About the Chief: 

Police Chief Lisa D. Myers is a 29-year veteran of the Howard County Police Department. She was appointed Chief in February 2019, one year after her retirement from the agency as a Captain. At that time, she was the commander of the Human Resources Bureau, overseeing Employment Services and the Education and Training Division. 

Chief Myers began her career with HCPD in 1990 as a civilian crime lab technician. She entered the police academy in 1994 and worked in various components of the police department, including as the Chief of Staff, Patrol Division Watch Commander, supervisor of Youth Services, Public Information Officer and Community Officer. She is an exceptional communicator with notable success in management of operations focused on lowering crime and building community partnerships. 

Chief Myers has represented the police department in labor management negotiations and on multiple boards to include the Howard County Police Foundation, Citizens Advisory Council, African American Community Roundtable, Human Trafficking Prevention Council, Local Children’s Board and selection committee for the Anti-Defamation League SHIELD awards.  

Chief Myers holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Coppin State University and is a member of Leadership Howard County, a premier program for business leaders. She is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). 

Since her appointment, Chief Myers has implemented new initiatives to better serve the community and police department. She launched a one-year field test to use drones in police operations; a realignment of patrol beats to improve response times and create a more equitable workload for officers; a reorganization of the police department’s structure to increase the efficiency of operations; and a partnership with local non-profit Fidos For Freedom, to bring comfort dogs to the 911 dispatch center.

Our core values at the Howard County Police Department are Integrity, Pride and Community. You’ll see those words on our patch logo displayed throughout the agency. You’ll also see them in our actions day in and day out.

It is the mission of the Howard County Police Department to provide a secure environment for the citizens of Howard County by protecting life and property, reducing the opportunity for crime and disorder, enforcing the law, assisting victims and providing other police-related services as required by the community in a manner consistent with the values of a free society. HCPD embraces the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police. We are committed to resolving problems collaboratively through a partnership between the department and our community.

Our Values

Integrity: The department and its personnel can only succeed in their mission if we maintain our integrity. Our authority to deprive people of their life, freedom and property comes from the trust bestowed upon us. Once this trust is broken, by an individual or by the department, our actions are rightfully called into question. The department and its employees must hold themselves to a standard that is beyond reproach.

Pride: The department is a proud institution and works to develop this pride in its sworn, civilian and volunteer personnel. We are proud of our rich tradition of providing quality police services to the residents and visitors of Howard County. We are proud to be a part of a noble profession that is called upon to maintain order in a free society. We are proud of the real partnerships we have with the people we serve. We are proud of the highly motivated, highly trained, and highly respected personnel we have.

Community: The cornerstone of this department is the relationship we have with the community we serve. Our ability to be effective in carrying out our mission is based on the credibility we have with the community. Understanding that we are a part of, and not separate from, the community is critical. Although we are granted full-time responsibility for policing the community, we cannot do it without the approval and cooperation of the public. The department strives to enhance this relationship in several ways: By ensuring that each police contact is carried out fairly and with respect; by seeking input from the public on our programs, procedures and priorities; and by being active in community programs and charities.

The Howard County Department of Police obtained national accreditation from The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., known as CALEA, on July 28, 1990. Re-accreditation has since been earned eight times, without lapse or condtions. The department had the honor of being named a Flagship Agency in both 2006 and 2009, a prestigious designation when the Commission offered this category.  The agency was last recognized on July 28, 2018 when the HCPD earned Advanced Meritorious Accreditation, the “Gold Standard” within law enforcement.

It is an honor to achieve this status within the law enforcement community and we proudly display the CALEA emblem. The standards established by CALEA help law enforcement agencies strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities, formalize essential management procedures, establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices, improve service-delivery, solidify interagency cooperation and coordination, and boost citizen and staff confidence in the agency.

In between on-site Assessment, the department submits an annual compliance report and undergoes off-site review of standards by the Commission.

Officer of the Month 2018:
PFC Patrick Gipe (Jan.)
CPL Nicholas Gordon-Roberts (Feb.)
PFC Jason Noble (March)
PFC Bradford Skove (April)
PFC Elijah Cortez (May)
PO Zachary Stone (June)
PO Nicholas Yatsko (Aug.)
PFC Joseph Pugliese (Sept.)
PFC Christian Kim (Oct.)
PO Eric Hamrick (Dec.)

Dispatcher of the Quarter 2018:
Dispatcher Jacob Oursler (1st)
Senior Dispatcher Amy Sanchez (2nd)
Senior Dispatcher Erica Bertulis (3rd)
Dispatcher Jeremy Sparks (4th)

Civilian of the Quarter 2018:
Katie Turner (1st)
Stephanie Meyer-McClung (2nd)
Chris McNamara (3rd)
James Tyndall (4th)

Read all about HCPD's fallen heroes here.