Baltimore Police Department Thin Blue Line

MISSION STATEMENT

To preserve and honor this fine Police Department and all that have served and are serving with dignity and honor and also to those who will serve

December 1975

The following anonymous letter was received by the Police Commissioner.

Dear Commissioner Pomerleau,

We thought you might like to know how some of us feel about the men you have in your Department.

A guy who will defend a person's life, even if it means giving up his own;

One who stands ten feet tall in the eyes of a little old lady, who is afraid, and just wants a little reassurance, or

A girl who needs help to change a flat tire; always conducting himself as a gentleman;

A human being, who has been called every name under the sun, too often, instead of being thanked and praised for just being there when he is needed;

He can be gentle with a lost child - kind and compassionate - yet, he can be as tough and forceful as is necessary, when the occasion calls for it; he's quite a guy!

He lays his life on the line every day, and, 9 times out of 10, all he EVER gets for it, is his paycheck, which is never enough;

A guy who can haul you over for speeding, read the riot act to you, and, in the next breath, let you go without a ticket;

He's a special breed!

A guy who can polish off a pitcher of beer without batting an eye, but is trying to watch his weight; who lives life to the fullest, who is proud of his uniform and his job;

A person who, somehow, can adjust to crazy hours - nights and days that sometimes fly by, sometimes never end;

A person who has feet of clay (don't we all? ) but whose mind and heart are finely tuned like a Rolls Royce;

Whoever it was who said these men are "Baltimore's Finest" must have known the same cops we do;

Knowing that these kind of men are on the job give people like us a feeling of pride and security. Our hats off to all of you!

On my Honor, I will never

betray my Badge, my Integrity,

my Character or the Public Trust.

I will always have the Courage to hold

myself and others accountable for our actions.

I will always uphold the

Constitution, my community, and the

Agency I serve.

POLICE OFFICER SURVIVAL CREED

The will to survive, to survive the attack, must be uppermost in my mind. For the one who lives through a fight is better off than the one who does not. Therefore, preparation and not paranoia is the key to my survival. To survive I must be aware, be alert, be confident, be deceptive, be decisive, and be ready. I must expect the unexpected and do the unexpected.
When faced with violent assault, my life depends upon my reaction without hesitation. There is no time to ponder because to ponder is to possibly perish. My response, if attacked, must not be fear but aggressiveness. I must block out all thoughts of my own peril and think only of stopping the assailant.
My prize in personal defense is my life. The perfect fight is one that is over before the loser realizes what is happening. The perfect defense is a counterattack that succeeds before the enemy can attack again. Therefore, if I am assaulted, I will retaliate instantly. I will be sudden and quick. I will be fast, not fair. Speed is my salvation.
If my attacker knocks me down, I will fight back against the odds and get up off the ground. I will seize the initiative and take every advantage. My concern is to stay alive. I won't hold back.
If I find myself under lethal attack, I won't be kind. I will be harsh and tough. If I must shoot, I will shoot with precision and shoot to stop. If I must use my hands, I will use them with all the strength I possess and more. When I strike, I will strike hard; I will kick, punch, and do what must be done to survive. I will strike no more after my attacker is incapable of further action, but I will see that he is stopped.
Above all, I won't give up and I will make it. I will not die in the streets, or in an alley, or in any other part of the concrete jungle. I will survive; not just by good luck and good fortune, but by my skills.
If I adhere to these basic principles of survival and adhere to the attitude that is suggested in them, as a police officer, I will greatly enhance and perfect my skills in utilizing good and safe practices, tactics, and techniques.

ALWAYS GO HOME

**********************************************************************

As Baltimore barely completed ringing in the New Year 2011 a Baltimore City Police Officer fell in the Line of Duty. Officer William Torbitt had responded to a large fight at one of Baltimore's night life clubs and almost immediately was in the fight for his life. Shots rang out and Officer Torbitt lost his life.

Baltimore Police Department has been hit very hard in the past 13 months seeing a total of 5 officers dying in service to Baltimore City.

This site sends it's sincere sympathy to Officer Torbitt's family, friends and extended police family as well as to the other officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their service Honored the Police Department.

Officer Thomas Portz

City police officials said an officer whose cruiser hit a fire truck Wednesday morning has died from his injuries.

Officer Thomas Portz, 32, who served in the western district, went into cardiac arrest on the way to Shock Trauma and died shortly thereafter.

"We lost a hero this morning in a terrible traffic accident," said Fire Department Chief James Clack.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. He said a fire truck was responding to a medical call at Calhoun and Franklin streets (Route 40) in west Baltimore when the police cruiser rear-ended it while it was at a standstill.

Four members of the fire engine company were also taken to Shock Trauma to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, fire officials said.

The police cruiser sustained heavy damage. The engine company truck received moderate damage.

(See Officer Portz's entire shift together 7-02-2005 on Western District Chapter)

An unofficial site of the Baltimore Police Department which depicts the history of the department as told by Retired Officer William M. Hackley, who is solely responsible for its content. The thoughts and use of certain items, terms, sound, and implications are not necessarily those that may be the same as the Baltimore Police Department, as an official governmental agency.

The intent of this site is to Honor the Department and the fine men and women who serve the citizens of Baltimore City.

This site is dedicated to the Fallen Heroes who in the course of their performance of their duties were called upon to make the Ultimate Sacrifice.

As you look through the many pages of this site you will see the Baltimore Police Department from its infancy showing the crude way of policing to the modern highly efficient department that it is today.

Enjoy this site for what it is, my rendition of the proud history of the Baltimore Police Department.

***Any request for official police information must be made directly to: 

Baltimore Police Department.

Coin Front:

The Black Ring that encompasses the coin on both sides symbolizes our goal of taking our cases from red to black on the murder board.

The 9 Stars represent each of the 9 police districts that make up our city.

The Stars are blue to represent the thin blue line that we truly are as the police.

The American Flag is nestled behind the badge and shoulder patch to show our patriotism and is symbolic of the “Star Spangled Banner” having been written in Baltimore City.

The Badge Number is “187” because this number is synonymous with “Murder” throughout the world, it seems appropriate that it is the badge number of  the Homicide Unit. 

Coin Side:

The Side Edge of the coin states the following quote from Daniel Webster – “Every Unpunished murder takes away something from the security of every man’s life.”

Coin Back:

The numbers “2100” on the coin are symbolic of our extension and how the department refers to the Homicide Unit.  They are encased in the color Blue to honor our fallen Officers.

When you lose a coin challenge the coin is placed face down on a flat surface and spun.  The coin will spin balanced upon the raised portion of the coin separating the badge and patch on the coin face.  The Arrows contain one of the numbers associated with 2100.  The number facing you is the number of beverage(s) you must purchase to fulfill your loss.  Failure to fill the cup in defeat is just dishonorable and unacceptable.

The Grim Reaper’s face is hidden in the shadow of his robe.  This represents the Homicide Detective’s duty to seek the truth and reveal the killer’s true identity. 

The Reaper’s Sickle is double edged to symbolize the nature of justice and its equal representation of those who must abide by the law.

The scroll reads, “Our Day Begins When Your Day Ends.”

The Storm Clouds and Full Moon are reminiscent of the calm before the storm as they loom over the city.

~Baltimore Police Department~

 ~Challenge Coin~

THIS WEBSITE IS DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIFE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

  Baltimore

      Police

                          Department

~Souvenir~