Baltimore, MD – The U.S.
Marshals Service is launching its first community oriented policing unit
in the District of Maryland. Silver Shield is an interagency coalition
consisting of deputies, criminal investigators, and local law
enforcement professionals tasked with implementing national Sex Offender
Investigations Branch initiatives at the District level. On Dec.
18, 2014, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order creating a
task force on 21st century policing. This task force identified six key
findings to include the need to change the culture of policing, embrace
community policing, ensure fair and impartial policing, build community
capital, improve officer wellness and safety, and leverage technology to
improve efficiency and transparency.
(Office
of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2015). Silver
Shield was designed to enhance protection of the public by collaborating
with federal, state, and local partners to synergize the investigation
of fugitive matters, capture non-compliant/wanted sex offenders, and
recover missing and endangered children. Creators of the Silver Shield
initiative believe it will position the service to serve as the national
model for interagency-community collaboration. “The calls for
law enforcement reform cannot go unanswered,” said Johnny L. Hughes,
U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland. “That’s why I am so proud of
our deputies, because this was their idea. We created Silver Shield to
let the American people know we hear them loud and clear.” District Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Mathew N. Silverman added, “I have
always been a huge proponent of community-oriented policing. While the
U.S. Marshals Service is well known for being the enforcement arm of the
federal court system, the Silver Shield program was established to
strengthen our bond with the community and emphasize our role as
guardians of the republic.” Working in collaboration with the
Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the U.S Attorney’s Office
for the District of Maryland, the U.S. Marshals expect to conduct joint
sex offender and/or missing child operations on a quarterly basis. The
U.S. Marshals hope to expand the unit by working with special deputized
task force officers and other local law enforcement partners on an ad
hoc basis.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
####America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency