- Anne Arundel County Police Department
The Anne Arundel County Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency of
Anne Arundel County, Maryland . The Department was created by an Act of theMaryland General Assembly in 1937, and consisted of aChief of Police , threesergeants , and seventeen patrolmen. Current Chief of Police isJames Teare . Currently the department is staffed by more than a 1,000 sworn andcivilian members, including thechaplain s, reserve officers. The Anne Arundel County Police Department is internationally accredited through theCommission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies sinceJuly 30 ,1994 . The manager of the first successful accreditation process was Lieutenant David H.Robinette, who was appointed to manage the program by then Chief of Police Robert P. Russell.Rank Structure
Colonel- Chief of Police Silver Eagle
Lieutenant Colonel- Deputy Chief of Police Silver Oak Leaf
Major- Gold Oak Leaf
Captain- Two Bars
Lieutenant- Executive Officer-Silver bar
Lieutenant- Gold bar
Sergeant- Three Chevrons
Corporal- Two Chevrons
Officer First Class -One Chevron
Officer- No Chevrons Slick Sleeve
Fleet
Anne Arundel County Police have a diverse fleet of marked and unmarked vehicles including the
Ford Crown Victoria ,Dodge Intrepid ,Dodge Charger ,Chevrolet Impala andChevrolet Lumina .Motorcycle s are supplied byHarley 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 t was used in the sixties and seventies before the color of vehicles were changed to the more visible white. The colors were eventually changed back to the two toned scheme in 2000. The majority of vehicles are outfitted with the Code 3 MX7000 lightbar with all-blue lenses. The department is currently testing different variations of LED type lightbars.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 Park, 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 Glen Burnie, 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 through out the county.
Comunity Relations Section
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 Unit
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 Division
The Special Operations Section includes the Quick Response Team (QRT), the K-9 Unit, the Traffic Safety Section and the Aviation Unit. The QRT and the K-9 Units provide tactical support for extraordinary police situations (i.e., hostages, barricade, terrorist), selective patrol and narcotics operations, and provide dignitary protection. The Aviation Unit provides aerial tactical support of ground units including traffic enforcement, aerial observation and pursuit, missing persons, search and rescue, tactical patrol operations, and extraordinary police incidents. The Aviation Unit maintains three helicopters, one Bell 407 and two OH-58 surplus army helicopters, that are flown by officers who are certified pilots.
Communications
Anne Arundel County operates an 800 MHz
trunked radio system for all county police, fire and DPW communications. Broadcasts are currently analog with conversion todigital communications planned in the near future as new towers are constructed.Weapons
Officers are currently issued the Sig Sauer 229 .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.
Past Chiefs
John Souers 1937-1951
Daniel Bratton 1951-1954
Wilbur Wade 1954-1962
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 2006-Present
See also
*
List of law enforcement agencies in Maryland
*Anne Arundel County
*Maryland State Police External links
*http://www.aacounty.org/Police/ Official Website
* [http://www.aacounty.org/Police/history.cfm Detailed History of the Anne Arundel County, MD Police Department]
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