Teresa Walter, Chief of Police
twalter@havredegracemd.com

The Havre de Grace Police Department is responsible for providing full service 24 Hour law enforcement and related public safety services to its Citizens.

MISSION STATEMENT

"The fundamental mission of the Havre de Grace Police Department is to protect life and property and enforce the law in a fair and impartial manner.  The Department will further strive to preserve the peace and assure all constitutional guarantees in an effort to sustain the highest quality of life possible for our citizens and visitors."

The Department's budget is approximately 1.85 million dollars.

The Police Department:

• 27 Sworn Police Officers
• 10 Civilian and Tech Support Personnel
• Drug Detection and Patrol Canine

The following Divisions make up the Department:

• Administration
• Communications
• Patrol
• Criminal Investigations

 POLICE FUNCTION

The Departments respond to or initiates approximately 25,000 calls per year.  The majority of these calls for service are requests for services from the Community.

Many community based and problem solving activities make up the officer's daily work schedule.  The Department feels that the many proactive activities and programs result in a very desirable quality of life within the City.  The positive working relationships that have been established between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have made the Department particularly effective in the investigation of serious crime and drug related incidents.

COMMUNITY POLICING

A great deal of other community based policing activities take place throughout the year.  One activity that is especially popular with the business and financial establishments is the foot patrols conducted by the officers during their shift.  These foot patrols also include walking in the City parks and the public schools.

PREVENTION

Crime Prevention activities focus on presentations to school students. A wide range of topics have been included in these classes to include substance abuse, traffic safety and conflict resolution.  It is uncommon for a week to go by without a tour of the Department or a request for an officer to make a presentation on any number of safety or prevention topics.  Officers can be requested to speak to interested civic or educational groups simply by calling the Department.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

The Department's traffic enforcement efforts have received numerous awards, grants, and recognition for its enforcement and prevention accomplishments from the Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic Safety.  Most recently, programs dealing with seat belt and child safety seat usage have been recognized.  The Department does have two certified child safety seat technicians who can inspect and educate drivers in the proper installation and maintenance of child safety seats.

K-9 UNIT

The Department's K-9 Unit is used primarily for the detection of controlled dangerous substances and related patrol work.  This Unit is called upon to support drug enforcement activities throughout the entire region.  It is not uncommon for many of the allied police agencies or narcotic task forces to request a drug dog scan at the scene of a search warrant or motor vehicle stop.  The dogs are extremely popular with students when they travel with officers to the schools for talks and demonstrations.

LANDLORD TRAINING PROGRAM

One of the most successful prevention programs focuses on the reduction of crime and victimization in and around rental properties.  This initiative is called the Landlord Training Program.  This project is based on promoting partnerships between the police and property managers.  This proactive community policing has proven to have appreciably raised the quality of life in a number of areas throughout the City.  It has been found that the most effective way to combat drug activity on rental property is through a coordinated effort with police, landlords and neighbors.  The most desired outcome is to prevent illegal activity from taking place in rental property rather than trying to combat it once it begins taking place.

Persons interested in learning more about the Landlord Training Program can request information by contacting the Department by phone or e-mail.

BIKE UNIT

The Police Bicycle Unit is well received by special event goers and encourages interaction between the police and the public.  Bicycle enthusiasts and younger visitors are especially interested in the high-tech TREK police bicycles the officers operate.

Harford County Joint Narcotics Task Force

The Department fully supports the Joint Narcotics Task Force by assigning a full time sworn member to this Special Unit.  The Task Force focuses on the larger and more complex narcotic investigations that take place throughout the region.

SPECIAL EVENTS (Application)

The City also hosts a large number of Special Events that range in size from a few hundred to many thousand attendees.  The Police Department is called upon throughout the year to provide public safety and traffic control functions at many of these activities.