The History of the Baltimore County Auxiliary Police

Organized in 1942 under the direction of the Civil Defense Agency, the Baltimore County Auxiliary Police was created to assist the Baltimore County Police Bureau provide uninterrupted public safety coverage during World War II, when many career Police Officers were drafted into military service.

The Auxiliary Police were officially incorporated into the Baltimore County Police in 1957, under the direction of the Chief of Police. Throughout the 1960s Auxiliary Officers were assigned at teen centers during school dances and athletic events. Auxiliary Officers provided assistance during disasters and assisted with searches for lost or missing children.

In 1969 the Baltimore County Council passed a Bill authorizing Auxiliary Officers to perform additional duties and conferred limited powers of arrest. Auxiliary Officers were issued additional police equipment and were formally trained by the Police Department's training academy.

In the 1970s Auxiliary Officers were trained to perform other duties, such as traffic and crowd control at parades and fireworks displays. Auxiliary Officers were an integral component in the formation of the Department’s Marine Unit, providing manpower and resources during its development.

In 1977 Baltimore County funded a new radio system to provide adequate communications coverage for the Auxiliary Police. Prior to this system, Auxiliary Officers operated on a Citizens Band radio channel, monitored by a base station dispatcher. Officers installed Citizen Band radios in their vehicles, at their own expense. Two years later, in 1979, permits are issued to qualified Auxiliary Police Officers to operate departmental vehicles for their assignments.

In 1988 pilot programs were established for Auxiliary Officers to transport prisoners, complete follow up reports on certain offenses, and issue citations for parking violations. After those programs proved successful, Auxiliary Officers received training to respond and investigate various calls for service, such as abandoned autos, parking complaints, road defects, animal complaints, lost or stolen property, motorist assists, destructions of property, and more.

In addition to Calls for Service response, Auxiliary Officers continued to provide crime prevention patrols and provide police presence and traffic direction at church and school events throughout the County. In 1995 an Auxiliary Officer was trained and assigned to the Department’s Aviation Team as a Search and Rescue Flight Officer & Hoist Operator.

In 2002 Auxiliary Officers were trained to conduct Sex Offender Registry Checks, staffing the Department’s Sex Offender Registration Verification Program. Throughout the 2000s Auxiliary Officers are awarded Unit Citations for their dedicated work on the Sex Offender Registry Team, with Calls for Service response, and supporting police operations during visits from dignitaries.

In 2012 the Baltimore County Auxiliary Police were selected to host the International Reserve Police Conference, welcoming Reserve and Auxiliary Officers from around the world for 4-days of officer skills training, police demonstrations, and professional networking.

In 2014 the Baltimore County Auxiliary Police were tasked with handling the Department’s Burglary Mitigation Research Project. Officers contacted residents at over 4,600 homes across the County with valuable information on how to prevent burglaries, as well as conducted high-visibility patrols in neighborhoods that were recently burglarized.

In 2017 the Auxiliary Police celebrated 75 Years of Service to the Citizens of Baltimore County. The men and women of the Baltimore County Auxiliary Police are trained and skilled volunteers who have the dedication, determination, and integrity to make a difference in the communities they serve within Baltimore County, Maryland.

The Baltimore County Auxiliary Police continues to assist the Police Department fulfill its mission by supporting crucial crime reduction and safety education initiatives, in addition to supplementing targeted patrols and emergency response on the County’s streets, bike trails, waterways, and airspace.

OUR HISTORY

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