The COPS Office is pleased to feature the Howard County (Maryland) Police Department as a 2024 winner of the Community Policing in Action Photo Contest.

Beautification of the natural environment might not seem like a community policing activity. But this overgrown area filled with broken bottles and litter attracted loiterers and was unsafe for children as well as a site for criminal activity.

To improve its safety as well as its natural beauty, Howard County (Maryland) Police Department (HCPD) Police Officer (First Class) Keenan Black stayed after his patrol shift, on his own time, to join a clean-up effort that the HCPD’s Community Outreach Division coordinated with area residents and a local nonprofit.

As part of their community policing efforts, the HCPD addresses a wide variety of issues that affect quality of life in the county, taking proactive measures to reduce the opportunity for crime and disorder in this central Maryland area between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Said HCPD Chief Greg Der, “Community policing is ingrained in our department. Every officer is trained and encouraged to work with the people they serve and form relationships with those on their beat.”

To strengthen and expand these efforts, this department of 509 sworn officers has a full-time Community Outreach unit in addition to its Patrol Division. Created to develop positive relationships with the people who live and work in Howard County, these officers are embedded in specific communities throughout the county to identify and address their concerns.

To this end, they work closely with community and nonprofit organizations such as the African American Community Roundtable of Howard County, the Howard County Autism Society, and the Howard County Muslim Council. The HCPD also holds monthly meetings with the county’s Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) to get its input on the department’s police services and assistance in the development of crime prevention programs.

A Focus on Youth with Mentorship Programs

HCPD youth programs are a particular focus of their community outreach. These programs range from summer camps to classes in advanced driver safety skills, and many of them are staffed by their local school resource officers (SRO).

Among these is BearTrax, a three-day overnight camp and mentorship program for fifth to sixth graders. Through sports, outdoor activities, and classroom discussion, these children learn how to relate positively to their peers and develop good relationships with adults. Along with communication and conflict management skills, they also learn personal safety strategies and engage in team building activities.

Another HCPD mentorship program is the PLEDGE (Pride, Leadership, Education, Diversity, Growth, Evaluation) summer camp and school-year program for students in middle school and high school. Through discussion and activities, students learn communication, teamwork, and other life skills from SRO mentors.

During the summer months, the HCPD’s Community Athletic Program (CAP)—a trailer staffed by SROs and filled with sports gear, board games, and video game equipment—travels to areas where unsupervised youth gather to engage with them in positive activities, develop relationships, and discourage involvement in crime or gangs.

Introducing Teens to Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Careers

To involve young people in the criminal justice process, the HCPD sponsors a Teen Court program that offers first-time juvenile offenders an opportunity to accept responsibility for misdemeanor crimes without incurring a criminal record by doing community service or through other corrective activities. They are judged by a jury of their peers, teen volunteers who hear cases such as disorderly conduct and other nonviolent offenses. Through the HCPD’s Youth Advisory Council, local teens will not only learn about law enforcement but also have an opportunity to give feedback and ideas to the Howard County Police Department. Those who are interested in a law enforcement career can also attend the Youth Police Academy, an overnight camp in which they spend a week learning about police work in through classroom instruction and activities.

Said Chief Der, “Interacting with our young people in a positive and reinforcing way has lasting effects, not just for our police department but [also] for the community as a whole. They are our future, and we want to build a trusting relationship with them early in their lives.”

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

Photos courtesy of Howard County (Maryland) Police Department.

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