Laurel Police seek arrangement with Wicomico Sheriff
By Tony E. Windsor The Laurel Police Department is working on a formal agreement that will allow mutual interaction with Maryland law enforcement. Laurel Police Chief Michael Wilson told the Laurel Mayor and Council during a recent meeting that he is working with Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis on an agreement which will give both agencies extra manpower and intelligence opportunities in the event of major cases. Wilson said given the close proximity of the northern boundaries of Maryland to the town of Laurel, it provides a great opportunity for both agencies and he welcomes the opportunity. "We have the opportunity to assist one another and provide manpower for such things as a large-scale drug case," he said. An example of the mutual aid agreement in action occurred on Jan. 29, when the Laurel Police Department's Emergency Response Team assisted the Wicomico County Sheriff's Department with the execution of a search warrant. This incident was part of a large scale operation conducted by the sheriff's department and Laurel police helped to execute 10 search warrants simultaneously. The Laurel Police Department's Emergency Response Team
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performed similar duties in a mutual aid scenario with the Delmar Police Department when Laurel police officers helped serve a search warrant in Delmar. Wilson said it is not unusual for most municipal police agencies in Delaware to have "Mutual Aid Agreements" with one another. The formal agreements allow sworn police officers to work outside of their jurisdiction under the jurisdictional control of another police agency. The formal agreement between a Delaware municipality and a law enforcement agency outside of its state is not standard operations, but Wilson said it makes sense considering the close geographical proximity. "We have worked with Sheriff Lewis and the Wicomico Sheriff's Department over the years because we train our K-9 units with them," Wilson said. "I told Sheriff Lewis if there was anything we could do for him to let us know. He called and took me up on my offer and we helped with the search warrants. This is a great opportunity for both agencies and we are working on a more permanent arrangement." Wilson said for now, the mutual aid agreements are only good for each individual request for support and expire at the conclusion of the case. The two agencies are working on a more traditional on-going Mutual Aid Agreement.
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