Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) proudly announces Jeffrey Shorter's appointment as the new Chief of City School Police, effective August 26, 2024.
Click here to learn more about Shorter's appointment.
If you have an emergency, please call 911. School police can be reached at 410-396-8588 or 410-396-8589.
City Schools appoints New Chief of School Police
City School's Police to introduce body worn cameras
By June 2025, full implementation of body cams by all City School Police will be completed.
Click the link to learn more about the anticipated timeline.
Click the link for information about upcoming engagement sessions.
Baltimore City School Police ensure that students and staff have safe, secure environments for teaching and learning.
In addition to patrolling, responding to calls, and investigating offenses, police officers counsel students, de-escalate conflict, advise school staff on security issues, and provide information to parents. They also work to build relationships and the community at their schools, where they act as mentors, sponsor safety patrols, visit 3rd-grade classrooms with McGruff, the crime-fighting dog to teach about saying no to drugs and gangs, and take small groups of students to "Shop with a Cop" for holiday gifts. From personal relationships founded on trust, school communities grow into supportive, respectful, and positive places where staff and students thrive.
Authority
According to Maryland law, the Baltimore City School Police Force is the primary agency responsible for policing property owned, leased, and operated or controlled by Baltimore City Public Schools, and its school police officers have all the powers of any peace or police officer in the state. They receive the same basic academy training as Baltimore City police officers.
To better serve the City Schools community, the School Police Force has a “concurrent jurisdiction agreement” with the Baltimore Police Department, which gives school police the authority to enforce the law within the limits of the City of Baltimore. This means that, while the School Police Force's primary jurisdiction is school property, as first responders, school police officers have a responsibility to take action when necessary to restore order and can make arrests anywhere within the Baltimore city limits.
Complaints
The Civilian Review Board of Baltimore City is an independent agency where the public can issue a complaint against officers of various law enforcement units.
Youth and School Police Complaints
Learn more about the process
General orders
General Orders approved by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners on June 12, 2018, with additional revisions to certain General Orders approved on September 27, 2022.
The following items represent the published directives and expectations for the Baltimore City School Police. Adapted from multiple sources, they are focused and designed to ensure integrity and professionalism from all personnel within the department. (All links open PDF documents.)