Department History

Brief History of the Frostburg City Police Department

By: Chief Nicholas J. Costello, J.D., M.A.

Frostburg, originally called Mount Pleasant after its 1812 founding, was incorporated as a Mayor & Council form of Government in 1870. State records show an earlier President-Council Frostburg government formed in 1839-1840.

In the early days of Frostburg, its policing needs were met by a Bailiff and night police officers. The Bailiff was an officer of the town who performed law enforcement duties and served as the equivalent of the modern day Chief of Police. The Bailiff was appointed annually by the Mayor & Council, and was responsible for maintaining order at the town meetings and throughout the town. The Bailiff also collected taxes and fines and performed various regulatory duties on behalf of the town. The Bailiff was charged with maintaining the town jail, patrolling each part of the town several times per week, making arrests, maintaining the street lamps, and a variety of other duties, such as licensing dogs and reporting to the Mayor and Council buildings that appeared unsafe. The town used the office of Bailiff until 1924 when the office of Chief of Police fully replaced it. The Bailiff was assisted by several police officers, who, in the early days of Frostburg, worked from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

By the late 1950s, Frostburg’s police force had developed into a modern police department. At that time, the police department had a chief of police, two sergeants, and five patrolmen. By 1970, the department had grown to have a chief of police, an assistant chief, three sergeants, and seven patrolmen. Today, the City of Frostburg has grown to a city of approximately 8,500 permanent residents and about 5,000 Frostburg State University students, faculty, and staff who travel to Frostburg for school, many of whom reside in the City neighborhoods for much of the year.

The Frostburg City Police Department today is overseen by an elected Commissioner of Public Safety, with the appointed Chief of Police responsible for daily operations and administration. The department today has an authorized strength of 17 police officers, including a chief of police, two lieutenants, one first sergeant, four sergeants, two corporals, as well as police officers, one investigator and community services officer, and four police communications officers. The department operates 24 hours a day, every day.

Note and Sources: This is a limited history drafted by Chief Nicholas J. Costello. Sources used include the Town of Frostburg Charter and Ordinances book (1908 printing), several editions of The Frostburg Mining Journal, internal police department records, and common source information. It is the author’s hope that this history will be researched in more detail and expanded on in the future.