Police Officer/Soldier Deployment and Reintegration Initiative

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Since September 11, 2001, members of the Baltimore County Police Department have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan as members of the Military Reserves or the Maryland National Guard. Many of them served multiple deployments over a several year period. In order to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act and to retain valued employees, the Department recognized a need to develop a comprehensive program to provide job-related assistance to members during their deployments and upon their return to the agency. The Chief of Police appointed a senior member of management, who is also a military veteran, to act as ombudsman for officer/veteran affairs. The ombudsman worked with the agency’s Personnel Section to create a number of procedures and initiatives to assist officers and soldiers before, during and after their deployments. In addition, the ombudsman worked with the Training Academy to create and present training modules for supervisors and officers to heighten their awareness of reintegration issues faced by returning veterans. Finally, the ombudsman worked with the Department’s Executive members to ensure that management understood and supported the various procedures and initiatives.