Prince George's County Police Department

Prince George's County Police Department
Common name P.G. County Police Department
Abbreviation PGPD

Patch of the Prince George's County Police Department

Seal of the Prince George's County Police Department

Badge of the Prince George's County Police Department

Flag of Prince George's County, Maryland
Agency overview
Formed June 1, 1931[1]
Employees 2,300 Approx as of 2010
Annual budget $244,300,000.00[2]
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* County of Prince George's in the state of Maryland, U.S.
Map of Prince George's County Police Department's jurisdiction.
Size 498 square miles (1,290 km2)
Population 801,515
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Palmer Park, Maryland
Police Officers 2,000 Approx as of 2010
Civilians 300 Approx as of 2010
Agency executive Hank Stawinski, Chief Of Police
Stations 7
Facilities
Headquarters 7600 Barlowe Road, Palmer Park, Maryland 20785
38°55′5″N 76°52′35″W / 38.91806°N 76.87639°W / 38.91806; -76.87639
Jails 1
Police Boats 3
Helicopters 2
Website
www.princegeorgescountymd.gov
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States, servicing a population of over 850,000 residents and visitors within 498 square miles (1,290 km²) of jurisdiction.[3]

History

PGPD motorcycle units in July 2012.
A Chevrolet Impala of the Prince George's County Police in 2006.
A Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor of the Prince George's County Police in February 2007.

The Prince George's County Police Department was created on June 1, 1931 in response to the increasing population and crime the county was experiencing. Prior to 1931, the county was primarily policed by the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office (PGSO). When serious crimes, such as murder or rape, were committed, detectives from the Baltimore City Police Department were borrowed.[4]

On June 26, 1978, Officer Albert Marshal Claggett IV and Officer James Swart were shot and killed with Claggett's revolver by Terrence Johnson, a 15-year-old theft suspect, while in the booking area of the Hyattsville District Station. Johnson was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Officer Claggett and not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of Officer Swart. Johnson was sentenced to 25 years in prison; he was paroled in 1995. In 1997, Johnson and his brother robbed a bank in Aberdeen, Maryland. As police officers approached to arrest him, Johnson committed suicide.

On February 8, 1982, Officer Raymond Hubbard was shot and killed when he intervened in an armed robbery while off duty at Iverson Mall. While shopping at the mall Officer Hubbard observed an armed robbery in progress at a jewelry store. He drew his weapon and confronted the suspects. Unbeknownst to Officer Hubbard, there were accomplices nearby who opened fire on him.Officer Hubbard was struck several times and fell to the ground. The suspects then stood over him and shot him several more times before stealing his service revolver.All four suspects were eventually apprehended and convicted of Officer Hubbard's murder. Three were sentenced to life and one was sentenced to 70 years in prison.Officer Hubbard had served with the Prince George's County Police Department for 2 years.

In August 1988, Corporal Mark Kevin Murphy was shot while he attempted to force open a door during a drug raid. As Murphy knelt down to position equipment, someone inside the home opened the door. Other policemen then opened fire hitting Murphy in the back of the head.[5][6]

On June 21, 2005, Sergeant Steven F. Gaughan was killed during a traffic stop in Laurel.

On June 27, 2008, Corporal Richard S. Findley was killed by Ronnie L. White, who was driving a stolen pickup truck. White struck Corporal Findley with the truck as he attempted to elude police and avoid being arrested in Laurel. White appeared to be in good physical condition when he was arrested but died of asphyxiation while in the custody of the Prince George's County Department of Corrections.[7] The death was ruled a homicide. The Prince George's County Police investigated the crime; suspects included several guards. A cell video camera, which would have recorded the incident was either disabled or obstructed. There were no arrests.

On October 23, 2008, the county and three individually-named police officers were found not liable for use of excessive force by a jury after deliberating for twenty minutes. The claim involved injuries sustained by a University of Maryland student who was involved in a riot following a victory over Duke University in basketball in 2005. The student was struck near the eye allegedly by a projectile fired from a FN 303 less-than-lethal riot gun.[8]

On March 9, 2010, Private First Class Tom Jensen died at Prince George's Hospital Center after being taken there following a vehicular crash. He was responding to a man breaking into a woman's apartment on February 27, 2010. Due to his over five years of service in the department, he was posthumously promoted to corporal.

On August 20, 2012, Officer Adrian Morris died as a result of an automobile accident on the Washington, D.C. Capital Beltway, near Route 212. Officer Michael Risher was also injured but survived, according to the police department. Morris, who was driving the police cruiser, was attempting to catch-up to another vehicle while investigating a reported crime. The police cruiser apparently veered off the highway and into a ravine. Morris, who was thrown from the vehicle, suffered severe head injuries. He was pronounced dead at Prince George's Hospital. Morris, 23, was a former member of the Prince George’s Police Explorers.[9]

Organization

The current Chief of Police is Hank Stawinski, who is the 17th chief. The previous Chief of Police, Mark Magaw, retired in December 2015.

