Violence Unit

Carroll Sheriff Kenneth L. Tregoning, in office for less than a month, continues to fulfill campaign promises to streamline operations and step up the battle against domestic violence and drug abuse in the county. During his campaign, Tregoning vowed to enhance cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, planning to reallocate his resources where feasible. Last week, he revealed plans to make a budget request for one or two additional deputies, assigning them full time to the state's attorney's domestic violence unit and the Child Abuse Sexual Assault (CASA)

Ex-police chief to speak at gun-control meetingTOWSON -- Former county police Chief Cornelius J. Behan, a nationally recognized gun-control advocate, will be speak at an organizational meeting tomorrow of the county's Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse chapter.The session will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Towson Unitarian Church, 1710 Dulaney Valley Road. Workshops are planned on how people can make their voices heard on the issue.Sgt. Mark Cowley, head of the county police Firearms Violence Unit, will speak about the unit's activities since being created in February.

Century High event targets drugs, gangs Century High School will hold a parent program on drugs, alcohol and gangs at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 355 Ronsdale Road, Eldersburg. Trooper First Class Paul Schur of the Maryland State Police, the student resource officer at Century, will discuss drugs and alcohol and identify different types of paraphernalia. He will also advise parents of changes they should look for in their child if they suspect drug/alcohol use. Trooper First Class Gregory Kies of the Maryland State Police Homeland Security/Gang Violence Unit will provide information on gangs in the area.

The Howard County Police Department has been selected to receive a Governor's Crime Prevention Award, according to the department. The award, given annually to agencies, officers, community groups, businesses and residents throughout Maryland who contribute to crime prevention programming, will be presented at a ceremony in December. According to the department, it will be recognized for integrating crime prevention programs as part of its daily operations. "We see firsthand the exceptional work done by our employees and volunteers, but it's nice to see their successes acknowledged on a larger scale," Police Chief William J. McMahon said in a statement.

Gary W. Cofflin named law officer of the yearThe Liberty Exchange Club of Eldersburg named Gary W. Cofflin, special investigator for the state's attorney's domestic violence unit, as its annual Law Enforcement Officer of the Year during ceremonies Wednesday evening in Eldersburg.Cofflin, who retired after 23 years with the Maryland State Police before accepting the special investigator's post in 1997, is the first nonpolice officer to earn the Exchange Club's 27th annual award.Circuit Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. praised Cofflin's efforts in aiding victims of domestic violence before presenting him with a plaque and a $100 U.S. Savings Bond on behalf of the Eldersburg club.

With public interest focused on judicial responses to women's issues, most of Maryland's 242 judges are expected in Towson today and tomorrow for a conference on family violence convened by Chief Judge Robert C. Murphy."

Howard County police officers responding to domestic violence calls must now offer on-the-spot telephone referrals to domestic violence counselors for those victims who show certain risk factors. This month the county joined nearly 60 other jurisdictions in the state to require the "lethality assessments" -- a series of questions officers use to decide whether to immediately offer to call a counselor at the county's Domestic Violence Center in Columbia, who can offer further resources to the victim.

It's an image that social worker Shannon Wood can't get out of her mind: A 7-year-old girl sits for two days on a dirty tile floor inside the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse in Baltimore, playing with hand-me-down Barbie dolls and waiting to testify as a witness to her mother's murder. Wood, a licensed forensic social worker who interviews child witnesses for the city state's attorney's office, said she hated knowing that children such as the 7-year-old are confined to an uncomfortable waiting room with few toys and gray decor during the trial process.

County Sheriff  Kenneth Tregoning announced that the annual Carroll County Sheriff's Office Personnel Awards were presented to the following recipients in recognition of their commitment to public service and exemplary performance: • Sgt. Thomas Hoffa, commander of the Sheriff's Office Court Security Division, was named Deputy of the Year. Hoffa's position requires a balance of diplomacy, sound judgment and supervisory skills in order to provide for the safe and efficient management of security for Carroll County Circuit Court and prisoner detention for District Court.

An alarm company owner and retired state trooper who has donated hundreds of hours to protect potential targets of domestic violence received a first-time award yesterday for "outstanding achievement" from the Carroll County state's attorney. James S. Emerick, 50, president of Risk Management Consultants in Cockeysville, has been installing portable alarm systems for 5 1/2 years for those whose spouses have been charged with a crime or who have obtained protective orders against them, said Gary Cofflin, the domestic violence unit investigator.