Department of Maryland State
Police

Headquarters—Guilford Avenue and 21st Street, Baltimore, Md.

Name. Postoffice.
Superintendent, Major Beverly Ober. ............... ..Baltimore, Md.
Captain, Edward McK. Johnson................... Baltimore, Md.
Lieutenant Ruxton M. Ridgely. ..................... ..Baltimore, Md.
Lieutenant Niles G. Falkenstine. ........................ .Hagerstown, Md.
Lieutenant Andrew T. Conner. ......................... .Baltimore, Md.
Department Physician, Howard M. Bubert. ....... .Baltimore, Md.

Through Chapter 303 of the Acts of 1935 of the Maryland Legis-
lature, the separation of the Motor Vehicle Deputies from the Office
of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles was effected and a new Depart-
ment was created, known as the Department of Maryland State Police.
The direction of the Department is vested in the superintendent, with
the rank of Major, in the Department. He is appointed by the Gov-
ernor with the advice and consent of the Senate for four years, from
the first day of June following his appointment. He is subject to
removal by the Governor for official misconduct or incompetency,
and, in the event of removal or resignation, the Governor is given
the power to appoint a superintendent to hold office for the remainder
of the unexpired term of the superintendent who has resigned or is
removed from office.

The first superintendent was Major J. Purdon Wright, who was
commissioned on June 1st, 1935.

The qualifications of the superintendent are that he shall be a citi-
zen of the United States and a resident and voter of the State of
Maryland. His authority is to establish and maintain classification
and grades for police employees in the Department as follows: There
may be one captain, three lieutenants, one sergeant major, one first
sergeant, six detective sergants, one quartermaster sergeant, one
sergeant mechanic, ten sergeants, fourteen corporals, eighteen offi-
cers, first class, and thirty-eight officers. He shall also maintain such
clerical employees as may be required. He shall designate the author-
ity, responsibility and duties of the various ranks, grades and posi-
tions and, with the approval of the State Employment Commissioner,
shall set standards and qualifications and fix pre-requisites of train-
ing, education and experience. All employees of the Department are
in the classified service except the superintendent. After examination
under the Merit System and appointment, such appointees, however,
must serve a probationary period of one year, during which time they
are removable in the discretion of the superintendent and are not
within the Merit System.

Six investigators of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles named in
the Act were transferred and rank in the Department as Detective
Sergeants. The physician attached to the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles was also transferred. All chefs and civilian employees at-
tached to the motorcycle department were transferred.

The Superintendent is empowered to promote employees to the
rank, grade or position in the Department as he may deem necessary
for efficient administration, but no person may be promoted to any