As of 2010, the agency has an authorized strength of 2,000 sworn officers and 300 civilians.

The agency is divided into six districts. Each district is divided into sectors, which are divided into individual beats:

Organizational structure

Specialized units

As of January 1, 2014, each division has various units in it as listed below.

Bureau of Patrol

Regional Investigative Division

Divided into 3 regions North (Hyattsville/Beltsville), Central (Bowie/Landover), South (Clinton, Oxon HIll) Each region has its own detectives:

Special Operations Division

Criminal Investigation Division

Crime Scene Investigation Division

Special Investigation Division

Internal Affairs Division

Narcotics Enforcement Division

Bureau of Support Services

Controversies

Excessive Force

In July 1999, the department was subject to a complaint[10] by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding alleged excessive use of force by police canine units.

In January 2004, the department signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations of excessive force.[11][12][13] This resulted in the establishment of an independent monitoring group by Military Professional Resources Inc. (MPRI), a defense contractor.[14][15]

Convictions of officer

In April 2014, Officer Sinisa Simic was sentenced ten years' confinement for his protection of a gang distributing cocaine and untaxed cigarettes. Simic had been indicted on various charges in 2010 as part of a wide-ranging corruption investigation that lead to the arrest of three other officers.[16]

Alleged officer conduct not resulting in convictions

On February 3, 2012, Corporal Donald Taylor beat Ryan Dorm with the butt of his service weapon. The pistol fired from the impact with Dorm's face. Taylor then filed a report falsely claiming Dorm had somehow attacked him. A surveillance video at the Brentwood, Maryland gas station showed this to be false and in September 2012, Taylor was charged with nonspecific crimes. Dorm, who had been arrested on various charges had all charges against dropped after being jailed for four months. Cpl Donald Taylor was charged with assault and misconducted in office. He was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges after a trial.[17]

In May 2012, Officer Daniel Gonzalez was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing his official car. Gonzalez was found not guilty of all charges after a trial.[18]

In July 2012, Corporal Rickey Adey was indicted by a grand jury on charges for assaulting a teenaged boy during an arrest. Adey was acquitted of the charges after a trial.[19]

Academy

On October 9, 2010, an instructor at the Prince George's Police Academy, was transferred out of the academy. Reportedly, he had given all of his recruits perfect scores on tests, even though students' actual scores varied, and at least some students had failed those exams. There was evidence that he shared exam questions with students in advance, allowing several classes of recruits to graduate after cheating on their exam.[20]

