Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker has pledged to add nearly 300 officers to the county’s police department by the end of his first term.
An average of 109 officers have left the county each year since 2009, according to police records, a number that allows the department to only maintain the status quo, said Vince Canalas, president of the county’s Fraternal Order of Police.
“You do a disservice to this county if you allow this experience to leave,” Canalas said. “We’re already a young agency, and the best thing we can do is keep some of the experience that’s currently out here to stay and train and help the growth of new officers.”
There are 1,526 sworn officers on duty in the Prince George’s County Police Department as of Jan. 10, according to police officials.
