388 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 141

Local Laws of Maryland), title "Harford County, " sub-
title "Circuit Court, " to be under the sub-heading "Pro-
bation Department, " said new section to be known as
Section 187A and to follow immediately after Section
187 of said Article, authorizing the appointment of a
parole officer for Harford County and relating to his
duties and compensation and conferring certain powers
upon the Trial Magistrates of Harford County to place
a person under suspended sentence under the super-
vision of said parole officer.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new section be and it is hereby added to the Har-
ford County Code (1942 Edition, being Article 13 of the
Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Harford
County, " sub-title "Circuit Court, " to be under the sub-
heading "Probation Department, " said new section to be
known as Section 187A and to follow immediately after
Section 187 of said Article and to read as follows:

187A. (a) The Circuit Court for Harford County is
hereby authorized and empowered to designate, appoint
and employ some competent and suitable male person to
act as parole officer for Harford County, who shall be
known as Director of Probation, and who shall be charged
with the duty of supervising persons paroled by the Judges
of the Circuit Court under such rules and regulations as
the court may in its discretion promulgate; and it shall
also be the duty of said Director to investigate and report
to the Circuit Court, any case referred to him by the court
for investigation. When directed by the court he shall in-
vestigate and report to the court in writing on the circum-
stances of the offense, criminal record, social history and
present condition of any person charged with or convicted
of any crime or offense, and whenever desirable and fa-
cilities exist therefor, may also obtain a physical and men-
tal examination of such person and report thereon to the
Circuit Court prior to the disposition or sentence by the
Court. He shall also, when requested by the Circuit Court,
investigate any violation or alleged violations of the orders
passed by the Circuit Court in cases involving non-sup-
port, bastardy and aged and indigent parent laws; and he
shall keep a complete record of all cases referred to him.

(b) The Trial Magistrates of Harford County may, in
any case wherein a suspended sentence may have been im-
posed, place the convicted offender upon probation, and
said parole officer shall take such steps as may be neces-
sary to see that the terms upon which sentence was sus-