Editing Baltimore County, Maryland (section)

===Law enforcement===
The [[Baltimore County Police Department]] is responsible for police services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/police/chiefsheridanbio.html|title = Police Chief Terrence B. Sheridan Biography - Baltimore County}}</ref>

Established in the mid-17th century, the Sheriff of Baltimore County was at first filled by county justices from 1662 to 1676. After 1676, the Court submitted three names from which the colonial governor chose a sheriff. Although terms of office initially varied, by 1692, a uniform two-year term was imposed. In 1699 a three-year term with separate commissions was adopted. The sheriff acted as the chief local representative of the proprietary government. His duties included the collection of all public taxes and after 1692, the collection of the yearly poll tax of forty pounds of tobacco for the support of the [[Anglican Communion|Anglican]] ([[Church of England]]) clergy and parishes. A sheriff received a percentage of collected monies, generally about five percent. He also received a yearly salary for duties such as reporting to the governor on affairs within the county, taking/estimating the census periodically, conveying official laws and proprietary requests to the county courts and selecting juries for court sessions. Along with enforcing all provincial laws, he posted new laws in public places. While his primary duty was to serve the Proprietor, the sheriff was aware of problems faced by poor planters and tradesmen. With taxes, yearly quit-rents and other costly expenditures, many of the poorer settlers were unable to pay their obligations when due. The sheriff often extended credit to these planters and paid their immediate obligations out of his own pocket. This lessened the impact of taxes for the poor, who repaid the sheriff after their harvests were brought in.

The modern [[Baltimore County Sheriff's Department]] is responsible for security of the two major [[Baltimore County Circuit Courthouse|County Circuit Courts]] buildings and various courtrooms elsewhere as well as process and warrant service. Sheriff's Deputies are sworn police officers and share the same powers of the more recently organized County Police Department. As of 2019, the Baltimore County Sheriff is a Democrat, R. J. Fisher.

The [[Maryland State Police]] is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the [[Pikesville, Maryland|Pikesville CDP]].<ref name="Home page">[http://www.mdsp.org/ Home page]. ''[[Maryland State Police]]''. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.</ref><ref name="Pikesville CDP, Maryland">"[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US2461400&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Pikesville CDP, Maryland]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." ''[[U.S. Census Bureau]]''. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.</ref>

The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) Baltimore [[FBI field office|field office]] is located in [[Milford Mill, Maryland|Milford Mill]].<ref>"[https://www.fbi.gov/baltimore Baltimore Division]." [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]. Retrieved on June 9, 2015. "2600 Lord Baltimore Drive Baltimore, MD 21244"</ref><ref>"[http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st24_md/place/p2452562_milford_mill/DC10BLK_P2452562_002.pdf 2010 CENSUS – CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Milford Mill CDP, MD]" ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608223018/http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st24_md/place/p2452562_milford_mill/DC10BLK_P2452562_002.pdf |date=June 8, 2015 }}) (Map 2). [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.</ref>