Howard County Police Recognize 5 African American Law Enforcement Officers In Honor Of Black History Month
COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- In honor of Black History Month, Howard County is making sure African Americans in law enforcement are being noticed for their hard work.
In a packed room at Howard Community College, officials honored a total of five special men and women who have blazed trails in their law enforcement careers.
"It goes to show that hard work doesn't go unnoticed, and with their perseverance and their commitment and dedication to community service, it brought them to the point where they are now," Mae Beale, event coordinator, said.
In 1968, Herman Charity made history joining the Howard County Police Department as the first African American police officer.
"When I joined the police department the first day, one of the white police officers took me under his wing and told me that there were going to be some issues because some of the white officers didn't want me on the force," Charity said.
But Charity did not back down and remained resilient during his time serving with the department in order to pave the way down the road for the future.
In December 2018, history was once again made as Marcus Harris was sworn in as Howard County's first African American sheriff.
"I'm still pinching myself," Harris said. "When I decided to run for the position as sheriff, I didn't even think about the fact I would be the first African American sheriff in Howard County history."
With a little over a year in his new position, Harris said he's focusing on impacting future generations.
"I thought it was important for me to be in this position so that the youth, especially here in Howard County, where I live, see a person that looks like me in this position," Harris said.
