Maryland Transit Administration Police

The Maryland Transit Administration Police (MTA Police) is the law enforcement branch of the Maryland Transit Administration directed to patrol public transportation and related facilities in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Officers are certified by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission and have full police powers.[1] In 2015 and 2016 MTA Police were awarded the APTA Gold Safety Award. The MTA Police had the lowest Part One crime reported for 2015 & 2016 among the top twelve transit agencies in the country. They reported no homicides, no shootings or rapes for those two years.

Maryland Transit Administration Police
AbbreviationMTAP
Agency overview
Formed1971
Employees230
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionMaryland, USA
General nature
HeadquartersBaltimore, Maryland
Officers187 approx. (as of 2017)
Civilians40 approx. (as of 2017)
Agency executive
  • Colonel John E. Gavrilis, Chief of Police
Parent agencyMaryland Transit Administration
Website
http://www.mta.maryland.gov/mta-police-force

The current chief of police is Colonel John E. Gavrilis. Deputy Chief of Police is Lieutenant Colonel Fred Damron JR. Commander of Operations is Major Jerome Howard. District commanders are Captain Shawn Wallace (Southern District), Captain Brian White (Northern District), Captain Lee Fenner(Administrative Bureau), Captain William Brown(Technical Services), Captain Robert Stanley, Executive Officer, Director of Homeland Security, and Captain Gordon Schluderberg(Special Operations).

History

The department was founded on October 1, 1971, by act of the Maryland State Legislature as the Mass Transit Administration Police Force. On October 1, 2001, when the Mass Transit Administration was renamed the Maryland Transit Administration, the police force changed its name to reflect the change.[2]

Fleet

The primary patrol vehicle of the department is the Ford Explorer. The prisoner transport vehicles are Dodge vans. Harley Davidson motorcycles are currently used. Current markings are all black vehicles with yellow lettering stating transit police. Towards the front of the vehicle is the department's uniform patch and at the rear is the Maryland Transit Administration logo. Light bars are red and blue rotating lights or LED lights, though some vehicles have strobe lights incorporated into the design.

Weapons

Officers are each issued a SIG Sauer P226 .40 caliber pistol, pepper spray, TASER and an ASP baton.

See also

References
  1. "MTA Police Force". MTA Maryland. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  2. "Maryland Transit Administration Police". Maryland Manual Online. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
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