Marvin Mandel, Governor                       1889

Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the President
of the Bowie Interfaith Recreation Council, Bowie, Maryland 20715.

Approved April 26, 1972.

No. 6
(Senate Joint Resolution 37)

Senate Joint Resolution requesting a study of the current law
enforcement situation in Harford County and the ways and means
to be employed to improve it, if necessary.

Whereas, During the past twenty-five years, there has been a
steady increase in the population of Harford County. The result of
this growth is that, at the present time, the majority of the popu-
lation of Harford County live outside the boundaries of any munic-
ipal corporation. According to a recent census, the population of
the County is now 113,000, and it is believed that as Harford County
becomes increasingly a part of the Metropolitan Baltimore suburbs,
this trend in population will continue at an accelerated pace.

One of the aspects of this situation concerns law enforcement in
Harford County. The question can be properly raised whether the
Harford County police force organizations are properly constituted
to provide for the efficient enforcement of the law in Harford
County in future years. The police officials of Harford County should
organize a study concerning the efficiency of the current law enforce-
ment techniques in their county and of ways and means of improv-
ing that enforcement. The improvement and expansion of the Sher-
iff's office, the creation of a county-wide police force under the
provisions of Section 461A of the Harford County Code of Public
Local Laws, or the purchase of local police services from the Local
Division Department of the Maryland State Police under the provi-
sions of Chapter 502 of the Acts of 1968 are several possibilities.

The Comprehensive Criminal Justice Plan instituted in Maryland
in 1971 has allocated up to $15,800 in federal funds to non-urban
counties for a study such as has been suggested. This money will
be made available for the study of such topics as funding, organi-
zation, management control, and consolidation of existing law en-
forcement agencies; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Com-
missioners of Harford County make a formal request for planning
assistance in the law enforcement field to Mr. Thomas J. Elwood,
Director of the Criminal Justice Planning staff of the Regional
Planning Council, 701 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202,
and that this request be filed on or before the mid-February, 1972,
meeting of the Governor's Commission on Law Enforcement and
the Administration of Justice; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the County
Commissioners of Harford County, Bel Air, Maryland, and to each
Member of the Harford County Delegation in the House of Dele-
gates of Maryland.

Approved April 26, 1972.