Canine killing

In September 2010, a PGPD officer shot and killed a pet canine after its owners called 911 for help after being the victims of an attempted robbery.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ State of Maryland (April 22, 2013). "Police Department". Prince George's County Police Department - Government, Executive Branch, Public Safety. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  2. ↑ http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/Government/AgencyIndex/OMB/Proposed_Budget_FY2010/Approvedpdfs/PublicSafety/police.pdf
  3. ↑ Prince George's County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  4. ↑ "History of the Prince George's County Police Department". Archived from the original on August 24, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2006.
  5. ↑ Police Officer Shot to Death in Drug Raid, Associated Press, September 1, 1988
  6. ↑ "Pr. George's Officer Shot in Drug Raid; 5 Arrested; Corporal's Condition". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. September 1, 1988. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  7. ↑ "A Puzzling Homicide". The Washington Post. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  8. ↑ http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2008/10/24/News/Court.Sides.With.Police.In.Riot.Case-3504936.shtml?refsource=collegeheadlines
  9. ↑ Zapotosky, Matt (August 22, 2012). "Crime". The Washington Post.
  10. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20110716141435/http://www.co.pg.md.us/Government/PublicSafety/Police/pdfs/DOJ-PGPD%20-%20Consent%20Decree%2011th%20Status%20Rpt.pdf
  11. ↑ United States Department of Justice (January 22, 2004). "Memorandum of Agreement Between the United States Department of Justice and Prince George’s County, Maryland and the Prince George's County Police Department" (PDF). United States Department of Justice. United States Department of Justice. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  12. ↑ United States Department of Justice (January 22, 2004). "Justice Department signs agreements governing use of canines and force with Prince George's County". United States Department of Justice. United States Department of Justice. Archived from the original on January 25, 2004. Retrieved January 25, 2004. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced the successful resolution of its three-year investigation into the use of force by the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department. R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, announced the signing of two agreements between the Department, the County, and the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD). The parties entered into a consent decree governing the PGPD’s Canine Section and a memorandum of agreement (MOA) addressing the department-wide use of force. “Today’s agreements underscore the seriousness with which the Justice Department reviews allegations of police misconduct," said R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Prince George's County and its police department should be commended for reaching a resolution in this matter. This is an example of the success that can be achieved when people come together in the pursuit of a common goal. Today's settlements will yield lasting benefits for the citizens of Prince George's County.” The agreements require widespread reform in PGPD’s use of canines and force. In addition to establishing policies governing the use of canines and the use of force, these agreements also establish specific training requirements and accountability practices. Most notably, the agreements will require PGPD to take the following steps: reform its use of force policies, as well as its training, reporting, and accountability procedures; adopt and implement a “guard and bark” methodology for canines, whereby canines will locate suspects and hold them at bay by barking loudly; use of biting is restricted to specific incidents where necessary for arrest or safety of officers or civilians; create a special board to review all firearm discharges; operate a system to manage risk regarding officer performance; effectively review canine bites and other related activity; and investigate and review misconduct allegations. The agreements resolve an investigation first initiated in July 1999, when the Justice Department began reviewing PGPD’s use of canines. Subsequently, in October 2000, the Justice Department began investigating broader allegations of excessive force. The agreements announced today fully resolved those investigations. In order to ensure the effective implementation of the agreements, the Justice Department will continue to monitor the Prince George’s County Police Department for the next three years. The Department will also remain involved through the offer of technical assistance. The Fraternal Order of Police, which met with the Department regarding the settlement, stated, “Based upon our conversations with members of the Civil Rights Division, we are satisfied that the recommendations are consistent with policies implemented by the current police administration. We are confident that the Prince George’s County Police Department will be able to satisfy the requirements of the Justice Department. We applaud the current police administration for having the forethought to address most of these issues preemptively.” This Administration has made a particular effort to resolve police misconduct complaints. Since 2001, the Justice Department has entered into 12 settlement agreements resolving law enforcement misconduct investigations - a six-fold increase over the two investigations resolved through settlements during the three preceding years. In 2003, the Justice Department resolved investigations of police misconduct involving the Villa Rica, Georgia Police Department, the Detroit, Michigan Police Department, and the Mount Prospect, Illinois Police Department.
  13. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20120115023700/http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/pgpd/pg_memo_agree.pdf
  14. ↑ United States Department of Justice (June 28, 2004). "Independent monitor selected for Justice Department's agreement with Prince George's County Police Department". United States Department of Justice. United States Department of Justice. Archived from the original on July 7, 2004. Retrieved July 7, 2004. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced the selection of an Independent Monitor to help implement its agreement with the Prince George’s County Police Department concerning the Police Department’s use of force. The Justice Department, working together with Prince George's County and the Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD), selected Eduardo Gonzalez, former Chief of the Tampa, Florida Police Department, and the Alexandria Group to serve as the Independent Monitor of the Memorandum of Agreement signed January 22, 2004. For the next three years, the Independent Monitor will be closely involved in ensuring the PGPD's compliance with the agreement. The Monitor will evaluate the PGPD's implementation of widespread use of force reforms, provide technical assistance to the PGPD in achieving these reforms, and issue regular public reports on the PGPD's progress. "We are confident that the experience and expertise of Chief Gonzalez and the Alexandria Group will assist the County and Police Department in implementing the timely and meaningful reforms the agreement requires," said R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “We are grateful for the cooperation of County Executive Jack Johnson and Chief Melvin High in working to select the Independent Monitor through a comprehensive nationwide search.” This agreement resulted from an investigation conducted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. A parallel investigation of an alleged pattern or practice of excessive force in the PGPD's use of canines was resolved by a consent decree entered by a federal district court in March 2004.
  15. ↑ United States Department of Justice (January 22, 2004). "Investigation of the Prince George's County Police Department". United States Department of Justice. United States Department of Justice. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  16. ↑ Ex-police officer gets 10-year sentence, 3 April 2014, by The Associated Press
  17. ↑ WJLA (September 4, 2012). "Video of Donald Taylor police-involved shooting by Brad Bell". WJLA. WJLA.
  18. ↑ Officer crashes Cruise, Charged with DUI, by the Associated Press, 20 May 2012
  19. ↑ Giles, Ben (July 28, 2012). "Prince George's Officer Indicted for Assaulting Teen". Washington Examiner. Washington Examiner. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  20. ↑ Zapotosky, Matt (October 10, 2010). "Pr. George's police shift instructor in scandal". Washington Post. p. C4.
  21. ↑ ABC 7 News (September 22, 2010). "Family outraged after officer shoots dog". ABC 7 News. ABC 7 News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved September 26, 2010.

External links

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