Don't pass up an opportunity to participate in a unique and exciting effort to help preserve our police history. If we fail to fulfill the obligation we have to future generations of Baltimore Police, their families, and their families families, through the preservation of our history, it will be gone forever, and they will never know how it was. While we maintain the site, we'll also work to research our history and update the site with new, verified information. We will from time to time add information that comes to us from our readers, but unless it has been verified through documentation, we will not put it in as anything but information from a reader. We had info from some well known historians that came back as incorrect. Ken has himself found information that was contradicted by other information, so until it is fully verified and documented he himself won't include a theory of his own without the documentation that lead to the theory, and then you our readers can make up your mind as to whether or not his theory is correct. In most cases Ken has verified, double and triple checked his sources. So we hope you will join us in these efforts to continue our research, and preservation.  

Baltimore City Police History
Preservation Membership Program

Museum Membership

Don't pass up an opportunity to participate in a unique and exciting effort to preserve our police history. If we fail to fulfill the obligation we have to future generations of Baltimore Police, their families, and their families, through the preservation of our history, it will be gone forever, and they will never know how it was.

Individual and corporate memberships are available.

Membership benefits include:

- Becoming a member in the preservation of this important part of our Baltimore City Police History is an important part of helping us grow, gain information building the site and preserving our history.

- Members will receive Members Only mailings.

- Discounts on museum gifts, and collectibles 

- First opportunity to purchase limited edition collectibles as they become available, and prior to general public release to include not only new merchandise, (t-shirts, patches, decals etc.) but genuine Baltimore Police Memorabilia/Items. We have a large collection, and are always on the lookout for items to buy and trade. NOTE: Donated items will always stay in our possession, but items we buy, or trade for, can always be used to sell or trade. Again donated Items will never be sold or traded, and will always be ready for display, so family members can come see. That said, items that we have purchased, or traded for over the years, that are duplicates, can be used to obtain items we may not have, or that we need, to help show our history, and members of this group will receive first right to refusal.

- Members will also be placed on our email list so they will receive out "This day in Baltimore Police History", and "Today in Baltimore Police History". These emails are sent out to members on the anniversary dates of our Fallen Officers, and other important dates in BPD History, so that they are never forgotten.

- On Dates of Fallen Officer a message like this will go out...

On this day 2002 we lost our brother Detective Thomas G. Newman, On 21 April, 2001, Tommy drove his Chevy S-10 pickup onto an Amoco gas station in South Baltimore. While there, he encountered four men who began to taunt him. Newman identified himself as a police officer, believing that would diffuse the situation. The men walked away, but not before one of them boldly reached and touched his back to indicate he had a weapon. Tommy used his cell phone and called 911 from his vehicle, as he followed the dark red Mazda MPV the men got into. Believing at least one of the men was armed, Newman did not approach them, nor did he want to lose sight of the red Mazda. Tommy was able to alert authorities and gave the 911 operator his location in an attempt to summon sufficient police units. Before police could get to Newman’s location, the men exited their vehicle, all-running in different directions. Unbeknownst to Newman, one of the men doubled back and approached the rear of his truck. Newman was on his cellular phone with the 911 dispatcher when the man fired five shots. Newman was wounded as a result of the attack. Despite his injuries, Detective Newman remained committed to the job he loved. He helped convict at least one of the men that shot him.

As a result of that incident and Tommy's testimony on November 23, 2002 at approximately 1:50 a.m. while Tommy was leaving Joe’s Tavern on the Dundalk Ave. he was ambushed and shot by three men that planned to take his life in retaliation for his testimony in the April 2001 shooting that left him wounded. One of the suspects responsible for Newman’s murder was the half-brother of the suspect who was convicted and imprisoned for the attempted murder of Detective Newman in April of 2001.

Detective Newman was twelve-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, and is survived by his son, daughter, mother, sisters, brother, nieces and nephews. Detective Newman was a key part of his family unit; his strength and love are a painful loss. His death has also saddened his squad members in the Check and Fraud Unit. Sorrowfully, Tommy’s desk is as he left it. His jacket hangs on the back of his chair. Photographs of his children hang on the surrounding wall and slips of phone messages are neatly stacked one on top of the other. Anyone that knew Tommy knew how devoted he was to his family, his friends, and the Baltimore Police Department. 

