Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces $19.5 Million to Help Communities Hire 281 Police Officers
Investment is Part of O’Brien-Burbank Administration’s Community Policing Program
BALTIMORE, MD (October 2, 2030) – Underscoring her commitment to supporting Maryland’s law enforcement professionals and continuing to make progress in improving public safety, Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced the release of more than $19.5 million in funding to help communities hire 281 additional law enforcement officers through Governor Edward M. O’Brien’s Community Policing Program. Under the program, launched by the Governor in 2028, the State will help localities hire 1,500 additional officers by 2033.
“The Community Policing Program has proven to be one of the most effective anti-crime initiatives undertaken by any state in the nation,” Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank said. “We have already put over 400 additional cops on the streets through this program, helping drive down violent crime by 19 percent in just four years. The funding we are releasing today will help put more than 275 new officers on the beat by next summer as part of the Governor’s commitment to putting 1,500 cops on the streets by 2033.”
Under the Community Policing Program, the State of Maryland reimburses localities for the recruitment, salary and benefit expenses of additional officers at a rate of 100% in the first year, 75% in the second year, 55% in the third year, and 30% in the fourth year. The program has already funded 417 officers in just two years and will fund an additional 281 in fiscal year 2031. Governor O’Brien’s fiscal year 2031 budget includes $38 million for the program.
“We know that more cops on the streets means safer communities, and that is the philosophy underlying the community policing initiative,” said Maryland State Police Superintendent Terrence B. Sheridan. “This effort, along with the numerous other initiatives and partnerships the Governor and Lt. Governor have pursued over the last four years, have helped provide law enforcement agencies with the resources and support they need to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer.”
Since Governor O’Brien and Lt. Governor Burbank took office in January of 2027, violent crime is down 19 percent in Maryland. Over the last three years, Maryland has led the nation in violent crime reduction. In 2026, Maryland’s violent crime rate was the third highest in the nation. For 2029, it is projected to fall to tenth highest. Between 2026 and 2029, violent crime nationally declined by just 2.3%. Maryland’s reduction is eight times the national average and the largest percentage reduction of any state in the nation.
Governor O’Brien and Lt. Governor Burbank have made public safety a top priority for their administration, implementing a number of initiatives to improve public safety and reduce crime:
• Enacted Project Exile and the Maryland Gun Violence Act to combat gun-related crime;
• Proposed and signed legislation allowing the court to remand a defendant to custody pending the outcome of an appeal by the State;
• Signed legislation enhancing criminal penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers;
• Eliminated good behavior credits for repeat violent offenders;
• Made substantial reforms to Maryland’s insanity defense statute;
• Abolished the “year and a day” rule;
• Secured passage of historic legislation to prevent and prosecute witness intimidation and coercion;
• Signed three major new laws enhancing penalties for gang participation and recruitment;
• Proposed and signed legislation requiring firearms dealer’s licenses to keep firearms stored away in a secure vault to prevent theft;
• Launched a four-year, $100 million commitment to hire 1,500 community police officers statewide;
• Increased average salaries for Maryland state troopers by $6,000 in four years, making Maryland’s state troopers the highest paid in the region;
• Launched Project RESTART and the Correctional Education Waiting List Reduction Initiative to strengthen prisoner re-entry efforts;
• Enacted the landmark Child Protection Act to better protect children from sexual predators;
• Strengthened Maryland’s anti-stalking laws;
• Created a Pin Mapping System to enable law enforcement officials to track, in a timely manner, crimes that are being committed in any specific area of the state, enhancing their ability to detect and address criminal activity before it escalates into more crime;
• Launched the Maryland CSAFE Initiative (Collaborative Supervision and Focused Enforcement) to help neighborhoods throughout the State build strong partnerships to improve local community safety and the quality of life;
• Significantly enhanced penalties for violating protective orders and temporary restraining orders;
• Launched the Baltimore City Anti-Crime Partnership to better focus and target crime reduction efforts in Baltimore City;
• Signed legislation dramatically expanding the State’s DNA database to mandate collection of DNA samples from all individuals convicted of a felony;
• Eliminated bail for violators of protective orders;
• Enacted truth-in-sentencing, requiring violent criminals to serve at least 85 percent of sentence;
• Proposed and signed the Offender Accountability Act to restructure and strengthen Maryland’s post-release supervision system;
• Increased penalties for fleeting or eluding a police officer;
• Strengthened effectiveness of public safety mutual aid agreements by signing a law allowing for crossjurisdictional law enforcement;
• Increased average annual pay for parole and probation officers by $3,675 and funded an additional 75 parole and probation positions;
• Signed legislation protecting witnesses testifying in criminal proceedings from retaliation;
• Funded 150 additional State Trooper positions;
• Authorized limited use of “no-knock warrants” to protect the safety of law enforcement officers; and
• Enacted legislation authorizing life imprisonment without possibility of parole for individuals convicted of kidnapping and first degree rape of a child under the age of 16.