Matthew Santoni, The Examiner
2007-04-05 07:00:00.0
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Edgewood -

Deputies who once had to squeeze shoulder-to-shoulder for roll call in a converted 7-Eleven will have an expansive new office in two years, with a better pay plan as an added incentive to work in Harford County.

County Executive David Craig stood before the Southern Precinct of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office in Edgewood on Wednesday to announce the county would be purchasing 7 acres of land a mile up Route 40 that will eventually become home to an expanded southern arm of the Sheriff’s Office.

“[The building] was inadequate to meet our needs and the needs of our community before we even moved in,” said Sheriff Jesse Bane. “It could not adequately house a family of four, yet we expect our men and women to fight a greater percentage of the county’s crime.” A force of 80 deputies working from the Southern Precinct serves about 60 percent of the county’s population, Bane said.

The $3.2 million site, located near the intersection of Route 40 and Route 152, will meet several of the precinct’s needs, Craig said: It will provide patrol cars quick access to Route 40 and is situated almost exactly between Edgewood and Joppatowne.

One side of the property has an Edgewood ZIP code, while the other side has a Joppatowne one, Craig said. Bane said the precinct’s patrol division and tactical operations would move to the new site — which could be completed in 18 to 24 months if the land purchase is approved — while the current building would remain as a satellite office.

Craig also touted a $3 million pay plan that would raise officers’ pay by about 16 percent next year, making the county more competitive with agencies that have consistently lured away deputies with better pay.

When compared to about six other police departments that hire away most of Harford’s deputies, salaries at the Sheriff’s Office were often between fourth and sixth place, said Deputy Fred Visnaw, president of the deputies’ union.

Though the Maryland State Police, Howard County and Baltimore were all considering increases of their own, the new pay package put Harford back in a position to keep up, Visnaw said.

“This leaves us competitive enough that we’re not falling back. Without this we can’t compete at all,” he said.

The two projects were part of Craig’s budget for 2008, which will now be reviewed by the County Council. Craig pointed to the presence of Councilmen Dion Guthrie, James McMahon and Chad Shrodes as an indication of council support.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com