Archived Accomplishments 06

In Unprecedented, Tough Economic Times and

Despite Funding Cuts No Previous

Sheriff's Administration Has Experienced

...

LOOK AT SOME OF WHAT

WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED!

Increased Police Presence More Cops on the Streets of Charles County than EVER Before! In partnership with the Fraternal Order of Police, a new Patrol schedule was implemented. ____________________________________________ NO FURLOUGHS OR LAYOFFS OF ANY CCSO EMPLOYEES With the cooperation of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Correctional Officers Association budget cuts were reviewed and together cuts of other benefits were implemented to keep all of the CCSO employees at work, without furloughs or being layed off.
Neighborhood Crime Suppression Unit & Other Task Forces Sheriff Coffey implemented these units to help combat criminal behavior in our neighborhoods and increase visibility in our neighborhoods. As well as crime suppression details in areas of the county that have been targeted by the criminal element.	Enhanced Traffic Safety Operations Several unmarked special Traffic Operation vehicles were added to the fleet to help combat reckless driving and road rage. The County fatal accident rates have dropped dramatically. The Agency has also found great success in the use of DUI Checkpoints. The goal is to educate drivers about the dangers of DUI before a tragic incident occurs.
Expanded the K-9 Unit Added two additional K-9 Teams to help expand round the clock. coverage.	School Resource Officers - Placed School Resource Officers Full Time into Middle Schools Sheriff Coffey authorized this program and he has seen great success. Not only does the presence of an officer at each school make the school safer, but many of the children create bonds with the officers which provides the platform for mentoring. Since Sheriff Coffey took office in 2006, he has been authorized to hire twelve additional officers combined in 2007 and 2008. Eight of the twelve officers were assigned to our schools.
Patrol Bicycles Patrol Operations is now equipped with 8 Patrol bicycles. The bicycles are used on bike trails, shopping centers and neighborhoods. This helps officers move undetected by the criminal element.	More Cops on the Street A new Patrol schedule has been implemented and put into place. This provides management to have more officers on the streets when they are needed. This has allowed the Agency to being more proactive and preventing crime. There are more Officers on the streets and neighborhoods of our county now than ever before. Don't just take our word for it. Look around and you will see!
As a result of an agressive approach by the Sheriff's Office regarding traffic law enforcement, and the implementation of educational programs, Charles County has seen a huge drop in fatal accidents. Below are the statistics for fatal crashes on the roads of Charles County: 2005 - 34 2006 - 36 2007 - 24 2008 - 13 2009 - 14
Improved Technology and Equipment to Fight Crime and to Help Keep our Officers SAFE
Digital Video Recorders - Installed in patrol vehicles. These devices have been extremely beneficial in many ways. The ability to provide video recordings as evidence have been a great asset to crime fighting. The recorders have also provided the agency with evidence to investigate agency involved incidents such as motor vehicle accident, fleeing and eluding, complaints of misconduct and much more. In the first year, it has been estimated that this program paid for itself by providing evidence in situations that could potentially result in civil litigation. These system replaced older systems that habitually malfunctioned and were obsolete. Replacements parts we impossible to find. These systems used tapes which also required a large amount of storage space. Prior to disposing of the old units attempts were made to locate other agencies who would be interested in the older systems. Not one agency was interested. We also researched the possibility of modifying the systems to be used on our school buses, but modifications could not be done due to the limitations of the systems.	Mobile Data Terminals - Installed in patrol vehicles Under Sheriff Coffey's direction, mobile data terminals have been installed in nearly every patrol vehicle. These terminals provide officers with real time data, photographs, dispatch information, mapping technology, report writing, traffic citations and much more. Each day this resource becomes more advanced and the possibilities are unlimited. Now the Sheriff's Office has some of the most advanced systems in Maryland. This project almost doubled the work load of our IT Department. However with the transfer of one sworn officer to the IT Department with extensive computer skills from his time in the military, we have been able to continue the advancement of technology. This officer also can provide the IT Department valuable insight as an officer and user of the systems.
Enhanced Reverse 911 - Used to notify citizens of criminal activity and public safety issues. The Sheriff's Office shares this service with other county and public service organizations to provide urgent notifications to our community. This system has been used many times to inform certain communities of recent criminal activity, Haz-Mat situations and many other situations. The community feedback has been very positive about this new technology.	Electronic Traffic Citation System Charles County Sheriff's Office was one of the first Maryland Agencies to adopt this program. This program reduces work hours of entering data into electronic systems, thus avoiding human error as well as saving the taxpayers. This system allows patrol officers to scan drivers licenses and provides vital information regarding license
New Resources Sheriff Coffey has made it a priority to advance the abilities of the Forensic Science Unit. With the introduction of a serological lab, biological evidence to include blood and other bodily fluids can be examined and confirmatory results achieved. This can provide detectives with almost immediate results. The Forensics Unit now has the capability of conducting Computer Forensic Examination. Evidence collected from computers, cellular telephone and PDAs has resulted in valuable evidence being retrieved and successful prosecutions.	New Waldorf District Station In January 2009, Sheriff Coffey hosted a "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony to celebrate the success of acquiring a new Waldorf District Station. This was a project Sheriff Coffey began the day he took office. The former location was in desperate need of replacing. Construction has started with a summer completion date. Criminal Investigations, Patrol, Special Operations and Training Divisions will occupy the 34,000 sq ft facility.
