Citizens' Advisory Council: 5 Things You Need To Know

The Citizens' Advisory Council meets the third Wednesday of every month at the Howard County police department's Northern District Headquarters in Ellicott City. The Council is comprised of civilian Howard County residents. Police Chief William McMahon keeps the citizens up to date about police activity and often presents a guest speaker from within the department.

1: Numbers were down at the last –both the number of cars that went through the checkpoint and the number of arrests. About 602 drivers were stopped and seven people were arrested–four for driving while intoxicated, two for drugs and one person for driving without a license. Last time a checkpoint was in that area--U.S. Route 40 westbound and Governors Run Way--more than twice as many cars were stopped.

2: There will be 13 sworn vacancies in the police department by the end of the month. “I get concerned when we get to 10,” Chief William McMahon said. A new class is starting at the Police Academy in June, but McMahon said it takes a year for the new officers to complete training and hit the streets.  By that time, there may be more officers retiring.

3: Maybe you’re not paranoid. There are special assignments squads of plain-clothed officers in different communities throughout the county. These officers are often a resource to address quality of life issues. They may be “small, pesky community problems, or they may be criminal acts,” McMahon said.

4: Don't think the police won't send out the SWAT Team if you rob a delivery driver. They will. After a pizza delivery driver was robbed over the weekend in Ellicott City, police mobilized a SWAT team in the middle of the night and had a suspect in custody within 12 hours. “If you wait until Monday or Tuesday,” McMahon said, chances are there will be more robberies.

5: McMahon said he thinks the police department’s Facebook page is helping spread the word about police activity in an age when many people don’t read newspapers, watch television news, or even read news online. “They’re getting snippets,” he said, on their homepages and Facebook pages. Now they can get snippets directly from the department.

The next meeting will be held April 20 at Long Reach High School for the police department's awards ceremony. If you'd like to know more about the CAC, contact the chief's office: 410-313-3200.

This article has been edited to reflect next week's meeting will be at the police awards ceremony.