Agencies Across the State Receive Grants to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence

Funds Will Help Law Enforcement Units Move Quickly to Protect Vulnerable Residents

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced Maryland will provide $189,533 in state funding to help protect victims of domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Unit Program allows local sheriffs and police departments to create specialized units to serve ex parte and protective orders, and to update and maintain state and federal domestic violence databases.

Ex parte orders are temporary protective orders, which can be put in place without requiring the presence of the respondent in court. The grant funds announced today are designed to reduce the time between the issuance of an ex parte or protective order and its entry into Maryland and national data systems.

“As governor, the safety and security of Marylanders is my top priority,” said Governor Hogan. “Protective orders are vitally important for victims of domestic violence. Serving these orders quickly and then immediately placing that information in our state and federal database are important steps in our goal to protect innocent victims of domestic violence.”  

“Narrowing the amount of time it takes to serve a protective order and then enter it into a database can be essential to the safety of a victim of domestic violence,” said Glenn Fueston, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. “These documents order a suspected abuser to stay away from the victim, or face legal consequences. A law enforcement officer can access the databases through their cruiser’s laptop or at their office and immediately know whether a person has been ordered to stay away from a victim.”

Grants were awarded to the following agencies:

Domestic Violence Unit Program Awards, July 2016
Implementing Agency	County	Amount
Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office	Anne Arundel County	$24,425
Baltimore Police Department	Baltimore City	$50,165
Baltimore County Police Department	Baltimore County	$35,000
Calvert County Sheriff’s Office	Calvert County	$4,800
Cambridge Police Department	Dorchester County	$5,554
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office	Carroll County	$5,604
Charles County Sheriff’s Office	Charles County	$2,000
Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office	Dorchester County	$1,680
Frederick County Sheriff’s Office	Frederick County	$6,621
Hagerstown Police Department	Washington County	$10,994
Howard County Sheriff’s Office	Howard County	$4,650
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office	Montgomery County	$18,040
Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office	Wicomico County	$20,000
Total		$189,533

About the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention

The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention serves as a coordinating office that advises the governor on criminal justice strategies. The office plans, promotes, and funds efforts with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims.