CONTACT:
Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
(301) 609-6557 or (240) 682-1658

To enhance the confidence and trust between the residents of Charles County and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Troy D. Berry will be moving forward immediately with the following requests and initiatives:

  • Request the Charles County Board of Commissioners immediately allocate $1.5 million dollars of funding to initiate the Sheriff’s Body Worn Camera program;
  • Request additional support and funding from the Charles County Board of Commissioners to continue and enhance the Sheriff’s De-escalation, Conflict Resolutions and Use of Force training;
  • Ensure the Sheriff’s Office continues prohibiting neck restraints and head strikes during normal arrest incidents;
  • Complete a comprehensive internal review and evaluation of all use of force policies;
  • Request the Charles County Board of Commissioners and the Charles County State Delegation immediately appoint members to the vacant positions on the existing “Board of Public Safety” to provide review and oversight of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, State’s Attorney’s Office and Courts in accordance with County Code 125;
  • Establish a Youth Advisory Council for police and community relations comprised of youth from our communities;
  • Request the Board of County Commissioners to allocate necessary funding to enhance pre-trial services and supervision for arrested persons in our community;
  • Conduct a Southern Maryland Law Enforcement Summit in partnership with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office to discuss improving law enforcement best practices.

“We pledge to make positive changes, to work directly with our community, and continue a strong, open dialogue. Out of a tragedy, we can learn and grow as a community,” said Sheriff Berry.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.