Anne Arundel County Police honored the first 100 Black officers to join its ranks Thursday with a plaque Police Chief Amal Awad said would remind the department not to “repeat the ills of the past.” “All of their efforts paid dividends, paving the way for so many of us,” said Awad who, in 2020, became the department’s first Black female leader. “We are here today because of you.
” Since hiring its first two Black men in 1965 — the first Black woman officer would not be hired for another eight years — it took county police over 75 years to reach triple digits in its African American staff. Awad said many of the people recognized Thursday were “quite surprised” to learn they were among the first. The department’s new plaque, which will be displayed at a police training facility in Davidsonville, features officer names from 1965 to 2012, when the 100th Black officer was hired.
“I know it’s not been easy, but I’m confident we’ll continue to advance our efforts to create a police department that reflects the beautiful diversity of Anne Arundel County,” Awad told the crowd assembled for the honor at Anne Arundel County police headquarters in Millersville. Held in recognition of Juneteenth, the outdoor ceremony was attended by past and present members of the department, including around 20 of the “First 100.” According to police spokesperson Marc Limansky, 28 of those initial hires are still active employees.
Officers Reggie Harris and Elinor Foo.
