{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-806","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 21–806","heading":"","body":"(a) In this section, “Department” means the Ocean Pines Police\nDepartment.\n(b) There is an Ocean Pines Police Department.\n(c) (1) The Department is:\n(i) established to provide protection for the Ocean Pines\ncommunity in Worcester County; and\n(ii) responsible for enforcing the applicable laws, ordinances,\nand regulations of the State and Worcester County.\n(2) (i) The Department is not an agency of Worcester County.\n(ii) The officers, employees, and agents of the Department are\nnot officers, employees, or agents of Worcester County.\n(3) Worcester County is not responsible for the acts or omissions of\nthe Department or the officers, employees, or agents of the Department.\n(d) (1) There is a Chief of Police of the Department.\n(2) (i) The Chief of Police shall be appointed by the General\nManager of the Ocean Pines Association.\n(ii) The Chief of Police shall be:\n1. experienced in the command of uniformed patrols\nand the detection and investigation of crime; and\n2. selected solely on the basis of qualifications for the\nposition.\n(3) (i) The Chief of Police shall be responsible directly to the\nGeneral Manager.\n(ii) All orders to the Department from the General Manager\nshall be directed through the Chief of Police or the designee of the Chief of Police.\n(4) (i) The Chief of Police shall command and administer the\nDepartment.\n(ii) The duties of the Chief of Police include:\n1. being responsible for the efficiency and good conduct\nof the Department;\n2. overseeing the general operation of the Department;\n3. hiring employees and appointing officers, subject to\nthe approval of the General Manager; and\n4. disciplining employees and officers.\n(5) The Chief of Police shall serve at the pleasure of the General\nManager and may be removed by the General Manager.\n(e) (1) A member of the Department has all the powers granted to a\npeace officer and a police officer of the State.\n(2) The powers granted under paragraph (1) of this subsection may\nbe exercised only on property in the Ocean Pines community and not on any other\nproperty, unless a member of the Department is:\n(i) acting under an agreement with another law enforcement\nagency;\n(ii) engaged in fresh pursuit of a suspected offender;\n(iii) specially requested or allowed to exercise the powers in a\npolitical subdivision by the chief executive officer or chief police officer of the political\nsubdivision; or\n(iv) ordered to exercise the powers by the Governor.\n(3) Members of the Department have concurrent jurisdiction in the\nperformance of their duties with the law enforcement agencies of the State and\nWorcester County.\n(4) This section does not:\n(i) relieve the State or Worcester County from a duty to\nprovide police, fire, and other public safety service and protection; or\n(ii) affect the jurisdiction of other police, fire, and public safety\nagencies.\n(f) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Maryland Police\nTraining and Standards Commission shall adopt standards, qualifications, and\nprerequisites of character, training, education, human and public relations, and\nexperience for the Department, including standards for the performance of the duties\nof the Department.\n(2) The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission may\ndelegate to the Board of Directors of the Ocean Pines Association, Incorporated, the\nauthority to adopt standards, qualifications, and prerequisites under paragraph (1)\nof this subsection.\n(g) (1) The Board of Directors of the Ocean Pines Association,\nIncorporated, shall adopt rules governing the operation and conduct of the\nDepartment, including its police officers.\n(2) The rules of the Board of Directors concerning police officers shall\nsupplement any rules or regulations of the Maryland Police Training and Standards\nCommission.\n(3) Disobedience to the lawful commands, rules, or regulations of the\nMaryland Police Training and Standards Commission or the Board of Directors shall\nbe grounds for disciplinary action, including removal.\n(h) (1) Funding for the Department shall come from revenue derived\nfrom assessments imposed on real property located in the Ocean Pines community\nand other available sources.\n(2) The Department or the Board of Directors of the Ocean Pines\nAssociation, Incorporated, acting as administrator of the Ocean Pines community,\nmay apply for, accept, and spend any gift or grant for the benefit or use of the\nDepartment from the federal government, any State unit, any foundation, or any\nother person.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=21-806","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"20d19381ecba81d82fba5e32a646d6db6a8eacbcba0d2b2ac278abe7a409c7d1","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-805","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-22-101"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}