Digital Evidence Collection Our cameras used to collect crime scene and accident photographs have been replaced with digital cameras. This has reduced the need for work hours to process film and develop photographs. Photographs are now available almost instantly to investigators or involved parties.	Patrol Evidence and Crime Scene Processing Numerous Patrol officers have received advanced crime scene processing training. These officers have the training and equipment to recover valuable evidence that was once only available through our Forensics Unit.
On-Line Training Charles County Sheriff's Office was the first Maryland Agency to provide their officers the ability to take many of the State mandated refresher courses on-line. Thus saving each officers days of sitting in the classroom instead on the streets fighting crime. The program was approved by the Maryland Police and Corrections Training Commission. Now many other Maryland Agencies have implemented the same program and policy of the Charles County Sheriff's Office due to the tremendous success of the program.	Fully Compliant Law Enforcement Software PowerDMS is paperless and completely browser-based guaranteeing that police officers, administrators and office staff are kept up-to-date and aware of policy changes and routine briefings. PowerDMS ability to function as law enforcement software means that our agency will be able to track important records, run reports in minutes, and even comply with many accreditation standards: Policy & Procedure Management: Doesn't leave employees in the dark! Ensure full compliance with this law enforcement software solution. Testing: Test employees on new initiatives or policy changes within your organization. Surveys: Ask your employees valuable questions to gain much-needed feedback on certain issues. Training: Train employees thoroughly and encourage learning on a continual basis.
Officer Safety Sheriff Coffey, using Asset Forfeiture Funds (Money Seized from Drug Dealers), implemented a program to replace aging pistols. Officer safety being paramount, Sheriff Coffey authorized the evaluation of several replacement weapons, after officers experienced shooting range malfunctions. The evaluation process revealed the Beretta weapon used by the agency at the time was going to be discontinued. Once the evaluation process was completed the agency determined Smith and Wesson weapons would be purchased. Both delivery and Agency recertification were coordinated in order to reduce the expense of implementing the issuance of new pistols. The new weapon provided optional grip sizes to accommodate officers, thus eliminating the need for alterations.	Officer Safety Sheriff Coffey implemented newer, more cost effective LED emergency light bars for patrol vehicles. The older light bars had plastic Lexan lens which discolored, thus reducing visibility. Sheriff Coffey determined that for around $50 per light bar, each patrol vehicle could be outfitted with the new, all blue lens, thus making patrol vehicles safer for officers and citizens. Additionally, the new lens requires less maintenance, draws less current, and helps aid in fuel savings, as it is more aerodynamic. For added safety, reflective material was added to patrol vehicle bumpers. The cost to implement Sheriff Coffey's light bar restoration plan cost approximately $5,000.00 per one hundred vehicles. The older, less efficient light bars would have exceeded $100,000.00 to replace. As a result, Sheriff Coffey saved the agency nearly $95,000.00
Utility Uniforms Utility uniforms have been authorized by Sheriff Coffey for Patrol Operations and Special Operations to be worn on evening and midnight shifts. These uniforms are more durable than the traditional uniform. The cost is also a fraction of the cost of the traditional uniform as well. Saving the taxpayers thousands of dollars annually.	Not actual bus. No photo currently available. VICS Bus Using funds from the Volunteers in the Community Program, which is an alternative sentencing program, a new ADA compliant bus was purchased. VICS funds are received from participation fees of those who opt to take advantage of the program. This new vehicle is the first ADA compliant vehicle owned by the Sheriff's Office and will also be used for many other purposes to include transporting handicapped inmates to and from court appearances and doctor appointments. This vehicle can also be used to assist the Circuit Court in the event a judge determines a jury needs to visit the scene of a crime. As well as assisting in the evacuation of citizens from areas of our community that have suffered from severe weather or hazmat incidents. This vehicle can also be used as a Command Post vehicle for small scale incidents. This vehicle replaced a 1992 Ford 15 passenger van. A federal probe has determined that 15 passenger vans are very unstable and should not be used to transport teens and adults. This vehicle has been equiped with emergency equipment as well as amber lights for VICS roadside trash pickup details.
ANOTHER FIRST Near Instant Fingerprint Identification System Charles County Sheriff's Office will be the first law enforcement agency in Maryland to have this technology available to us. This system allows an officer on the streets to scan a suspects finger and get a near instant confirmation on the identity of the suspect if his fingerprints are in the State of Maryland system. Currently we are waiting on the State to advance their technology to connect to their systems for what has been promised a near flawless system.	Coming Soon Security Response Vessel After 9-11 the threat to our infrastructure became crystal clear. The Potomac River Bridge is a vital roadway in the event of a need to evacuate Southern Maryland and Washington D.C. The Potomac River which surrounds much of Charles County provides water access to our Nations Capital. Sheriff Coffey takes these potential and real threats to our county and region very serious and has provided the platform for external departmental cooperation that is in the best interest of the safety of our entire region. In collaboration with the Port Authority and the Department of Natural Resources, the Sheriff's Office as well as several other county law enforcement agencies in Southern Maryland were awarded grants for new Security Response Vessels. The vessels and all equipment and training is valued at $330,330.00 each. Of that the taxpayers of Charles County paid $18,432.00 In cooperation with Mirant, a new pier and boat lift will be built for the vessel at zero cost to the taxpayers. This vessel is specifically designed for security and law enforcement needs and not a rescue mission primary vessel. In the event our volunteer fire services requests security on a rescue or recovery mission, we will be able to assist as a support agency. This vessel is on order and a fall delivery date is expected for all participating agencies. This vessel will replace the converted fishing boat that was purchased several years ago by a prior administration that is not suitable for the security needs of our community.
