OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Public Safety Committee Receives Annapolis Police Department Update on April 15, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, April 15, 2026
BodyAnnapolis, Maryland
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, April 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:35:51

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

This meeting to order of the uh Annapolis Public Safety Committee meeting at 4 46 p.m.

0:06

on Wednesday, April 15th.

0:09

Um as far as our roll call to my right, I have President Haldeman Smith Brown.

0:17

Right.

0:18

Uh Daisha Conte is not in attendance today, and Karma O'Neal is.

0:23

Um may I have a motion to uh confirm the agenda.

0:31

Or I move to approve of the agenda.

0:34

I'll second that.

0:35

All in favor, please say aye.

0:39

Um next up, do I have a motion to approve um meeting minutes from 318 26?

0:46

Yes, I moved to approve the meeting minutes from March 18th, 2026.

0:50

I'll second that.

0:51

All in favor, please say aye.

0:53

Okay.

0:54

Motion carries.

0:55

Um next up on our agenda is our general discussion, and today we have the Annapolis Police Department.

1:02

Welcome.

1:03

If you wouldn't mind introducing each person and position.

1:09

Sure.

1:10

I'm acting chief of the police department, Amy Megeth.

1:13

And to my right is Deputy Chief Major Stanley Brantford.

1:20

Director Lakeisha Blue Captain Guy Thacker, Patrol Division.

1:27

Captain Moore Howard Operations and Captain Hill Hurley administrative services.

1:36

Right, anybody else?

1:39

Okay.

1:40

Yep.

1:40

Thank you.

1:44

So you've uh you've let us be the last to present, uh, which we thank you for.

1:50

We got to experience the Office of Emergency Management and the Fire Department's presentations, and I took uh some good ideas that they had and built built on them for our presentation.

2:01

Uh I left uh some time at the end for questions, so we certainly want to get to that.

2:08

We are trying to give a broad overview of the whole police department and the work that we do, not necessarily getting into the details.

2:15

And so we want um we do we have a finite amount of time for the committee meeting.

2:22

We've definitely invite uh anyone to come and tour.

2:26

I know that um Alderman O'Neill did that in the past, came to the police department and um got a tour of our facility, uh also ride alongside we we definitely um encourage that as well to learn more about how um the work we do.

2:45

So I'm I'm gonna get started.

2:47

So we're gonna uh go over the department um kind of on a broad scale, talk about the command staff again, what what it means, what we're in charge of, uh, and then uh the different divisions specifically, the work that we do, uh some practical matters that are helpful for the older people to know in general, and uh then if we have time at the end going over some current crime data um for Annapolis.

3:20

So you're gonna get a copy of this presentation.

3:24

So I'm not gonna read everything on the page, but you know, like any department, we have a mission statement, we have a vision, um, you know, our is to protect life and property, prevent and reduce crime, maintain order, and enforce the law within our community while protecting the constitutional rights and dignity of those we serve.

3:50

I also have goals, which include you know, obviously keeping the community safe, strengthening public trust, being uh organizationally excellent, strengthening our workforce, and optimizing resource management.

4:08

Also our core values, honor, respect, integrity, and service.

4:13

The fire department recently went through a comprehensive strategic plan uh for the next few years.

4:22

We strive to do a process like that this year, um involving the public, involving our employees, uh really getting feedback and creating a plan for our department.

4:38

One of the things I took from the past presentations was uh Chief Romale spoke about the history, and I do think it's important to touch on the history of the police department.

4:49

Well, the first commissioner and the chief of police that was 1867, which is the date that we usually date our police uh department to.

5:00

Obviously, the city charter 1708.

5:02

It's you know, it's on the front of the um the dais there.

5:08

Uh there were constables and watchmen that were uh organized in the city to just basically look for fire fires and um be out in the middle of the night.

5:20

Um that 1867 date was when those duties were formalized.

5:30

Over time, uh our structure and the size increased as the city grew.

5:37

So the department until 1973 operated out of city hall, uh, just like the fire department mentioned that they operated out of City Hall and next door across the street at the fire station.

5:51

We also operated there.

5:52

In 1973, our current headquarters was built, and that's when we started occupying that site.

6:01

So between the years of 1925 and 1930, the department had a chief and 10 officers, one vehicle and a motorcycle.

6:10

At that point, the city ended at Westgate Circle and at Spa Creek on the Eastport side.

