There is a Department of State Police, established as a principal department of State government.

The Governor shall appoint the Secretary of State Police with the advice and consent of the Senate. The appointee shall be a citizen of the United States. The appointee shall be qualified on the basis of training, experience, and ability to discharge the duties of the Secretary. The Secretary serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary is entitled to the salary provided in the State budget. The Secretary shall supervise and direct the affairs and operations of the Department. The Secretary is responsible for carrying out the Governor’s policies with respect to those matters specified in Titles 2, 4, 5, 11, and 14 of this article. The Secretary shall report to the Governor.

With the approval of the Governor, the Secretary may designate without examination one police employee holding the highest commissioned rank to be deputy secretary. The deputy secretary serves at the pleasure of the Secretary. The deputy secretary: is entitled to the salary provided in the State budget; but may not be paid in accordance with § 2-405 of this title. The deputy secretary has the authority, responsibility, and duties assigned by the Secretary. Whenever the Secretary is absent from the State or incapacitated, the deputy secretary has, until the Secretary returns or is no longer incapacitated, all of the powers and duties conferred by law on the Secretary. After the Secretary terminates a designation as deputy secretary, the individual: returns to the rank held before designation as deputy secretary; and shall then be paid in accordance with § 2-405 of this title.

The Secretary and deputy secretary have throughout the State the same powers, privileges, immunities, and defenses as sheriffs, constables, police officers, and other peace officers possessed at common law and may now or in the future exercise within their respective jurisdictions. In addition to any powers set forth elsewhere, the Secretary may: establish the organization of the Department; create units in the Department; define the functions, duties, and responsibilities of each unit in the Department; redefine periodically the functions, duties, and responsibilities of any unit in the Department, whether created by the Secretary or by law; assign and reassign employees of the Department to the duties, units, and regional facilities of the Department as the Secretary considers necessary to serve the needs of the Department and the public; establish standards, qualifications, and prerequisites of character, training, education, and experience for employees of the Department; establish ranks and grades and, in accordance with Title 6, Subtitle 4 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article, civilian classifications as the Secretary considers necessary and appropriate; designate the authority, responsibility, and duties of ranks, grades, and civilian classifications and the order of succession to positions of command within the Department; appoint, promote, reduce in rank or civilian classification, reassign, reclassify, retire, and discharge any employee of the Department in the manner required by law; regulate attendance, conduct, training, discipline, and procedure for employees of the Department; provide systems for periodic evaluation and improvement of the performance and physical condition of employees of the Department, including in-service training programs and courses; establish headquarters, barracks, posts, commands, and other regional facilities in localities as necessary for the efficient performance of the duties of the Department; close headquarters, barracks, posts, commands, and other regional facilities when their need ceases to exist; purchase or otherwise acquire the land, facilities, equipment, or services as are considered essential for the needs of the Department or its employees in carrying out their duties, in the manner required by law; sell or dispose of land, facilities, or equipment as they become unnecessary or unfit for further use, in the manner required by law; establish and modify systems for receiving, processing, and maintaining: reports and records of occurrences or alleged occurrences of crime and motor vehicle accidents in the State; and reports and records of the administration, management, and operations of the Department; and establish procedures for safekeeping, copying, and destroying records of the Department. The Secretary may not exercise or perform the powers, duties, responsibilities, and functions set forth in §§ 6-301, 6-302, and 6-501 of this article.

The Secretary may adopt rules necessary to: promote the effective and efficient performance of the duties of the Department; and ensure the good government of the Department and its employees. The Secretary may suspend, amend, rescind, abrogate, or cancel any rule adopted by the Secretary or any former Secretary.

The Attorney General shall represent the Department.

The following units are in the Department: the State Fire Prevention Commission; the office of State Fire Marshal; and any other unit determined by the Secretary to be part of the Department or established by law as part of the Department.

Salaries, expenses, and other costs incident to the operation of the Department and the performance of its duties, in accordance with the State budget, shall be disbursed in the manner required by law. The source of the Department’s money for the costs described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be determined in accordance with § 12-118 of the Transportation Article or as otherwise provided by law. Except as provided in § 2-311 of this title or as otherwise provided by law, all other money received by the Department shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the use of the Department. The finances of the Department are subject to audit as provided by law.