Law enforcement services in Charles County began in 1658, when Nicholas Gwyther was appointed Sheriff simultaneously in Charles and St. Mary’s counties. The original duties of the Sheriff included collecting taxes, serving warrants, apprehending criminals, executing criminals and occasionally investigating witchcraft.

Initially, the Sheriff conducted business wherever he could, which usually meant at his own residence. In the 20th century, the Sheriff’s Headquarters moved from the Courthouse on Charles Street to an abandoned military site on Radio Station Road and then to a renovated truck stop on Crain Highway, a facility that now serves as our La Plata District Station. The current Headquarters, located adjacent to the La Plata station, opened in July 2000 and is the first building ever built specifically to serve as the flagship of the Agency. Additional district stations are operated in Waldorf and Indian Head.

The first county jail was built next to the original courthouse, located in the former county seat of Port Tobacco. The next jail was built behind the current courthouse in La Plata in 1897 and housed our Traffic Operations personnel until 2005, when the unit moved to a building constructed on Audie Lane for the Sheriff’s Community Services and Special Operations personnel. The third jail, also near the courthouse, was built in 1926 and is still used by the Sheriff’s Office for Court Holding. The detention center that was operational from 1

981 to 1995 is located behind the La Plata District Station and housed Judicial Services employees and staff from the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation until 2005, when renovations began to reopen it in 2007 as an annex of the current Detention Center located behind the Headquarters building.

The Sheriff’s Office has grown from a one-man operation to a full-service law enforcement agency of more than 600 employees. As the principal law enforcement agency in Charles County, the Sheriff’s Office is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to respond to calls for service and protect the citizens and businesses of our ever-growing community.

History of the Badge
Designed in 1991, each part of the badge worn by sworn Sheriff's officers was carefully crafted to represent Charles County’s rich history. 

Star Shape: The star shape is traditionally recognized as the design for a Sheriff.

Seven Points of the Star: The seven points represent Maryland being the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.

Three Tobacco Leaves in Each Point: Tobacco was the chief economic mainstay in the early years of county; there are three leaves because Charles County was the third county formed in Southern Maryland.

Maryland Coat of Arms: This signifies the Sheriff is a State Official; the center crest is highlighted to illustrate a portion of the Seal of Charles County.

Rope Around the Shield: The rope symbolizes Charles County’s historical dependency on the waterways that surround it.

The Words “Sheriff’s Police”: These words signify the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office as the chief law enforcement agency in the County.

The black-on-gold coloring: These represent the official colors of the Third Lord Baltimore, Charles Calvert, in whose honor Charles County was named and established on May 10, 1658.

History of the Flag
The official flag of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office was unveiled May 15, 1998 and represents all members of our Agency — sworn, corrections and civilian.

The thin blue line on the flag — a symbol recognized by law enforcement worldwide — denotes the final barrier which stands between our citizens and chaos. The only time this line is disrupted is when an officer has fallen or is injured in the course of executing his duty. At the end of duty, when this breach appears, our youngest and finest answer the call to fill in the line, help maintain order and serve our citizens.

The center star is an adaptation of the existing Sheriff’s Police badge. The words “Sheriff’s Police” have been replaced with “Sheriff’s Office” to represent all personnel but the meaning behind the other symbols — the star’s seven points, clusters of tobacco leaves, rope and Coat of Arms — remains the same.

The flag’s royal blue field was chosen because it is the traditional color that represents law enforcement. It is also a color commonly shared by the Charles County flag, the Maryland state seal and the United States flag.

The scroll beneath the star depicts the year the Charles County Sheriff’s Office was founded, again echoing the colors of our badge and those of the Third Lord Baltimore, Charles Calvert.

The flag may not be reproduced with out direct authority of the Charles County Sheriff and is protected by all applicable copyright laws.