CALIFORNIA, Md. — Many Maryland residents are familiar with county police departments, sheriff’s offices and state troopers. Fewer people know about Maryland special police, even though they may encounter them at hospitals, college campuses, transportation facilities, residential communities or other properties.
Understanding the role of Maryland special police can help residents know who they are interacting with, what authority those officers may have and how their responsibilities compare with traditional local law enforcement.
What Are Maryland Special Police?
Maryland special police are law enforcement officers who are authorized to provide police services for specific locations or organizations. The category is defined in state law: special police officers are appointed under Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Public Safety Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, according to the Maryland Department of State Police, the agency that licenses and commissions them. Rather than serving an entire county or municipality, they typically perform their duties within a defined area or on property connected to the organization they protect.
Special police are commonly associated with institutions that have ongoing public safety needs beyond what private security alone can provide. Depending on their appointment and legal authority, they may perform many of the same day-to-day functions as other law enforcement officers while working within a more limited jurisdiction.
For Maryland residents, that means an officer encountered at a hospital, university or other designated property may have law enforcement authority even though the officer is not employed by a local police department.
Where Do Maryland Special Police Work?
Special police can be found in a variety of settings across the state, including Southern Maryland, Anne Arundel County, the Baltimore region and the Washington area.
Under Section 3-303 of the Public Safety Article, the state entities eligible to apply for special police appointments include municipal corporations, counties or other government bodies protecting their own property; colleges, universities and public school systems protecting their property or students; and businesses seeking to protect their commercial interests, according to the statutory text published by the Office of the Maryland Secretary of State.
Common workplaces include:
- Hospitals and health care campuses.
- Colleges and universities.
- Transportation facilities.
- Government properties.
- Residential or commercial developments.
- Industrial or institutional campuses.
One example is Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, where a dedicated Johns Hopkins Police Department made up of specially commissioned officers now serves the Homewood, East Baltimore and Peabody campuses, according to Johns Hopkins Public Safety.
The exact locations vary because special police appointments are tied to the organization or property they serve rather than to a geographic jurisdiction like a county or city.
Many people may see special police officers regularly without realizing they are part of a distinct category of Maryland law enforcement.
What Powers Do Maryland Special Police Have?
The authority of a Maryland special police officer depends on the scope of the officer’s appointment and applicable state law.
Under Section 3-307 of the Public Safety Article, each special police officer is responsible for protecting and preserving peace and good order on the property described in the officer’s application for commission, and may arrest individuals who trespass or commit offenses on that property and exercise the general powers of a police officer there.
Their authority is generally connected to specific property or areas identified in their appointment, and a special police officer may exercise police powers only on the property of their employer as described in that application — unless the officer is in active pursuit of a suspect for the purpose of immediate apprehension, per the Code of Maryland Regulations governing special police commissions, which is administered by the Maryland State Police Licensing Division. That means their powers are often more limited geographically than those of municipal police officers or sheriff’s deputies, who routinely patrol broader communities.
Special police officers who wish to enforce Maryland motor vehicle laws must also have completed the basic police training course established by the state’s Police Training and Standards Commission, according to the same regulations. The Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions oversees the training requirements tied to both initial and renewal special police commissions.
Residents should remember that the precise authority of any special police officer can vary depending on the organization, appointment and legal authorization involved. Not every agency operates under identical conditions.
How Are Special Police Different From Private Security?
One of the biggest sources of confusion is the difference between special police and private security guards.
Private security personnel primarily focus on protecting property, monitoring buildings, controlling access and reporting suspicious activity. Their authority generally comes from the property owner and applicable laws governing private security.
Special police officers, by contrast, may possess law enforcement authority granted through the state’s commissioning process overseen by the Maryland Department of State Police. Depending on their appointment, they may be able to perform duties that go beyond those of traditional security personnel, including arrest powers on their designated property under Section 3-307.
Although both may wear uniforms and patrol the same types of facilities, their legal authority and responsibilities are not necessarily the same.
How Are They Different From Local Police?
County and municipal police departments are responsible for providing general law enforcement services throughout their jurisdictions. Officers respond to calls for service, investigate crimes, enforce traffic laws and patrol neighborhoods across entire communities.
Maryland special police usually have a narrower mission focused on protecting a designated property, institution or organization, consistent with the property-specific scope laid out in state law.
Local police also handle a broader range of community policing responsibilities, emergency response and criminal investigations across their jurisdictions. Special police often coordinate with local agencies when incidents extend beyond their assigned authority or require additional resources. At Johns Hopkins, for example, the university’s police department operates under a formal memorandum of understanding with the Baltimore Police Department that outlines key operational policies between the two agencies, according to Johns Hopkins Public Safety.
That cooperation helps ensure that serious incidents receive the appropriate response while allowing institutions to maintain dedicated public safety personnel on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Maryland special police officer? A Maryland special police officer is a law enforcement officer appointed to provide police services for specific properties or organizations rather than an entire city or county, under authority granted through Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the state’s Public Safety Article.
Are Maryland special police the same as private security? No. While both may protect property, special police may have law enforcement authority tied to their appointment — including arrest powers on their assigned property — while private security generally operates under different legal authority.
Where do Maryland special police usually work? They often serve hospitals, colleges, transportation facilities, government properties and other institutions that maintain dedicated public safety operations.
Do Maryland special police work with local police? Yes. Special police commonly coordinate with local law enforcement agencies when incidents require assistance or extend beyond their authorized jurisdiction.
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