The Howard County Police Department was founded in 1952. Its mission is to provide a sense of safety and security for everyone by protecting life and property, reducing the opportunity for crime and disorder, enforcing criminal and traffic laws, assisting victims and promoting positive community engagement and effective partnerships.
As of 2023, the Howard County Police Department has 509 sworn officers and 240 full-time civilians. The 911 communications division and Animal Control also fall under the police department.
Police Chief Gregory Der is a 25-year veteran of Maryland law enforcement. After spending more than 19 years as a member of the Howard County Police Department, he retired to become the Chief Deputy at the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office. He was appointed Howard County Chief of Police by County Executive Calvin Ball in January 2022.
As a tenured police executive, Chief Der has experience in roles ranging from patrol-level enforcement to command administration. In his most recent role with the Maryland State Fire Marshal, he oversaw both operations and administrative functions. Chief Der has an established track record fostering collaborative relationships among officers, supervisors, community members, civilian workers, union leadership, and elected officials.
Chief Der is a seasoned investigator with two decades of investigative experience at local, state, and federal task force levels. He is committed to community policing and is skilled at respectful, productive engagement and responsiveness to citizen concerns. Chief Der also has experience as a negotiator who has managed mediation between competing interests and articulated policy for varied stakeholders.
Chief Der served as Chief Deputy for the Maryland State Fire Marshal from 2017 to 2021. During those years, he was the highest-ranked sworn member of the agency. He oversaw budget planning; managed employees at six regional offices across Maryland; coordinated fire, arson and explosive investigations; created policy; and oversaw fire prevention efforts and data collection.
During his nearly two decades with the Howard County Police Department, Chief Der served for eight years as the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 21. In that role, he represented interests of the membership, and articulated issues related to training, morale, equipment, disciplinary matters, grievances, and promotional processes. He oversaw contract negotiations to enhance public safety efforts and foster a positive work environment for officers.
His time at the HCPD also included his work as a task force investigator for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a property crimes detective, hostage negotiator, school resource officer (SRO) and patrol officer. Chief Der served in the narcotics and patrol sections of the Easton Police Department from 1997-1998.
A Howard County native, Chief Der graduated from Mt. Hebron High School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from The Johns Hopkins University, an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice from Carroll Community College, and is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police.
Our core values at the Howard County Police Department are Integrity, Pride and Community. You’ll see those words on our patch logo displayed throughout the agency. You’ll also see them in our actions day in and day out.
It is the mission of the Howard County Police Department to provide a secure environment for the citizens of Howard County by protecting life and property, reducing the opportunity for crime and disorder, enforcing the law, assisting victims and providing other police-related services as required by the community in a manner consistent with the values of a free society. HCPD embraces the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police. We are committed to resolving problems collaboratively through a partnership between the department and our community.
Our Values
Integrity: The department and its personnel can only succeed in their mission if we maintain our integrity. Our authority to deprive people of their life, freedom and property comes from the trust bestowed upon us. Once this trust is broken, by an individual or by the department, our actions are rightfully called into question. The department and its employees must hold themselves to a standard that is beyond reproach.
Pride: The department is a proud institution and works to develop this pride in its sworn, civilian and volunteer personnel. We are proud of our rich tradition of providing quality police services to the residents and visitors of Howard County. We are proud to be a part of a noble profession that is called upon to maintain order in a free society. We are proud of the real partnerships we have with the people we serve. We are proud of the highly motivated, highly trained, and highly respected personnel we have.
Community: The cornerstone of this department is the relationship we have with the community we serve. Our ability to be effective in carrying out our mission is based on the credibility we have with the community. Understanding that we are a part of, and not separate from, the community is critical. Although we are granted full-time responsibility for policing the community, we cannot do it without the approval and cooperation of the public. The department strives to enhance this relationship in several ways: By ensuring that each police contact is carried out fairly and with respect; by seeking input from the public on our programs, procedures and priorities; and by being active in community programs and charities.
A note about community-oriented policing: The paradigm of community-oriented policing began to evolve within law enforcement communities during the 1970s in response to increasing crime rates throughout the nation; the failure of other, more traditional, police programs; and the rapid deterioration of many neighborhoods. Community-oriented policing is an organizational philosophy with a decentralized approach aimed at reducing crime and improving the quality of life within a community. It is a team-oriented approach to problem solving with the police and members of the community working together, on an equal basis, toward a common goal. The Howard County Department of Police is committed to this philosophy and supports programs that reflect these values.
