GBI expansion - opinion

Joint police effort would surely benefit Garrett County
Anonymous The Cumberland Times-News Wed Mar 16, 2011, 08:00 AM EDT

Cumberland — Law enforcement efforts in Garrett County should be strengthened if Sheriff Rob Corley succeeds in his quest to have the Garrett Bureau of Investigation expanded.

More than three years ago, Maryland State Police and the Garrett County Sheriff’s Department discontinued working together as the GBI. The bureau has continued since then as only a sheriff’s department agency.

Corley said he has been in touch with the state police about rejoining the bureau. Although nothing is official, Maryland State Police Public Information Officer Greg Shipley said in Pikesville last week that his agency is willing to work with the sheriff in trying to bring the two police agencies together.

When the Garrett County grand jury met recently Corley told them about his hope to have the GBI once again include state police investigators. The sheriff said he does not expect the county’s only municipal police agency, the Oakland Police Department, to be involved because it does not have a criminal investigator.

Corley said the advantage of hooking up once more with state police would be having all investigators in one location. “As it is, we have been working well with state police on investigations, but getting together officially in one place would allow us to work better with the resources that we have,” he said.

Allegany County has had a combined criminal investigative unit known as C3I since 1992. It has a successful track record of using joint police resources to solve crime and to be involved in crime prevention. GBI, too, had success when it was a joint effort by the sheriff and state police. There is no reason to believe the cooperative effort won’t yield benefits again.

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