DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT

The Domestic Violence Unit is currently comprised of thirteen individuals - one Sergeant, nine deputies, two clerks, and one advocate. The Unit is dedicated to the enforcement of laws pertaining to family and domestic violence. Before 1999, these duties were shared with the Howard County Police Department, but in July 1999 the Sheriff’s Office took on sole responsibility for the enforcement of domestic violence orders in Howard County.

The Domestic Violence Advocate is a civilian employee dedicated to providing victims and potential victims of domestic violence with the assistance necessary to utilize all available resources to stop violence in and out of the home.

In October 2008, the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention (GOCCP) awarded the Howard County Sheriff's Office with funding from the S*T*O*P Violence Against Women Grant Program. This funding allowed our Office to hire one additional deputy for our Domestic Violence Unit and implement a 5 day full-time / 2 day part-time schedule in January 2009.

Additionally, in August 2009, the Howard County Sheriff's Office was awarded yet another S*T*O*P Violence Against Women grant, this time via funds from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (through the GOCCP). This funding allowed our Office to hire one additional deputy for our Domestic Violence Unit, bringing us closer to our goal of being a 24 / 7 Domestic Violence Unit in 2010.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & NECESSARY FORMS (2009)

Effective October 1, 2009, all respondents subject to a Final Protective Order are required to (1) refrain from possessing all firearms and (2) surrender all firearms in their possession to a law enforcement agency.

Similarly, a judge may now order the surrender of all firearms, under certain circumstances, by a respondent to a Temporary Protective Order. This is discretionary, not mandatory.

The Howard County Sheriff's Office is the designated law enforcement agency for the collection of surrendered firearms. Questions regarding this legislative change should be directed to the Domestic Violence Unit at 410-313-7554.

RELEASE OF SURRENDERED / REMOVED FIREARMS

At the expiration of the protective order, the respondent may apply to retake possession of each firearm surrendered/removed by making a request to the Howard County Sheriff's Office. The HCSO will then conduct a background investigation to determine whether or not the respondent is legally entitled to own or possess the firearm.

If you are the respondent of a Protective Order and are seeking to reclaim possession of a firearm surrendered to or removed by the Howard County Sheriff's Office, please fill out the form below and return it to the Domestic Violence Unit at the address listed on the bottom of the form.

VICTIM INFORMATION & NOTIFICATION EVERYDAY (VINE)

VINE is an information service that can provide you with information on the custody status of offenders and upcoming court hearing dates, either by telephone (1-866-634-8463) or through vinelink.com. It is a fully automated system, available in English and Spanish 24 hours a day. Operator assistance in using the VINE system is also available by telephone 24 hours a day.

Additional information on the VINE system can be found at the following Governor's Office on Crime Control and Prevention sites:

VINE Frequently Asked Questions

Victim Information & Notification Access Chart