April 2025

April 15, 2025

Dear UMB Community:

Did you know that the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Department of Police and Public Safety is celebrating its 50th anniversary? We’re digging into the archive and learning some amazing stories about our department’s history. 

• Our comfort K9s were not the first police dogs at UMB. (See the upcoming issue of CATALYST magazine for more on that!)
• In 1977, an unarmed security guard tackled an armed bank robber in a bathroom, leading to the robber’s arrest.
• Officers used to dress up as Santa and his elves and bring toys to children at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Christmas Eve. Calculators were a popular item!

• In 1983, UMB police rescued a Baltimore SWAT team after its vehicle crashed. (UMB officers in photo, right.)
• Pine Street Station – our department’s headquarters – was built in 1878 as the Baltimore Police Western District. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the building also has served as a detention center for women and children, the city’s Missing Persons Bureau, and a subsidized drug abuse rehabilitation center in its nearly 150 years. The building’s current residents (including myself) can share a ghost story or two! 
• A UMB police corporal won gold doing the backstroke in the second annual Law Enforcement Olympics. 
• In 1994, two kidnapped students used the self-defense training they learned from UMB police to escape unharmed. 

There’s so much more to share about our impressive department. We hope you’ll subscribe to this newsletter and keep an eye on The Elm/Elm Weekly for more on these stories. Learn more about 50 years of UMB Police and Public Safety.

Sincerely,

Thomas Leone, MSL

Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police

Safety Tip: Update your Directory Information 

Did you know you can (and should!) update your information in UMB’s Directory? If you move offices, change phone numbers, or have other updates, it’s simple to make changes through the MyUMB Portal. Visit the UMB Directory for more information. Thanks to our friends at UMB Sustainability for this tip idea!

ROAR Assistance and Resources

The Rebuild, Overcome, and Rise (ROAR) Center for survivors of violent crime in Baltimore provides free access to assistance from a lawyer, a case manager, a therapist, and a nurse care manager. Now, the center has a walk-in clinic twice a month for easier access to these resources. You do not have to report the crime to police to receive help from ROAR. Visit the center’s website for more information.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week: April 13-19

This week, we’re celebrating our police communications operators (PCOs)! Our dispatchers are available 24/7 to answer calls, monitor cameras, dispatch officers, and much more! If you call 410-706-6882 to request a Safe Ride or need other Public Safety services, please take a moment to thank the PCO you speak with!

Kudos to Our Team!

While helping a partner law enforcement agency, PFC Matthew Cherrington and PCO Anigel Walls identified critical information that led to the successful recovery of a stolen vehicle. Their knowledge, training, and quick action earned them recognition among the team. “Kudos to you both for going above and beyond,” Cpl. Donte Torbit wrote in an email recognizing the pair. “Thank you both for your hard work and dedication to the citizens of Baltimore, state of Maryland, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.”

Public Safety Employee Earns Prestigious Scholarship

Jahmoy Colquhoun, MS (in photo, right), a program management specialist for UMB Police and Public Safety, won the University’s James T. Hill Scholarship during the Employee Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon last month. Read more. 

Now Hiring Qualified Police Officers! 

UMB Police and Public Safety is hiring lateral police officers with a $10,000 signing bonus! These positions have competitive pay and benefits, including tuition remission for employees, their spouse, and dependents. Do you know an officer looking for a great career opportunity? Share our posting with qualified candidates.

UMB Public Safety by the Numbers: March 

Each month, UMB Public Safety provides thousands of valuable services and resources to the communities we serve. In this segment, we highlight the previous month’s data to showcase the work of our employees. 

Average time from Safe Ride request to pickup: 8 minutes, 54 seconds

Safe Rides given: 2,307

Building checks: 2,820

Local business checks: 98

Garage checks: 815

Spring Cleaning Safety

Clothes dryers have a higher risk of fire if you don’t clean out the lint filter and the dryer vents. Make sure you clean out the lint filter after each load of laundry, always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions, and add your dryer vent to your spring cleaning list! For more information on clothes dryer fire safety, check out these tips. 

The UMB Office of the Fire Marshal is an important part of UMB Public Safety.

Learn about common fire code violations. 

Contact UMB’s fire marshal directly at firemarshal@umaryland.edu. 

Preparedness Ambassadors

Last year, our Emergency Warden program ended. Now, we hope you will continue to be a Preparedness Ambassador! 

This role emphasizes taking protective actions when needed and encouraging others to follow along. This includes evacuating immediately in an emergency (no more floor/building searches during an evacuation). If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take Emergency Preparedness training and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

You can get your Preparedness Ambassador badge by contacting

emergencymanagement@umaryland.edu.

FREE Stop the Bleed Training

Our partners with the Maryland Committee on Trauma are offering free Stop the Bleed training every hour on May 22 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The training is at the Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 1 Barracks at Martin State Airport. Attendees can tour the Maryland State Police helicopter, receive a free personal Stop the Bleed kit, and attend an injury and violence prevention resource fair. Spanish class offerings are available. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. Learn more and register now.

Can’t attend? UMB OEM offers Stop the Bleed training online and in person all year long. Learn more.  

Laboratory Door Signs: Update Emergency Information

Maintaining accurate laboratory door signs is an essential part of protecting worker safety and health. In accordance with UMB’s Maintaining Laboratory Door Signs and Labels policy, all entryways to labs and/or chemical storage areas must display signage that indicates hazards, a principal investigator (PI), and at least one alternate emergency contact. 

For safety purposes, PIs cannot act as their own emergency contact, contact and emergency numbers are different, and emergency numbers must be non-campus numbers. Use your UMB credentials to request updated signage from MyEHS for free. EHS will deliver and post the signage. Call EHS at 410-706-7055 with any questions/concerns.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. Read the UMB Notice of Non-Discrimination.