Maryland State Trooper Graduation
April 3, 2009
[As Prepared]
Good morning. It’s great to be here and to have the opportunity to join Colonel Sheridan and Special Agent In Charge Lyons in sharing this great day with all of you.
To the parents and grandparents, to the husbands and wives, to the sons and daughters, and to all the loved ones who are with us this morning – on behalf of the people of our State, I want to say a heartfelt thank you for all that you’ve done to inspire in the hearts of the individuals who make up this class that spirit of service, that commitment, that yearning to serve that has enabled them to reach this happy day.
To the 133rd Trooper Candidate Class,… on behalf of the people of our One Maryland, thank you and congratulations on this tremendous accomplishment.
I spend more time with State troopers, perhaps even more than I’m able to spend with my family. And I know from our conversations that the 25 weeks of training you go through is not easy – demanding not only the best people, but the very best of those people.
The 27 individuals here today that made it through represent the very best that our State has to offer. And whatever challenges tomorrow may bring, I know – and you know – that you are prepared to meet them.
The Public’s Safety
The most sacred responsibility that we have in public service is the protection of the public’s safety. Without that, nothing else is possible.
As Maryland State Troopers, you will be a part of our State’s most visible front line as we work together not only to protect the public’s safety, but also to improve the public’s safety.
With this in mind, I want to make you this promise. So long as Lt. Governor Brown and I have the honor and privilege of serving the people of this State, we are going to do everything within our power to back you up.
I want to touch on just a few of the things we’re doing right now to support your mission and move our State forward.
Even in tough times, together we’re investing in the new State Police Bearcat, new Beretta pistols, new State Police helicopters, additional mobile data computers for patrol cars, and other state-of-the art gear and technology to ensure that you’re able to do your job as safely and effectively as possible.
Together, we’ve eliminated a backlog of 24,000 DNA samples from those convicted of violent crimes that we inherited when we took office – which would not have been possible without the hard work of the team at the State Police Forensic Science Laboratory.
Together, we’ve also passed legislation that will allow us to take DNA samples from those arrested for violent crimes in order to close more open investigations and to keep violent felons from getting back out on the streets.
Together, we’re stepping up our efforts to track and monitor sexual offenders, and we’re ending parole for those offenders under Jessica’s Law. We’re also investing in GPS equipment to allow us to track juvenile offenders.
Together, we’re integrating and aligning our efforts with law enforcement and government at all levels, improving our ability to share information in a timely and accurate way – so that you have the resources you need to lock-up repeat violent offenders and predators so they can't hurt, murder, or rape a citizen of our State ever again.
And together, with the help of our partners in the federal government, we’re receiving through President Obama’s Recovery and Reinvestment package nearly $44 million in Byrne/JAG public safety grants – of which $26 million will go towards strengthening our public safety efforts at the State level.
We still have much more work to do together. For all the positive areas for which Maryland is a national leader, we are woefully behind in the area of violent crime.
But we are seeing some real signs of progress, and the very good news is that our homicide rate decreased by 12% last year – the second greatest reduction in homicides in nearly a quarter-century.
Together with your partnership, we are going to make progress to become the safest state in our nation.
Conclusion
I leave you with this thought. The Maryland State Flag, the flag on your insignia, represents some proud eternal truths about our State. It says that we can, through our own actions, choose a better and safer tomorrow. And it says that in our One Maryland, there is no such thing as a spare Marylander. Everyone is important.
The black and the white represent the shades that define us. The crimson red represents the common blood and the humanity that unite us. And the gold of opportunity that all of us can share in seizing upon the greatest of freedom’s privileges – that is the privilege to make this world a safer and better place for generations to come.
Congratulations, and thank you for your service.
