Community Policing Partnership Announced In Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — A community policing partnership has been launched in Baltimore County, designed to "build pathways for public safety-focused careers in Baltimore County and ensure the next generation of law enforcement reflects the diversity of communities and are trained in 21st-century policing skills and values."

The initiative is a partnership between the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Academy, the Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore County Public Schools and the Office of the County Executive.

“Baltimore County is committed to ensuring the next generation of law enforcement reflects the rich diversity of our communities and is provided with innovative and inclusive training to help prepare them to address the needs of our neighborhoods,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. “The community policing partnership will coordinate efforts across county government to strategically develop pathways for modern public safety careers, continue strengthening the diversity of our workforce and ensure Baltimore County builds a stronger future together.”

“The community policing partnership program aligns directly with our focus to recruit and hire service-minded individuals while increasing diversity within the Baltimore County Police Department,” added Chief Melissa Hyatt. “This partnership provides an opportunity to build upon our current efforts to ensure that our agency reflects the communities we serve throughout Baltimore County.”

Under the leadership of Hyatt, the Baltimore County Police Department has taken steps to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. However, disparities in representation remain, as 76 percent of the department is currently white, compared to 60 percent of the county’s population, Olszewski said.

In order to modernize current law enforcement instruction and training, attract diverse and non-traditional applicants, and strengthen the pipeline to public safety careers in Baltimore County, each of the CPP partners are implementing efforts within their respective organizations. For example:

• BCoPD is now offering a variety of professional development opportunities that reflects a commitment to community policing, including anti-bias training, de-escalation techniques and supporting community members experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
• BCoPD will continue to support young learners through mentoring, guest lectures and career exploration events.
• BCoPD is implementing a program to allow sworn police officers and cadets to enroll in an accelerated program to obtain their associates degree in criminal justice from CCBC.
• CCBC is expanding new electives to provide opportunities for students in the criminal justice program, including courses on community policing, civil rights, restorative justice, interpersonal communication and mental health.
• CCBC is updating course titles and content to better align with current practices (e.g. changing “Juvenile Delinquency” to “Juvenile Justice”)
• BCPS is expanding internship and apprenticeship opportunities with the Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County Public Safety Cadets; evaluating existing Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Career and Technical Education curricula to better align with the necessary job skills; and expanding the HSEP career programs to new schools.