Community Outreach One of the most important details about the management style of Sheriff Coffey is his deep passion for Community Outreach Programs. Sheriff Coffey attends hundreds of Community meetings each year to make sure he has a pulse on the community. Below are just a few of the many Outreach Programs that have been implemented or improved upon by Sheriff Coffey.
A new medicine disposal program that is good for the environment and even better for ridding the community of drugs that could fall in the hands of abusers and drug dealers. Prescription drugs, like Oxycontin and Percocet, are popular among drug abusers and crimes involving illegal use of prescription medications can be a problem. However, disposing of unwanted, expired or seized medications is tricky since the medications are classified as toxic and could harm the environment if flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash. The disposal program allows residents to safely get rid of unwanted and unused medications and prescriptions by dropping them off at the sheriff's office who will then take the medicines to Civista Medical Center to be properly disposed of. The service is free, easy and participants remain anonymous.	Another First NEW DIGITAL FINGERPRINTING TECHNOLOGY The Charles County Sheriff's Office is the first and only law enforcement agency in the state of Maryland to provide this service to our community. Every Tuesday and Thursday the Sheriff's Office conducts fingerprinting services for our community. Such as day care providers, volunteer coaches and many other activities involving our youth. At one time, a response from the FBI and State could take as long as two months. Now, with this new technology we can have a response back in as little at 72 hours. More often than not, people are placed into positions involving our youth prior to a response. Now we will know within days if there is a potential problem with the candidates involvement with our youth and elderly.
Operation Fast Track Sheriff Coffey together with the District Court for Charles County implemented this program to expedite the process for juvenile traffic offenders to have their day in court. Prior to this program, a traffic violator could wait over a year for a court date. Now, juveniles are set on a docket as soon as possible. This also gives juvenile offenders the potential of participating in the Teen Court Program.	Teen Driving Education and Enforcement Sheriff Coffey implemented this program after a focus group he created provided input that only parents, grandparents or child care providers could. A strategic message as well as enforcement efforts were set in place to help combat teen driving issues. The Student Government Associations joined forces with the Sheriff. Together the message about safe driving has been very successful.
Open House Sheriff Coffey opened the doors of the Sheriff's Headquarters Building and Detention Center Annex starting in May 2007 and each year since for the public to see and learn about the inner workings of the Sheriff's Office. The response from the community has been overwhelming. Parents expressed how much their children enjoyed learning about the Sheriff's Office and meeting the staff.	Auxiliary Program Sheriff Coffey established the Volunteer Auxiliary Program. This program is new and has tremendous potential. After a volunteer completes the Volunteer Auxiliary Academy, they will work with officers to perform home and business security surveys. The volunteers will also assist with many other functions to include but not limited to patrolling our shopping districts during peak seasons to deter criminal activity, community fingerprinting and traffic control.
For the families of children and adults with Alzheimer disease-related disorders, the possibility of their loved one becoming lost is a frightening reality. The Charles County Sheriff's Office offers a way to ease that anxiety by participating in Project Lifesaver. This program was fully implemented in 2007 and has been a valuable resource in keeping our loved ones safe. Participants wear a wristband that emits a tracking signal and when caregivers notify the Sheriff's Office the person is missing, a team of specially trained officers who are always on call quickly responds and begins searching the area using special tracking equipment.	Veteran's Program Initiated In May 2007 Sheriff Coffey initiated a program at the Charles County Detention Center to meet the needs of incarcerated Veterans. This program involved many partners such as the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Community Advocate for Veterans, Veterans Employment Representation and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program has become a model with efforts underway to have this program standardized for Veterans throughout the State of Maryland.
	With the implementation of "Operation Fast Track" came the need to expand the services provided by Teen Court. This has provided more of our teens access to this volunteer program where the teens are judged by their peers in a timely manner. More changes are expected to Teen Court in the very near future.
In 2007 Sheriff Coffey implemented an all new Quality Assurance Program. This policy was created to improve the quality of public service. It includes all communications from an initial telephone coversation with a citizen to the end of the call for service. This also includes written tests for new policies as well as refresher courses. This Program is one of the most advances programs of it's kind. This program also provides citizens a way to communicate a complaint or to commend a CCSO employee on our website at www.ccso.us	At the beginning of each school year, Sheriff Coffey goes to each high school to speak directly with students about the dangers of drugs and criminal activity. He attends every high school graduation to show his pride in the achievements of each of the graduates. He also attends "Project Graduation" each year. Sheriff Coffey also visits many of our middle school and elementry school functions as well.
COFFEY STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN SAVES MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS Eliminated luxury Retreats. Reduced out of town training and sought local training opportunities. Better oversight on expenditures. Purchase of less expensive and more efficient vehicles. New Strategic Management Policies. Created new Divisions and Sections to allocate resources and responsibilities in the most effective manner. AND MUCH MORE.
