There is a Baltimore City Police Department, the head of which is the Police Commissioner. Res. 22-003, ratified Nov. 8, 2022

For §§ 141 through 146 of this article, the following terms have the meanings indicated. “Commissioner” means the Police Commissioner of Baltimore City. “Department” means the Baltimore City Police Department. “Department staff” means an individual employed by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore assigned to work for the Department, whether a civilian or a police officer. “Police officer” means a person who is:legally authorized to enforce the general criminal laws of the State; legally authorized to enforce the criminal and civil laws of the City; and an employee of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

The Police Commissioner shall:be at least 30 years of age; and have at least 5 years of experience in law enforcement. The Commissioner shall be appointed and must be confirmed pursuant to <cite data-path="IV|§6|(a)">City Charter Article IV, § 6(a)</cite> {“Appointments subject to confirmation”}. The term of the Commissioner shall be established by the Mayor. The Commissioner shall be paid a salary as provided for in the Ordinance of Estimates. The Commissioner may appoint such employees as provided in the Ordinance of Estimates.

The Commissioner shall: determine and establish the form and organization of the Department; appoint individuals above the rank of lieutenant; as necessary to best serve the interests of the City:assign, reassign, allocate, and reallocate duties to Department staff; and assign, reassign, allocate, and reallocate Department staff to organizational subdivisions of the Department; determine and establish:the classification of ranks, grades, and positions; uniform insignia; the powers, duties, rights, and privileges for Department staff; and the order of succession for positions of command; with the consent of the Department of Human Resources, determine and establish positions within the Department for civilian employees; appoint, promote, reduce in rank, grade, or position, reassign, reclassify, retire, and discharge Department staff in the manner prescribed by law; institute a system of:periodic performance evaluation for Department staff; and regular physical examination of Department staff, as necessary for the employee to effectively perform assigned duties; make and execute contracts and other instruments as may be authorized in the exercise and performance of the powers of the Commissioner and the Department; establish, maintain, and modify systems for the reception, processing, and maintenance of:reports and records of occurrences or alleged occurrences of crime within the City; and reports and records of the administration, management, and operation of the Department; and adopt rules and regulations to effectively discharge the powers and duties of the Commissioner and Department.

The purpose of the Department is to:safeguard the lives and safety of all individuals within the City; protect property within the City; and assist in securing to all individuals the equal protection of the law. The Department shall have, within the boundaries of the City, the power to:maintain the orderly flow of traffic in the public right of way; and assist law enforcement agencies of:the State; and any official unit of federal, tribal, state, or local government within the United States. The Department shall have, within the boundaries of the City, the specific duty and responsibility to:preserve the public peace; detect and prevent the commission of crime; enforce the laws of:the State; and the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore; apprehend and arrest individuals who violate or are lawfully accused of violating the law; preserve order at public places; and discharge its duties and responsibilities with dignity and in a manner that will inspire public confidence and respect. The Department shall perform the duties set forth in subsection (b) of this section within those areas outside the corporate limits of the City which are, from time to time, owned, controlled, operated, or leased by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore or any unit of City government. In those areas described in paragraph (1) of this subsection:the authority and duties of the Department shall be concurrent with that of any police department or police agency in the jurisdiction in which such areas are located; and nothing contained herein shall limit or adversely affect the jurisdiction and authority of any police department or police agency in the jurisdiction in which such areas are located.

All police officers of the Department, including such other Department staff who may be designated by the Commissioner from time to time to exercise the powers and duties of police officers, shall have the authority conferred under Title 2 {“Law Enforcement Procedures; Arrest Process”} of the <cite data-doc="Md. Code" data-path="gcp">Criminal Procedure Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland</cite>.

To ensure that the resources of the Department are efficiently allocated, following each decennial census of the United States the Commissioner shall prepare and submit a police district redistricting plan to the Mayor within 1 year from the publication of decennial census data for the reallocation of police district boundaries. Within 90 days of receipt of a police district redistricting plan from the Commissioner under subsection (a) of this section and after public hearings the Mayor shall submit a police district redistricting plan for the reallocation of police district boundaries to the City Council for adoption as a resolution of the Mayor and City Council. The police district redistricting plan, as it may be amended by the City Council, must be approved by resolution of the Mayor and City Council within 180 days from the date the plan is introduced on the Council floor.