarked vehicles including the Ford Crown VictoriaFord Crown Victoria
-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
, Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
, Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Intrepid
The Dodge Intrepid is a large four-door, full-size, front-wheel drive sedan car model that was produced for model years 1993 to 2004. It was mechanically related to the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans...
, Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
, Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
and Chevrolet Lumina
Chevrolet Lumina
The North American Chevrolet Lumina sedan , coupe and minivan were first introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year as a new range of vehicles from the Chevrolet brand of General Motors to replace the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Celebrity sedan, and the Monte Carlo coupe. The Lumina was an answer...
. Motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s are supplied by Harley Davidson. The color scheme on mark vehicles is of a two toned blue. The top half of vehicles are light blue and the bottom half are dark blue. This paint scheme was used in the 1960s-1970s before the color of vehicles were changed to the more visible white with blue stripe. The colors were eventually changed back to the two toned scheme in 2000.
The agency also utilizes a number of different vehicle models for covert operations and traffic enforcement.
Facilities
The Anne Arundel County Police Department is divided into four police districts, Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern. The Northern District Station is located in Brooklyn ParkBrooklyn Park, Maryland
Brooklyn Park is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Brooklyn Park, MD is located at ....
, Eastern District in Pasadena Western District in Odenton
Odenton, Maryland
Odenton is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,534 at the 2000 census. The town is named after former Governor of Maryland, Oden Bowie. It is bordered by Gambrills to the east, Severn to the north, Fort Meade to the west, and Crofton to...
and Southern District in Edgewater. Additional facilities are the Police Department Headquarters in Millersville, the Special Operations Complex in Gambrills, the K-9 center in Severn, the Criminal Investigation Division in Crownsville
Crownsville, Maryland
Crownsville is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,670 at the 2000 census. It hosts the Anne Arundel County Fair each September, as well as the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival for several summer weekends. A state psychiatric hospital...
and the Police Training Academy in Davidsonville
Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville is an unincorporated community in central Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA. It is a semi-rural community composed mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb." Davidsonville has relatively little commercial development and no high-density housing...
. The agency also has several sub-stations at various locations throughout the county.
Community relations
The section provides community service-oriented support in the areas of crime prevention and community relations, provides a variety of educational and community-based recreational youth programs and oversees the department’s volunteer program and the Office of the Chaplain. The section serves as a direct liaison with community groups to foster a better working relationship between the department and the communities.Crime prevention
Through its Crime Prevention Unit, the section provides support and subject matter expertise in the area of crime prevention and avoidance. It conducts crime avoidance surveys for businesses and residences, and oversees neighborhood watch programs. The Crime Prevention Unit also manages the department’s volunteer Reserve Officer program, the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program, and the Office of the Chaplain. The Office of the Chaplain provides counseling and spiritual support to Department employees.Special operations
The Special Operations Section includes the Quick Response Team (QRT), K-9 Unit, Traffic Safety Section, Marine Unit, and Aviation Unit. The SOS provides tactical support for a variety of department activities including high-risk warrant service, selective patrol and narcotics operations, dignitary protection, and response to hostage, barricade, and terrorist incidents.The Aviation Unit provides aerial tactical support of ground units including traffic enforcement, aerial observation and pursuits, missing persons, search and rescue, tactical patrol operations, and extraordinary police incidents.
Communications
Anne Arundel County operates an 800 MHz trunked radio systemTrunked radio system
A trunked radio system is a complex type of computer-controlled radio system. Trunked systems use a few channels , and can have virtually unlimited talkgroups. The control channel computer sends packets of data to enable one talkgroup to talk together, regardless of frequency...
for all county police, fire and DPW communications. Broadcasts are currently digital communications.
Weapons
Officers are currently issued the Sig Sauer 229-R .40 caliber pistol, ASP expandable baton and O.C. spray. Remington 870 shotguns, Colt and Bushmaster AR-15 rifles, beanbag shotguns, and X26 Tasers are used by some officers as well.Before the Sig Sauer 229 was issued in the late 90's, officers were equipped with the Beretta 92F in 9mm.
Past chiefs
- John Souers 1937-1951
- Daniel Bratton 1951-1954
- Wilbur Wade 1954-1962
- Edward King 1962-1964
- Elmer Hagner 1964-1969
- Edward Praley 1969-1974
- Ashley Vick 1974-1979
- Maxwell Frye 1979-1983
- William Lindsey 1983-1986
- George Wellham 1986-1991
- Robert Russel 1991-1994
- Robert Beck 1994-1997
- Larry Tolliver 1997-1998 (Former Superintendent, Maryland State Police)
- Patrick Shanahan 1998-2006
- James Teare, Sr. 2006–present
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Maryland
- Anne Arundel County