6:16

So the city was much much smaller than it is today.

6:20

In uh 1951, there were significant annexations to the city, which included Eastport, German town Homewood, Pearl, Wardor, and West Annapolis.

6:32

So that's really uh where the bulk of what makes Annapolis and Apollo happened uh through those annexations.

6:40

Uh 1960 saw the first African American police officers hired by the police department.

6:45

Chief George Rollins was the chief that hired those officers.

6:50

And in 1966, we saw the first civilian clerical staff.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████76%
Homelessness████7%
Procedural███5%
Personnel Matters███5%
Community Engagement██4%
Racial Equity█1%
Mental Health Awareness█1%
Procurement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Safety Committee Receives Annapolis Police Department Update on April 15, 2026

The Annapolis Public Safety Committee met on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, from 4:46 PM to 6:22 PM in City Council Chambers. Alderwoman O'Neill chaired the meeting, with Alderman Smith-Brown present and Alderwoman Contee absent. The sole substantive agenda item was a comprehensive overview of the Annapolis Police Department (APD), presented by Acting Chief Miguez, Deputy Chief Brandford, and other command staff. The committee approved the meeting agenda and minutes from March 18, 2026, by voice vote.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Agenda: Moved by Alderwoman O'Neill, seconded, carried on voice vote.
  • Approval of Minutes (March 18, 2026): Moved by Alderwoman O'Neill, seconded, carried on voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

  • APD Overview and Presentation: Acting Chief Miguez led a detailed presentation covering the department's history (dating to 1867), organizational structure, command staff, internal affairs, patrol division, investigations division, administrative services, recruitment, training, and current crime reduction efforts. Key highlights included:

    • History: The department was formalized in 1867; first African American officers hired in 1960; first female officer in 1970s; accredited by CALEA since 2004.
    • Internal Affairs (Director Blue): Compared complaints from 2024 (25 total) to 2025 (41 total: 16 internal, 25 external). Use of force incidents: 10 in 2024 vs. 11 in 2025. Vehicle pursuits: 1 in 2024 vs. 3 in 2025 (one found outside policy). A mediation program for minor complaints is planned for July 1, 2026.
    • Patrol Division (Captain Thacker): Currently at full staffing with 48 officers across four squads (12 per squad), plus 8 supervisors. Additional units include traffic safety (3 personnel), crisis intervention (1 officer), canine (3 officers, one recently retired), marine unit (boat operational after 7 years), and a citizen academy planned for 2026. Traffic accidents decreased 9% from 2024 to 2025; pedestrian strikes increased from 36 (2 fatal) to 47 (0 fatal). Future goals include adding a flexible sergeant, expanding SWAT to tier 2 (19 personnel, currently 10 short), and a full-time drone coordinator.
    • Investigations Division (Captain Howard): Criminal investigation section exceeds national clearance averages for homicides, shootings, aggravated assaults, and burglaries. Re-entry program (Officer Horn) has graduated 12 cohorts, providing skills like CDL, HVAC, and medical training. Community outreach includes movie nights, fishing camps, cooking with a cop, and STEM programs. A 39-year-old homicide was solved in 2025.
    • Administrative Services (Captain Hill): Budget is 86% salaries and benefits. Sworn staffing at 118 (goal 124); hired 19 sworn officers in 2025, lost 12 (net +7). Recruiting focuses on local universities, HBCUs, military transitions, and referral bonuses. Firearms range is being upgraded; 38 of 126 officers remain to qualify on new Glock 45. Training budget is $80,000 (currently at $0).
    • Policy on Immigration: Acting Chief Miguez clarified that APD has no ongoing relationship with ICE, does not enforce federal immigration law, and does not ask about immigration status. Mandatory consulate notifications only occur when required by treaties for serious crimes.
    • Encampments: Acting Chief Miguez described a collaborative approach with county outreach teams, code enforcement, and property owners to address homeless encampments, noting challenges when individuals refuse services.

