LA PLATA, Md. – Jason Stoddard, a lieutenant with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, is bringing his 24 years of law enforcement experience to Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) as director of school safety and security.
Stoddard started working with CCPS on May 7 and is splitting his time between the two agencies until late July when he retires from the sheriff’s office.
Stoddard currently serves as the commander of the homeland security and intelligence section of the sheriff’s office. He oversees investigations that involve groups with ties to terrorism, hate groups, extremist cells, gangs and organized crime. Additionally, he provides special events planning and threat assessments and facilitates after-action reviews for critical incidents.
“This job is an amazing opportunity for me to continue to serve Charles County and its citizens. When parents drop their children off at school, they should be able to trust that it is a safe place for learning. Safety fosters learning. I look forward to working with students, staff and community as we focus on improving school safety and emergency preparedness,” Stoddard said.
As director of school safety and security, Stoddard is responsible for developing a new school system safety and security plan, executing the plan and serving as advisor to Superintendent Kimberly Hill and other school personnel on school safety. Stoddard once served as a school resource officer (SRO) and will now collaborate with the SROs, who provide daily school-based policing, safety and crime prevention through a long-standing, successful partnership between the sheriff’s office and school system.
“We’re excited about the creation of this new position. Jason Stoddard has the skills and experience to bring together the efforts of several different offices to sharpen our focus on safety and security,” Hill said.
Before joining the sheriff’s office, Stoddard served as a security police officer with the U.S. Air Force between 1994 to 1998. Between 1998 and 2007, Stoddard’s assignments with the sheriff’s office included patrol operations, criminal justice instructor, school resource officer, crime prevention, community policing, Explorer advisor and Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Stoddard served as a sergeant in the patrol division between 2007 and 2012. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2012 and worked as commander of the special operations sections and commander of the northern patrol division before being assigned in 2017 as commander of the homeland security and intelligence section.
Stoddard has served as a peer reviewer and assessor for the Department of Justice and a senior faculty member with the Leadership Development Institute of the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission. He holds numerous certifications and has been presented the annual Sheriff’s Award four times, awarded as Police Officer of the Year by the Greater Waldorf Jaycees, and presented a Bronze Medal of Valor from the sheriff’s office for showing exceptional courage at unusual personal risk in capturing five armed subjects. Most recently, Stoddard received a Governor’s Award for outstanding work in helping to create the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Police Academy.
Stoddard holds a Master of Arts in Organizational and Executive Leadership from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, University College.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 26,900 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.