Former OCPD Chief Frank G. Pappas Passes Away

Former Ocean City Police Chief Frank G. Pappas passed away at age 90 surrounded by his family on June 9, 2013. Considered a law enforcement icon by many and a career public servant, Chief Pappas served as a monumental asset to OCPD during his time as Chief. 

Chief Pappas took office in 1980 with a staff of eighty officers and ten civilians. As a former Drug Enforcement Administration official, he stepped-up the fight against drugs and launched a crackdown on other crimes to help preserve the resort’s “family image”. Chief Pappas also established the Quick Response Team, a group of specially trained officers that are called upon to provide tactical support in incidents that require special resources. Before his retirement in January 1986, Chief Pappas established a completely new police administrative system and rewrote the department’s General Orders, the operations and conduct policy manual.

Left to right: Former OCPD Officer Kevin Healy receiving
recognition from Former Chief Frank G. Pappas

“Chief Pappas was an essential part of the current success of the Ocean City Police Department”, said Acting Chief Greg Guiton. “Many of the initiatives and policies that he established are still in place today.”

Former Chief Pappas was a dedicated public servant who not only served the community of Ocean City as their Chief of Police but spent over 30 years with the federal gov’t as a member of the Drug enforcement Administration as well as service in the military during World War II. Chief Pappas can be credited with modernizing our emergency communications system, police vehicle fleet, and organizational structure as a professional police department.