Calls for Service are up! Revenue is Down! New Strategic Management Policies Directly or indirectly, we all have felt the side effects of the bad economy. The Sheriff's Office has felt the pain too. As calls for service increase, we find ourselves doing more with much less. Even though times are tough, Sheriff Coffey's goal is for our community to feel the least impact as possible by way of police / sheriff services.	Training Division One of the goals for Sheriff Coffey upon taking office was to improve the training of our police officers, correctional officers and civilian employees. To do this, and to place extreme importance on this goal, this aspect of the agency was elevated to the Division level. Now, training is the priority of a division and not a secondary function of all divisions. Proper assets and funds have been allocated by Sheriff Coffey to make this goal a complete success. Along with this success comes a reduction in the cost of training.
Pictured from left to right are a marked cruiser with an exterior mounted light bar, an unmarked vehicle, fully equipped with emergency equipment and a slick top marked cruiser. More Fuel Efficient Vehicles The Chevrolet Impala has become a large part of our vehicle fleet. Sheriff Coffey authorized the purchase of these vehicles after seeing great success with the Chevrolet and the Virginia State Police as well as many other agencies. The cost of the Impala is thousands less than traditional police vehicles, and the fuel efficiency is remarkable.	Fleet Management Sheriff Coffey implemented many changes to include adding personnel to the staff and eliminating contractors to install and repair emergency equipment, digital camera systems and radio systems. The Sheriff Office has seen savings in this aspect of the agency that far exceeded our original estimates. Our staff was recently recognized by LGIT for outstanding management services. A sworn officer with extensive experience in fleet services was assigned to this section. With the advancement of technology and the lack of funds to hire additional experienced staff we have found this to be a huge benefit to the Agency on two levels. The Agency has been able to save thousands of dollars annually by doing more in house. Second, the officer is available 24 / 7 to respond to the needs of officers with all issues regarding their assigned vehicles and equipment. Making logical sense to have this service available 24 / 7 since the operation of the Agency is 24 / 7.
Computer Stats Management Sheriff Coffey implemented this extremely valuable management tool to help target specific law enforcement resources to include personnel to combat issues of concern immediately. Each week all Commanders meet to discuss issues that require the immediate attention of the Sheriff's Office to either combat the criminal element or other issues of concern of our communities.	Cold Case Squad Sheriff Coffey created the Cold Case Squad. This Squad's primary responsibility is to reestablish contact with victims of crimes from the past and evaluate all possibilities of solving the crime. There has been much success because of the advancement of DNA and the dedication of the squad.
Firearms Training With the assistance of grants, Sheriff Coffey was able to upgrade our firearms training facility to include state of the art target system and control tower. These enhancements have provided the Agency an opportunity to establish a more comprehensive firearms training program, which is a vast improvement for our officers.	Special Operations Division Upon taking office, Sheriff Coffey evaluated the effectiveness of all aspects of the Agency. Patrol Operations and Special Operations was one Division. Sheriff Coffey determined this was not the the most effective way to get the fullest potential from Special Operations and Patrol Operations. The two aspects were divided and Special Operations became it's own division. Now the commanders of Patrol Operations and Special Operations have the time and resources to dedicate their full time and attention to the very important details of each division.
Telephone Reporting Sheriff Coffey implemented the Telephone Reporting Unit. This program gives the community an additional option for reporting certain crimes that do not require the collection of evidence or known suspects. The Telephone Reporting Unit has been successful and continues to become a more popular resource for our community.	Expansion of Joint Crime Fighting Efforts Sheriff Coffey and the other Southern Maryland Sheriffs were instrumental in expanding a collective effort to help combat criminal behavior that crosses county lines. Click on news link below for more details. Maryland Independent Link Maryland Independent Link 2 Maryland Independent Link 3
The Charles County Sheriff's Office website now includes a link to a program we participate in. CrimeReports is a tool for the citizens of our county to use to get a snapshot of criminal activity in all parts of the county. The information is uploaded every 24 hours. This resource is very user friendly and available through a link found at www.ccso.us	At the direction of Sheriff Coffey, training has become a top priority of the Sheriff's Office. The need for additional training facilities was an obstacle which we were able to overcome by purchasing several FEMA trailers. With minimal remodeling, the trailers have been put into service. Currently there are three trailers in use and an additional trailer will be put into service in the very near future. The purchase of these trailers has saved the agency tens of thousands of dollars. Sheriff Coffey's thought on trailers used for educational purposes is simple. If trailers are good enough for our schools, they are good enough for us.
Passing of Senate Bill 560 and House Bill 829 This newly enacted law will require violators of traffic laws who receive a citation to request a court date as opposed to automatically being placed on a court docket. This will save the taxpayers of Charles County thousands of dollars annually and Millions throughout the State of Maryland. Delegate Sally Jameson and the Charles County Sheriff spearheaded this legislation in an effort to save the taxpayers a lot of money as well as having our law enforcement officers on the streets instead of in a courtroom waiting for cases that the violator fails to appear for.	CCSO ON FACEBOOK The Charles County Sheriff's Office is now on Facebook. Providing up-to-date information to all our "friends". This includes press releases, upcoming events and much more. The Sheriff's Office website has a new look and provides the citizens of our county with information that ranges from job openings to contact information to most of the resources and services we provide. Please visit the website at www.ccso.us
Awareness Programs Numerous Awareness programs have been implemented by Sheriff Coffey to include "Charles County is a Zero Tolerance Crime Zone"

