The Guide 8.24 - Flipbook - Page 42
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PUBLIC LIFE
PROTECT AND SERVE
Navigating Annapolis, Anne Arundel police departments
By Maggie Trovato
If it’s an emergency — whether it
requires police officers, firefighters or
emergency medical services — dial 911.
The Anne Arundel County Police
Department is the main law enforcement
agency for the county, and the Annapolis
Police Department responds to emergency calls within city limits. The Anne
Arundel County Sheriff’s Office serves
warrants and court paperwork and
handles security at the circuit courthouse
in Annapolis.
While the Annapolis department
has one station, at 199 Taylor Ave., the
county’s larger force is spread out. Anne
Arundel Police’s headquarters are in
Millersville at 8495 Veterans Highway,
but there are stations in the northern,
southern, eastern and western parts of the
county:
Northern District Station: 939
Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park
Southern District Station: 35 Stepneys
Lane, Edgewater
Eastern District Station: 204 Pasadena
Road, Pasadena
Western District Station: 8273
Telegraph Road, Odenton
Chief Ed Jackson leads the Annapolis Police Department. He has instituted
a cold case squad and a reentry program,
and he is a proponent of community
policing, combating the social factors that
contribute to crime.
City police meet people in the community, assess their needs and promote
programs they might not know about,
such as the city’s harm reduction initiatives for substance users and the Annapolis Police Department reentry program.
In 2022, the city named Richard Reynolds to head the jurisdiction’s LEAD
program, which stands for Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion. The program
aims to steer those charged with low-level
offenses, such as drug charges, toward
mental health and addiction resources.
Anne Arundel County Police Chief
Amal Awad is the first woman to permanently hold the post, as well as the first
Black chief and the first to be a member of
the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2022, residents voted Everett Sesker
to be the 121st county sheriff and the first
Black man to hold one of Anne Arun-
del’s oldest government positions. Sesker
has said he hopes to expand his office’s
responsibilities and connect people
accused of crimes to drug addiction or
mental health resources.
Police officers will respond to every
crime of violence, but there are certain
types of property crimes you can report
over the phone or online. Anne Arundel
County Police provide more guidance at
aacounty.org/departments/police-department/forms-publications/crime-report.
Both departments have phone numbers
you can dial when it’s not an emergency:
410-222-8610 for the county and 410-2684141 for the city.
Police encourage you to tell them when
you know something about a crime. You
can do so anonymously in both jurisdictions. In Anne Arundel, call the tip line at
410-222-4700. In Annapolis, you can leave
a message for officers at 410-280-CLUE
(2583), or dial 1-866-7LOCKUP to reach
Metro Crime Stoppers, where information leading to an arrest or indictment
could make you eligible for a cash reward.
Both agencies provide avenues to file a
complaint against police officers or other
department personnel. Once submitted, the Anne Arundel County Police
Accountability Board, a body of citizens
and former law enforcement personnel,
reviews the case and recommends possible discipline for the officer.
While the law enforcement agencies investigate complaints, the county’s
Police Accountability Board asks citizens to submit their complaints directly
to them. To do so, and learn more about
the complaint process, you can fill out a
form at aacounty.org/police-accountability-board.
In Anne Arundel, you can call just about
any police phone number — including 911
or the nonemergency line — and someone will ask whether you want to speak
with a police officer, or they can take the
complaint over the phone and forward it
to the department’s Office of Professional
Standards. You can also file a complaint
online by filling out a form at aacounty.
org/departments/police-department/
forms-publications/complaint-officer-form.
Annapolis provides a similar form
for complaints against police officers at
reportpolice.annapolis.gov.
Annapolis Police Chief Ed Jackson is pictured in his office in December.
PAUL W. GILLESPIE/STAFF
Amal Awad, chief of police for the Anne Arundel County Police Department, speaks during
the 100th recruiting class graduation on July 9. BRIAN KRISTA/STAFF
