Howard County Police Department
Encyclopedia
The Howard County Police Department (HCPD) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing 272,452 persons within 252.04 square miles (652.8 km²) of Howard County, Maryland
.
. All HCPD officers are fully certified
, sworn law enforcment officials. The authority originates with an act of legislation performed by the Maryland General Assembly
.
, the latter of which being impervious to legal action unrelated to county legislation. Many claim this action is a direct violation of their right to petition in the government for redress of grievances
.
In 2010, the Howard County Police attempted to bring charges against a servicemember at Fort Meade. The police, namely Eric Kruhm , Thomas Rukamp , and Roland Denton of the domestic violence unit, violated numerous state and federal laws during the course of their investigation. It turned out the alleged victim's boyfriend, Adam Macnaughton, forged the evidence in order to frame the alleged victim's husband. The husband attempted an internal affairs complaint, however the Howard County Police lied in order to cover up their legal and ethical violations. The husband is currently filing state charges against the Howard County Police, followed by a lawsuit totaling $10 million.
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
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Authority
The agency itself is nationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement AgenciesCommission 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...
. All HCPD officers are fully certified
Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission
Headquartered in Sykesville, MD, the Maryland Police And Correctional Training Commissions is a state oversight agency for all law enforcement and correctional agencies in Maryland.-Duties:...
, sworn law enforcment officials. The authority originates with an act of legislation performed by 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...
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Organization
The current chief of police is William McMahon. The HCPD divides the county into two districts, northern and southern. The agency has the following sections- Patrol
- K-9Police dogA police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
- Aviation
- Emergency Services Unit
- Tactical
- Bike Patrol
- Criminal Investigations (CIB)
- Traffic Enforcement
- Youth Services
- Communications
- Auxiliary Police (Volunteers)
- Education and Training
- Warrants Division
- SWAT Team
Controversy
The State's Attorney of Howard County has attempted to block civil suits against the HCPD, citing legislation that binds the corporate entity of the HCPD to the corporate entity of the Howard County GovernmentHoward County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, the latter of which being impervious to legal action unrelated to county legislation. Many claim this action is a direct violation of their right to petition in the government for redress of grievances
Right to petition in the United States
In the United States the right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the federal constitution, which specifically prohibits Congress from abridging "the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."...
.
In 2010, the Howard County Police attempted to bring charges against a servicemember at Fort Meade. The police, namely Eric Kruhm , Thomas Rukamp , and Roland Denton of the domestic violence unit, violated numerous state and federal laws during the course of their investigation. It turned out the alleged victim's boyfriend, Adam Macnaughton, forged the evidence in order to frame the alleged victim's husband. The husband attempted an internal affairs complaint, however the Howard County Police lied in order to cover up their legal and ethical violations. The husband is currently filing state charges against the Howard County Police, followed by a lawsuit totaling $10 million.