Increased Police Presence

More Cops on the Streets of Charles County than EVER Before!

In partnership with the Fraternal Order of Police, a new Patrol schedule was implemented.

____________________________________________

NO FURLOUGHS OR LAYOFFS OF

ANY CCSO EMPLOYEES

With the cooperation of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Correctional Officers Association budget cuts were reviewed and together cuts of other benefits were implemented to keep all of the CCSO employees at work, without furloughs or being layed off.

Neighborhood Crime Suppression Unit & Other Task Forces

Sheriff Coffey implemented these units to help combat criminal behavior in our neighborhoods and increase visibility in our neighborhoods. As well as crime suppression details in areas of the county that have been targeted by the criminal element.

Enhanced Traffic Safety Operations

Several unmarked special Traffic Operation vehicles were added to the fleet to help combat reckless driving and road rage. The County fatal accident rates have dropped dramatically. The Agency has also found great success in the use of DUI Checkpoints. The goal is to educate drivers about the dangers of DUI before a tragic incident occurs.

Expanded the K-9 Unit

Added two additional K-9 Teams to help expand round the clock. coverage.

School Resource Officers

- Placed School Resource Officers Full Time into Middle Schools

Sheriff Coffey authorized this program and he has seen great success. Not only does the presence of an officer at each school make the school safer, but many of the children create bonds with the officers which provides the platform for mentoring.

Since Sheriff Coffey took office in 2006, he has been authorized to hire twelve additional officers combined in 2007 and 2008. Eight of the twelve officers were assigned to our schools.

Patrol Bicycles

Patrol Operations is now equipped with 8 Patrol bicycles. The bicycles are used on bike trails, shopping centers and neighborhoods. This helps officers move undetected by the criminal element.

More Cops on the Street

A new Patrol schedule has been implemented and put into place. This provides management to have more officers on the streets when they are needed. This has allowed the Agency to being more proactive and preventing crime.

There are more Officers on the streets and neighborhoods of our county now than ever before. Don't just take our word for it. Look around and you will see!

As a result of an agressive approach by the Sheriff's Office regarding traffic law enforcement, and the implementation of educational programs, Charles County has seen a huge drop in fatal accidents. Below are the statistics for fatal crashes on the roads of Charles County:

2005 - 34

2006 - 36

2007 - 24

2008 - 13

2009 - 14

Improved Technology and Equipment to Fight Crime and to Help Keep our Officers SAFE

Digital Video Recorders

- Installed in patrol vehicles.

These devices have been extremely beneficial in many ways. The ability to provide video recordings as evidence have been a great asset to crime fighting. The recorders have also provided the agency with evidence to investigate agency involved incidents such as motor vehicle accident, fleeing and eluding, complaints of misconduct and much more. In the first year, it has been estimated that this program paid for itself by providing evidence in situations that could potentially result in civil litigation. These system replaced older systems that habitually malfunctioned and were obsolete. Replacements parts we impossible to find. These systems used tapes which also required a large amount of storage space. Prior to disposing of the old units attempts were made to locate other agencies who would be interested in the older systems. Not one agency was interested. We also researched the possibility of modifying the systems to be used on our school buses, but modifications could not be done due to the limitations of the systems.

Mobile Data Terminals

- Installed in patrol vehicles

Under Sheriff Coffey's direction, mobile data terminals have been installed in nearly every patrol vehicle. These terminals provide officers with real time data, photographs, dispatch information, mapping technology, report writing, traffic citations and much more. Each day this resource becomes more advanced and the possibilities are unlimited.

Now the Sheriff's Office has some of the most advanced systems in Maryland. This project almost doubled the work load of our IT Department. However with the transfer of one sworn officer to the IT Department with extensive computer skills from his time in the military, we have been able to continue the advancement of technology. This officer also can provide the IT Department valuable insight as an officer and user of the systems.

Enhanced Reverse 911

- Used to notify citizens of criminal activity and public safety issues.

The Sheriff's Office shares this service with other county and public service organizations to provide urgent notifications to our community.

This system has been used many times to inform certain communities of recent criminal activity, Haz-Mat situations and many other situations. The community feedback has been very positive about this new technology.

Electronic Traffic Citation System

Charles County Sheriff's Office was one of the first Maryland Agencies to adopt this program. This program reduces work hours of entering data into electronic systems, thus avoiding human error as well as saving the taxpayers. This system allows patrol officers to scan drivers licenses and provides vital information regarding license

New Resources

Sheriff Coffey has made it a priority to advance the abilities of the Forensic Science Unit. With the introduction of a serological lab, biological evidence to include blood and other bodily fluids can be examined and confirmatory results achieved. This can provide detectives with almost immediate results. The Forensics Unit now has the capability of conducting Computer Forensic Examination. Evidence collected from computers, cellular telephone and PDAs has resulted in valuable evidence being retrieved and successful prosecutions.

New Waldorf

District Station

In January 2009, Sheriff Coffey hosted a "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony to celebrate the success of acquiring a new Waldorf District Station. This was a project Sheriff Coffey began the day he took office. The former location was in desperate need of replacing. Construction has started with a summer completion date. Criminal Investigations, Patrol, Special Operations and Training Divisions will occupy the 34,000 sq ft facility.

Digital Evidence Collection

Our cameras used to collect crime scene and accident photographs have been replaced with digital cameras. This has reduced the need for work hours to process film and develop photographs. Photographs are now available almost instantly to investigators or involved parties.