  • Councilmember Questions and Requests:

    • Alderman Smith-Brown requested more details on the re-entry program and asked about recruiting within Annapolis, property tax relief for officers, and legislation ideas to support APD.
    • Alderwoman O'Neill asked about the strategic plan (no cost if funded by DOJ grant), CALEA accreditation, complaint patterns, patrol staffing breakdown, cadet program (policy changed to allow cadets over 21 if in school), and the re-entry referral process.
    • Alderman Smith-Brown raised concerns about homeless encampments in Ward 3 and expressed interest in legislation to address impacts on property values, while also noting ongoing work on legislation about parking in front of private driveways.
    • Alderwoman O'Neill discussed the need for public forums on policy changes, clarifying that APD policies are published online and subject to state law, but the Rules and City Government Committee's requirements do not apply to departmental operational policies.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken on substantive items beyond consent calendar approvals.
  • Future Agenda Items: Alderwoman O'Neill requested the following topics for the June 2026 Public Safety Committee meeting:
    • Re-entry program presentation (with Officer Horn)
    • Crime statistics for Annapolis
    • Complaints (internal and external), including possible invitation to the Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee
  • Directives: The committee will receive further information on complaint trends and outcomes. The APD was asked to identify legislative ideas to support public safety, to be shared after budget season.
  • Follow-up: The committee acknowledged the APD's ongoing efforts and thanked the presenters for their thorough briefing.

Meeting Transcript

This meeting to order of the uh Annapolis Public Safety Committee meeting at 4 46 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15th. Um as far as our roll call to my right, I have President Haldeman Smith Brown. Right. Uh Daisha Conte is not in attendance today, and Karma O'Neal is. Um may I have a motion to uh confirm the agenda. Or I move to approve of the agenda. I'll second that. All in favor, please say aye. Um next up, do I have a motion to approve um meeting minutes from 318 26? Yes, I moved to approve the meeting minutes from March 18th, 2026. I'll second that. All in favor, please say aye. Okay. Motion carries. Um next up on our agenda is our general discussion, and today we have the Annapolis Police Department. Welcome. If you wouldn't mind introducing each person and position. Sure. I'm acting chief of the police department, Amy Megeth. And to my right is Deputy Chief Major Stanley Brantford. Director Lakeisha Blue Captain Guy Thacker, Patrol Division. Captain Moore Howard Operations and Captain Hill Hurley administrative services. Right, anybody else? Okay. Yep. Thank you. So you've uh you've let us be the last to present, uh, which we thank you for. We got to experience the Office of Emergency Management and the Fire Department's presentations, and I took uh some good ideas that they had and built built on them for our presentation. Uh I left uh some time at the end for questions, so we certainly want to get to that. We are trying to give a broad overview of the whole police department and the work that we do, not necessarily getting into the details. And so we want um we do we have a finite amount of time for the committee meeting. We've definitely invite uh anyone to come and tour. I know that um Alderman O'Neill did that in the past, came to the police department and um got a tour of our facility, uh also ride alongside we we definitely um encourage that as well to learn more about how um the work we do. So I'm I'm gonna get started. So we're gonna uh go over the department um kind of on a broad scale, talk about the command staff again, what what it means, what we're in charge of, uh, and then uh the different divisions specifically, the work that we do, uh some practical matters that are helpful for the older people to know in general, and uh then if we have time at the end going over some current crime data um for Annapolis. So you're gonna get a copy of this presentation. So I'm not gonna read everything on the page, but you know, like any department, we have a mission statement, we have a vision, um, you know, our is to protect life and property, prevent and reduce crime, maintain order, and enforce the law within our community while protecting the constitutional rights and dignity of those we serve. I also have goals, which include you know, obviously keeping the community safe, strengthening public trust, being uh organizationally excellent, strengthening our workforce, and optimizing resource management. Also our core values, honor, respect, integrity, and service. The fire department recently went through a comprehensive strategic plan uh for the next few years. We strive to do a process like that this year, um involving the public, involving our employees, uh really getting feedback and creating a plan for our department. One of the things I took from the past presentations was uh Chief Romale spoke about the history, and I do think it's important to touch on the history of the police department. Well, the first commissioner and the chief of police that was 1867, which is the date that we usually date our police uh department to. Obviously, the city charter 1708. It's you know, it's on the front of the um the dais there. Uh there were constables and watchmen that were uh organized in the city to just basically look for fire fires and um be out in the middle of the night. Um that 1867 date was when those duties were formalized. Over time, uh our structure and the size increased as the city grew. So the department until 1973 operated out of city hall, uh, just like the fire department mentioned that they operated out of City Hall and next door across the street at the fire station.

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