ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Howard County Police Department (HCPD) Chief Gregory Der today announced the creation of new assignments and additional permanent police resources in Downtown Columbia.
We continue to work closely with HCPD and other stakeholders to take steps toward implementing strong measures to deter and combat crime in our community, as any act of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated as the safety of our residents and visitors remains our number one priority. I applaud Police Chief Der and his staff for all that they do and continue to do to address and combat crime and make Howard County the safest place to live, work, play, grow, and thrive for all.
Following the unveiling of its new “Crime Reduction Plan” for Downtown Columbia on February 27th, HCPD is creating a permanent, full-time unit of officers from its Community Outreach & Pathways Section (COPS) to the area, including the Merriweather District, The Mall in Columbia, and Columbia Lakefront. These officers will have a full-time satellite office inside the Mall in the coming months. HCPD has also added an additional beat to Patrol that will be assigned strictly to the Mall, 24 hours a day.
Since the launch of this plan, HCPD has received no reports of gun crimes or shooting incidents in the area. Officers have also increased their daily presence around the Mall and nearby pathways on foot patrols, mountain bikes, ATVs, Zero motorbikes, and patrol cars, as well as assisted property managers with banning notices and made arrests for trespassing and theft. The increased police presence has also enabled officers to address nuisance and quality of life issues, such as disorderly conduct, parking violations, and noise complaints.
“Combatting crime and reinforcing the public’s sense of safety are the most critical parts of our mission,” said Der. “When we see an issue emerging, we make strategic decisions about resource allocation and crime-fighting strategies. We are fortunate that our recently increased staffing levels were approved by County Executive Ball and have enabled us to devote resources where they are most needed.”
In addition to addressing crime in Downtown Columbia, HCPD is also focused on developing proactive strategies to keep serious crimes from happening in the first place, especially involving repeat offenders.
In recognizing the need to improve information-sharing with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), HCPD has begun partnering with DJS to attend prescheduled events as part of its juvenile monitoring program. Since the establishment of this partnership, officers have attended three events, garnering increased positive interactions with teens in DJS’s juvenile justice system. HCPD is now meeting quarterly with DJS staff to share information and keep open lines of communication.
HCPD is also working to establish monthly small group structured sessions between officers and juveniles at various locations throughout the county. Each session will include a mandatory time for communication between juveniles and officers.
In addition to HCPD’s work with DJS, Ball also recently announced the establishment of his new Youth Engagement Strategy (YES!) Council, created in direct response to the urgent need for a more coordinated and proactive approach to youth engagement and violence prevention in Howard County. YES! brings together young people, community-based organizations, public institutions, mental health organizations, and County agencies to bring a well-rounded approach to addressing the prevention of violence by young people.
In partnership with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the HCPD is accompanying State Division of Parole and Probation staff on home visits to adult offenders on parole. This collaborative effort increases officer awareness of individuals under supervision in the county and enhances safety for parole and probation staff. The initial round of visits was successful, with a second round scheduled for later this month.
The County will continue to allocate resources as needed to positively impact the public’s ability to be safe and feel safe.