Patrol Evidence and Crime Scene Processing

Numerous Patrol officers have received advanced crime scene processing training. These officers have the training and equipment to recover valuable evidence that was once only available through our Forensics Unit.

On-Line Training

Charles County Sheriff's Office was the first Maryland Agency to provide their officers the ability to take many of the State mandated refresher courses on-line. Thus saving each officers days of sitting in the classroom instead on the streets fighting crime. The program was approved by the Maryland Police and Corrections Training Commission. Now many other Maryland Agencies have implemented the same program and policy of the Charles County Sheriff's Office due to the tremendous success of the program.

Fully Compliant Law Enforcement Software

PowerDMS is paperless and completely browser-based guaranteeing that police officers, administrators and office staff are kept up-to-date and aware of policy changes and routine briefings. PowerDMS ability to function as law enforcement software means that our agency will be able to track important records, run reports in minutes, and even comply with many accreditation standards:

Policy & Procedure Management: Doesn't leave employees in the dark! Ensure full compliance with this law enforcement software solution.

Testing: Test employees on new initiatives or policy changes within your organization.

Surveys: Ask your employees valuable questions to gain much-needed feedback on certain issues.

Training: Train employees thoroughly and encourage learning on a continual basis.

Officer Safety

Sheriff Coffey, using Asset Forfeiture Funds (Money Seized from Drug Dealers), implemented a program to replace aging pistols. Officer safety being paramount, Sheriff Coffey authorized the evaluation of several replacement weapons, after officers experienced shooting range malfunctions. The evaluation process revealed the Beretta weapon used by the agency at the time was going to be discontinued. Once the evaluation process was completed the agency determined Smith and Wesson weapons would be purchased. Both delivery and Agency recertification were coordinated in order to reduce the expense of implementing the issuance of new pistols. The new weapon provided optional grip sizes to accommodate officers, thus eliminating the need for alterations.

Officer Safety

Sheriff Coffey implemented newer, more cost effective LED emergency light bars for patrol vehicles. The older light bars had plastic Lexan lens which discolored, thus reducing visibility. Sheriff Coffey determined that for around $50 per light bar, each patrol vehicle could be outfitted with the new, all blue lens, thus making patrol vehicles safer for officers and citizens. Additionally, the new lens requires less maintenance, draws less current, and helps aid in fuel savings, as it is more aerodynamic. For added safety, reflective material was added to patrol vehicle bumpers. The cost to implement Sheriff Coffey's light bar restoration plan cost approximately $5,000.00 per one hundred vehicles. The older, less efficient light bars would have exceeded $100,000.00 to replace. As a result, Sheriff Coffey saved the agency nearly $95,000.00

Utility Uniforms

Utility uniforms have been authorized by Sheriff Coffey for Patrol Operations and Special Operations to be worn on evening and midnight shifts. These uniforms are more durable than the traditional uniform. The cost is also a fraction of the cost of the traditional uniform as well. Saving the taxpayers thousands of dollars annually.

Not actual bus. No photo currently available.

VICS Bus

Using funds from the Volunteers in the Community Program, which is an alternative sentencing program, a new ADA compliant bus was purchased. VICS funds are received from participation fees of those who opt to take advantage of the program. This new vehicle is the first ADA compliant vehicle owned by the Sheriff's Office and will also be used for many other purposes to include transporting handicapped inmates to and from court appearances and doctor appointments. This vehicle can also be used to assist the Circuit Court in the event a judge determines a jury needs to visit the scene of a crime. As well as assisting in the evacuation of citizens from areas of our community that have suffered from severe weather or hazmat incidents. This vehicle can also be used as a Command Post vehicle for small scale incidents. This vehicle replaced a 1992 Ford 15 passenger van. A federal probe has determined that 15 passenger vans are very unstable and should not be used to transport teens and adults. This vehicle has been equiped with emergency equipment as well as amber lights for VICS roadside trash pickup details.

ANOTHER FIRST

Near Instant Fingerprint

Identification System

Charles County Sheriff's Office will be the first law enforcement agency in Maryland to have this technology available to us. This system allows an officer on the streets to scan a suspects finger and get a near instant confirmation on the identity of the suspect if his fingerprints are in the State of Maryland system. Currently we are waiting on the State to advance their technology to connect to their systems for what has been promised a near flawless system.

Coming Soon

Security Response

Vessel

After 9-11 the threat to our infrastructure became crystal clear. The Potomac River Bridge is a vital roadway in the event of a need to evacuate Southern Maryland and Washington D.C. The Potomac River which surrounds much of Charles County provides water access to our Nations Capital. Sheriff Coffey takes these potential and real threats to our county and region very serious and has provided the platform for external departmental cooperation that is in the best interest of the safety of our entire region.

In collaboration with the Port Authority and the Department of Natural Resources, the Sheriff's Office as well as several other county law enforcement agencies in Southern Maryland were awarded grants for new Security Response Vessels. The vessels and all equipment and training is valued at $330,330.00 each.

Of that the taxpayers of Charles County paid $18,432.00

In cooperation with Mirant, a new pier and boat lift will be built for the vessel at zero cost to the taxpayers.

This vessel is specifically designed for security and law enforcement needs and not a rescue mission primary vessel. In the event our volunteer fire services requests security on a rescue or recovery mission, we will be able to assist as a support agency.