Tommy was a good guy, good police and will never be forgotten by us, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department. RIP Tommy, you know how much you meant to those of us lucky enough to have gotten to work with you, and become your friend. Likewise we have the "Today in Baltimore Police History" which is sent out on anniversary dates of important events, such as the 100th anniversary of our Motors unit when we sent this out... Today in Baltimore City Police History 1914 - The Motor Unit was organized and initiated (29 May 1914) - It began with just five Officers, Patrolman Schleigh, Bateman, Pepersack, Vocke and Louis. - They had 5 Indian twin cylinder motor cycles. The main duty back then was to chase down speeding horse drawn vehicles, but that quickly changed with the growing number of automobiles in Baltimore. Motors has been in continuous operation since this day in 1914. Likewise it has seen continuous growth, picking up new responsibilities, and new members over the years, going from 5 members in 1914 to more than double in 1916… and by the mid to late 1920's they doubled yet again. Starting with Indians in 1914, they were forced to switch to Harley Davidson throughout the years. Two things forced that change, 1st Indian went out of business, and second Harley was the best bike going at the time, it was used by Military, and Police throughout the country. In the beginning Motors Officers, worked out of the Districts, but in the 1930's they were reassigned from patrol to the newly formed Traffic Division, and were designated as part of the “Traffic Enforcement Section”, as the "Motors Unit” or “Motorcycle Unit" (the division also handled, "Parking Control", "Foot Traffic" that directed traffic downtown, and part of the "Accident Investigation Unit". The number of officers has risen, and fallen several times over the course of our department's history due to finances, safety, and political issues. But is alive, and well today with some of the best motor men it has seen in years. Recent Commissioners support Motor Units and promise to keep them running strong. Harley Davidson is currently the only brand used, and has been since 1920 when a Harley shop opened in Baltimore. The Department has been known to use Cushman's, small Hondas, and other mini bike/moped type scooters, but nothing other than Harley has been ridden by our Motors Officers. The Cushman, Hondas and lesser bikes were used by special opts, and foot men to get to their posts. You might see some dirt bikes ridden today by special opts officers throughout the city, some rooster tails in city parks coming off the rear tire of a dirt bike, whatever it takes to catch the bad guy and keep our public safe. If you are working, tell a motors guy Happy Birthday - today his unit turned 100… Today is a big day for our department, in that it has reached the 100th anniversary of a very important and successful unit that without such unit we couldn’t fight crime, and suppress evil, as well as we have for the past century. And we made the following Motor's 100th Anniversary Logo to Celebrate it... This should be available on Patches, Decals and T-Shirts before long.

With this, if there is something historically relevant to the Baltimore Police Department, we'll work to make sure our members know about it. So, a day won't go by that our members won't learn about our history, or fail to remember our Fallen Brothers and Sister.

Other benefits as may become available

Send your membership application to:

Baltimore City Police History 
8138 Dundalk Ave. 
Baltimore Maryland 21222

If when you attempt to download, it opens in "Word Online" simply move your cursor to the upper right hand corner, then select "Download" from the drop down options.... from there you should see two options, either "Open With" or "Save File" - If you have "Adobe Acrobat" then select open with Adobe Acrobat, the file has been set up with easy fill form boxes that will allow you to fill it out on your computer and email it right back to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click Here to Download PDF Form

We need to explain the reason we won't sell, or trade donated items. Technically those items don't belong to us, they belong to the museum, and will be kept on hand in said museum because those items are usually from family members of officers, those family members are trusting us to keep those items on display, so they, and other family members can come see the items... For that reason we are making sure those items never leave possession of the museum.

 

• 2018-07-21 - 03:04:48 - Citation of Valor
• 2018-07-30 - 06:31:57 - George Kane
• 2018-07-21 - 03:10:43 - Norris Award
• 2018-07-21 - 03:17:35 - Safe Driving Award