A simple career in Law Enforcement

James Petrik

James Petrik
Captain, Charles County (MD) Sheriff’s Office


My career in Law Enforcement started in the year of 1974 when I was employed as a Police Cadet with the Metropolitan Police Department in the District of Columbia. I was assigned to the computer room located at 300 Indiana Ave., NW, Washington DC. I had just graduated from the Charles County Community College and was all of 19 years of age. I spent my days as a courier running programs from the programmers on the 6th floor to the computer room in the basement of the building. After 6 months, I was entrusted as a computer operator for the large mainframe IBM360 computer.

May of 1975, I was sworn in as a Police Officer at the age of 20 and attended the Police Academy located in Blue Plains, in southeast DC. Upon graduation from the academy after 7 weeks of study, I was assigned to the First District located at 415 4th Street SW. During my tenure at the First District, I was assigned to walk Foot Beats in Sector 1 B section which was located in Northwest, Washington, DC. I worked Old Clothes and was finally assigned scout car 16. My badge number was #4223.

I left the Metropolitan Police Department in January of 1978 for employment with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. As a member of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office I was first assigned to the Patrol Division and performed the duties of a patrol officer until May of 1979. At this time, I was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division, Narcotics section. I was placed in a deep undercover capacity from May 1979 until December 1979. I was responsible for the arrest of 60 drug distribution violators, which resulted in convictions.

I remained in the Narcotics section until 1986. I had risen through the ranks to Detective Sergeant, when I was transferred within the Criminal Investigation Division to the Crimes Against Persons section which oversaw all personnel assigned to the Persons section which was inclusive of Homicide, Robbery, Rapes, serious assaults and Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. Following a short tour duty as the supervisor of the Crimes Against Persons section, I was transferred as the supervisor of the Crimes Against Property and was responsible for the oversight of all personnel working Burglaries, Auto Thefts, Thefts, Fraud and Forgery.

In 1989, I was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant with a new assignment as the Assistant Division Commander of Criminal Investigations Division. During this time, I was called upon to develop a Narcotics Task Force for Southern Maryland. This task force would support Narcotics investigation throughout the southern Maryland region consisting of Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert County, Maryland.

I was assigned as the Southern Maryland Narcotics Task Force Commander and was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

Marijuana growing and distribution case. In the photo I am standing in the middle of a 1/4 acre field of marijuana that I discovered through an investigation which led to the seizure and destruction of the marjuana field and one arrest and conviction.
Marijuana growing and distribution case. In the photo I am standing in the middle of a 1/4 acre field of marijuana that I discovered through an investigation which led to the seizure and destruction of the marjuana field and one arrest and conviction.

During this same time, I was called upon to work with individuals from the Charles County IT Division, Charles Fire and Rescue, Charles County Dispatcher to come up with an automated solution for Dispatch and Records Management system, Jail system, Narcotics Tracking system and Civil system. In short; to automate the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. By 1995, all projects were well underway and I was promoted to Captain and selected to lead the “new” Technical Services Division which was responsible for all personnel working in Communications, Records and Management Information Systems.

One could say that my Law Enforcement career that started as a Cadet in the Computer room had gone full circle with my retirement in June of 1998. Along this journey I was cited as Police Officer of the Year twice and had received numerous accommodations and awards.

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