This vessel is on order and a fall delivery date is expected for all participating agencies.

This vessel will replace the converted fishing boat that was purchased several years ago by a prior administration that is not suitable for the security needs of our community.

Community Outreach

One of the most important details about the management style of Sheriff Coffey is his deep passion for Community Outreach Programs. Sheriff Coffey attends hundreds of Community meetings each year to make sure he has a pulse on the community. Below are just a few of the many Outreach Programs that have been implemented or improved upon by Sheriff Coffey.

A new medicine disposal program that is good for the environment and even better for ridding the community of drugs that could fall in the hands of abusers and drug dealers. Prescription drugs, like Oxycontin and Percocet, are popular among drug abusers and crimes involving illegal use of prescription medications can be a problem. However, disposing of unwanted, expired or seized medications is tricky since the medications are classified as toxic and could harm the environment if flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash. The disposal program allows residents to safely get rid of unwanted and unused medications and prescriptions by dropping them off at the sheriff's office who will then take the medicines to Civista Medical Center to be properly disposed of. The service is free, easy and participants remain anonymous.

Another First

NEW DIGITAL

FINGERPRINTING

TECHNOLOGY

The Charles County Sheriff's Office is the first and only law enforcement agency in the state of Maryland to provide this service to our community. Every Tuesday and Thursday the Sheriff's Office conducts fingerprinting services for our community. Such as day care providers, volunteer coaches and many other activities involving our youth. At one time, a response from the FBI and State could take as long as two months. Now, with this new technology we can have a response back in as little at 72 hours. More often than not, people are placed into positions involving our youth prior to a response. Now we will know within days if there is a potential problem with the candidates involvement with our youth and elderly.

Operation Fast Track

Sheriff Coffey together with the District Court for Charles County implemented this program to expedite the process for juvenile traffic offenders to have their day in court. Prior to this program, a traffic violator could wait over a year for a court date. Now, juveniles are set on a docket as soon as possible. This also gives juvenile offenders the potential of participating in the Teen Court Program.

Teen Driving Education and Enforcement

Sheriff Coffey implemented this program after a focus group he created provided input that only parents, grandparents or child care providers could. A strategic message as well as enforcement efforts were set in place to help combat teen driving issues. The Student Government Associations joined forces with the Sheriff. Together the message about safe driving has been very successful.

Open House

Sheriff Coffey opened the doors of the Sheriff's Headquarters Building and Detention Center Annex starting in May 2007 and each year since for the public to see and learn about the inner workings of the Sheriff's Office. The response from the community has been overwhelming. Parents expressed how much their children enjoyed learning about the Sheriff's Office and meeting the staff.

Auxiliary Program

Sheriff Coffey established the Volunteer Auxiliary Program. This program is new and has tremendous potential. After a volunteer completes the Volunteer Auxiliary Academy, they will work with officers to perform home and business security surveys. The volunteers will also assist with many other functions to include but not limited to patrolling our shopping districts during peak seasons to deter criminal activity, community fingerprinting and traffic control.

For the families of children and adults with Alzheimer disease-related disorders, the possibility of their loved one becoming lost is a frightening reality. The Charles County Sheriff's Office offers a way to ease that anxiety by participating in Project Lifesaver. This program was fully implemented in 2007 and has been a valuable resource in keeping our loved ones safe. Participants wear a wristband that emits a tracking signal and when caregivers notify the Sheriff's Office the person is missing, a team of specially trained officers who are always on call quickly responds and begins searching the area using special tracking equipment.

Veteran's Program Initiated

In May 2007 Sheriff Coffey initiated a program at the Charles County Detention Center to meet the needs of incarcerated Veterans. This program involved many partners such as the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Community Advocate for Veterans, Veterans Employment Representation and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program has become a model with efforts underway to have this program standardized for Veterans throughout the State of Maryland.

With the implementation of "Operation Fast Track" came the need to expand the services provided by Teen Court. This has provided more of our teens access to this volunteer program where the teens are judged by their peers in a timely manner.

More changes are expected to Teen Court in the very near future.

In 2007 Sheriff Coffey implemented an all new Quality Assurance Program. This policy was created to improve the quality of public service. It includes all communications from an initial telephone coversation with a citizen to the end of the call for service. This also includes written tests for new policies as well as refresher courses. This Program is one of the most advances programs of it's kind. This program also provides citizens a way to communicate a complaint or to commend a CCSO employee on our website at www.ccso.us

At the beginning of each school year, Sheriff Coffey goes to each high school to speak directly with students about the dangers of drugs and criminal activity. He attends every high school graduation to show his pride in the achievements of each of the graduates. He also attends "Project Graduation" each year. Sheriff Coffey also visits many of our middle school and elementry school functions as well.

COFFEY STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN

SAVES MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS

Eliminated luxury Retreats.
Reduced out of town training and sought local training opportunities.
Better oversight on expenditures.
Purchase of less expensive and more efficient vehicles.
New Strategic Management Policies.
Created new Divisions and Sections to allocate resources and responsibilities in the most effective manner.
AND MUCH MORE.

Calls for Service are up!

Revenue is Down!

