Friday, November 13, 2009

Police merger in the works

MTA police and MdTA will soon be the....MdTTA?

4 comments:

ppatin said...

I always thought it would make more sense to merge the MdTA Police and the State Police. It seems rather inefficient to have the MdTA patrol the bridges, tunnels & portions of I-95 while the MSP are responsible for everything else. Just give the whole job to the State Police and get rid of the MdTA cops.

Cham said...

I've never understood why the 2 agencies were separate. It must have something to do with politics. I wonder how much money has been wasted having 2 agencies rather than 1.

ppatin said...

Well the MdTA Police used to be the Toll Facilities Police, and I think (not 100% sure) that they got their funding from toll revenue rather than tax funds like the State Police did. At this point though it would make sense just to merge the two agencies.

ppatin said...

Wiki is my friend.

The Maryland Transportation Authority Police trace their beginnings to the opening of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel in 1957, when the Harbor Tunnel Special Police Force was established. In 1971 this force developed a State-authorized Police Academy; Commercial Vehicle Safety Division; police-apprenticeship program; and an Honor/Color Guard. In 1998 by act of the Maryland General Assembly the Maryland Port Administration Police was abolished and the members were merged into the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. The department assumed law enforcement responsibilities for the Port of Baltimore facilities including the Canton, Seagirt, Dundalk, Clinton Street, Fairfield and Locust Point Marine Terminals, as well as the World Trade Center in Baltimore City. Today the department has grown to encompass law enforcement responsibilities at Maryland's transportation facilities projects, the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the Port of Baltimore, and they are the primary police agency responsible for Homeland Security for MARC rail transportation throughout the state.