New Strategic Management Policies

Directly or indirectly, we all have felt the side effects of the bad economy. The Sheriff's Office has felt the pain too. As calls for service increase, we find ourselves doing more with much less. Even though times are tough, Sheriff Coffey's goal is for our community to feel the least impact as possible by way of police / sheriff services.

Training Division

One of the goals for Sheriff Coffey upon taking office was to improve the training of our police officers, correctional officers and civilian employees. To do this, and to place extreme importance on this goal, this aspect of the agency was elevated to the Division level. Now, training is the priority of a division and not a secondary function of all divisions. Proper assets and funds have been allocated by Sheriff Coffey to make this goal a complete success. Along with this success comes a reduction in the cost of training.

Pictured from left to right are a marked cruiser with an exterior mounted light bar, an unmarked vehicle, fully equipped with emergency equipment and a slick top marked cruiser.

More Fuel Efficient Vehicles

The Chevrolet Impala has become a large part of our vehicle fleet. Sheriff Coffey authorized the purchase of these vehicles after seeing great success with the Chevrolet and the Virginia State Police as well as many other agencies. The cost of the Impala is thousands less than traditional police vehicles, and the fuel efficiency is remarkable.

Fleet Management

Sheriff Coffey implemented many changes to include adding personnel to the staff and eliminating contractors to install and repair emergency equipment, digital camera systems and radio systems. The Sheriff Office has seen savings in this aspect of the agency that far exceeded our original estimates. Our staff was recently recognized by LGIT for outstanding management services. A sworn officer with extensive experience in fleet services was assigned to this section. With the advancement of technology and the lack of funds to hire additional experienced staff we have found this to be a huge benefit to the Agency on two levels. The Agency has been able to save thousands of dollars annually by doing more in house. Second, the officer is available 24 / 7 to respond to the needs of officers with all issues regarding their assigned vehicles and equipment. Making logical sense to have this service available 24 / 7 since the operation of the Agency is 24 / 7.

Computer Stats Management

Sheriff Coffey implemented this extremely valuable management tool to help target specific law enforcement resources to include personnel to combat issues of concern immediately. Each week all Commanders meet to discuss issues that require the immediate attention of the Sheriff's Office to either combat the criminal element or other issues of concern of our communities.

Cold Case Squad

Sheriff Coffey created the Cold Case Squad. This Squad's primary responsibility is to reestablish contact with victims of crimes from the past and evaluate all possibilities of solving the crime. There has been much success because of the advancement of DNA and the dedication of the squad.

Firearms Training

With the assistance of grants, Sheriff Coffey was able to upgrade our firearms training facility to include state of the art target system and control tower. These enhancements have provided the Agency an opportunity to establish a more comprehensive firearms training program, which is a vast improvement for our officers.

Special Operations Division

Upon taking office, Sheriff Coffey evaluated the effectiveness of all aspects of the Agency. Patrol Operations and Special Operations was one Division. Sheriff Coffey determined this was not the the most effective way to get the fullest potential from Special Operations and Patrol Operations. The two aspects were divided and Special Operations became it's own division. Now the commanders of Patrol Operations and Special Operations have the time and resources to dedicate their full time and attention to the very important details of each division.

Telephone Reporting

Sheriff Coffey implemented the Telephone Reporting Unit. This program gives the community an additional option for reporting certain crimes that do not require the collection of evidence or known suspects. The Telephone Reporting Unit has been successful and continues to become a more popular resource for our community.

Expansion of Joint

Crime Fighting Efforts

Sheriff Coffey and the other Southern Maryland Sheriffs were instrumental in expanding a collective effort to help combat criminal behavior that crosses county lines. Click on news link below for more details.

Maryland Independent Link

Maryland Independent Link 2

Maryland Independent Link 3

The Charles County Sheriff's Office website now includes a link to a program we participate in. CrimeReports is a tool for the citizens of our county to use to get a snapshot of criminal activity in all parts of the county. The information is uploaded every 24 hours. This resource is very user friendly and available through a link found at www.ccso.us

At the direction of Sheriff Coffey, training has become a top priority of the Sheriff's Office. The need for additional training facilities was an obstacle which we were able to overcome by purchasing several FEMA trailers. With minimal remodeling, the trailers have been put into service. Currently there are three trailers in use and an additional trailer will be put into service in the very near future. The purchase of these trailers has saved the agency tens of thousands of dollars. Sheriff Coffey's thought on trailers used for educational purposes is simple. If trailers are good enough for our schools, they are good enough for us.

Passing of Senate Bill 560 and

House Bill 829

This newly enacted law will require violators of traffic laws who receive a citation to request a court date as opposed to automatically being placed on a court docket. This will save the taxpayers of Charles County thousands of dollars annually and Millions throughout the State of Maryland. Delegate Sally Jameson and the Charles County Sheriff spearheaded this legislation in an effort to save the taxpayers a lot of money as well as having our law enforcement officers on the streets instead of in a courtroom waiting for cases that the violator fails to appear for.

CCSO

ON FACEBOOK

The Charles County Sheriff's Office is now on Facebook. Providing up-to-date information to all our "friends". This includes press releases, upcoming events and much more.

The Sheriff's Office website has a new look and provides the citizens of our county with information that ranges from job openings to contact information to most of the resources and services we provide. Please visit the website at www.ccso.us

Awareness Programs

Numerous Awareness programs have

been implemented by Sheriff Coffey to include

"Charles County is a Zero Tolerance Crime Zone"

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