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The Wire

The Baltimore City Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland.

Overview[]

The Baltimore City Police Department is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is appointed by the Office of the Mayor to a six-year term. He is assisted by the Deputy Commissioners of Operations and Administration. The Police Commissioner outlines departmental goals which are enforced by the Deputy Commissioners. The Deputy Ops oversees the department's nine district and investigative unit commanders. The Deputy Admin oversees the Internal Investigations Division and internal affairs. The fictionalized department uses the following ranks: Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Administration, Colonel, Major, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Officer. Detectives fall into a rank that coincides with their administrative position. The Criminal Investigations Division is commanded by a colonel who oversees the Homicide, Narcotics, and Major Crimes units, each of which is commanded by a major. Majors also command the nine individual districts: Central, Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern, Western, and Northwestern.

Detectives use a database known as the Baltimore Police Identification (BPI) system to access information on suspects and targets in criminal investigations.

Membership[]

ACTIVE
RESIGNED
DECEASED
PROMOTED/TRANSFERRED

Command[]

Picture Name Seasons Status Overview
Valchek
Stanislaus Valchek 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active Valchek is the current Police Commissioner.
Robert Reed
Robert Reed 1, 3, 4 Active Reed is a major and commander of the Internal Investigations Division.
Rawls
William Rawls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Promoted Rawls was the former acting commissioner until his promotion in 2008. He served as the commander of the Homicide Unit, the Criminal Investigations Division, and Deputy Commissioner of Operations.
Daniels
Cedric Daniels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned Daniels was the police commissioner until his retirement in 2008. He served as a shift lieutenant in the Narcotics Unit; commander of Major Crimes Unit, Western District, and Criminal Investigations Division; and Deputy Commissioner of Operations.
Burrell
Ervin Burrell 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned Burrell was the commissioner until his forced retirement in 2008.
Foerster
Raymond Foerster 1, 3, 4 Deceased Raymond Foerster was the commander of Criminal Investigations Division until his death in 2004. He served as the major and commander of the Narcotics Unit.
Wire11
Warren Frazier 1 Deceased Frazier was the commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department until his death in 2002.

Major Crimes Unit[]

The Major Crimes Unit was established by Cedric Daniels in 2003 as part of a prior agreement with Commissioner Ervin Burrell. The unit's main responsibility is to build cases against high profile targets responsible for murder, drug distribution and money laundering in Baltimore. The unit was originally formed by a group of detectives dumped upon Daniels by shift Lieutenants to make a case against Avon Barksdale. It is currently under the command of the Criminal Investigation Division and is run by Lester Freamon even though on paper it is commanded by Lieutenant Asher.

The detail's office in 2002 located in the basement of a downtown building where the only redeeming features are working telephones and electricity. In 2003, the detail is moved into an old building located at 1911 South Clinton Street in the southeastern part of town leased by the transit police courtesy of Major Valchek.

Major Crimes Unit

Picture Name Seasons Status Overview
Jimmy Asher
James Asher 4, 5 Active

Asher is the major and commander of the Major Crimes Unit.

Caroline Massey
Caroline Massey 3, 4 Active

Massey is a middle aged Detective with an ear for slang and a penchant for clipping coupons.

Sydnor
Leander Sydnor 1, 3, 4, 5 Active

Sydnor is a young, married detective in the Baltimore major case unit with a talent for investigative work and the stomach for drawn-out cases.

Carver
Ellis Carver 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Promoted

A detective on Daniels narcotics shift who followed him into the Barksdale and Sobotka details. He left the detail in 2003 to serve as commander of the Western District Drug Enforcement Unit.

Kenneth Dozerman
Kenneth Dozerman 3, 4, 5 Transferred

Dozerman is a young detective in Tactical Unit who worked with the Major Crimes Unit from 2006 to 2008.

The Wire Greggs
Shakima Greggs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Transferred

She transferred to Homicide Unit when Lieutenant Marimow came into the unit as he was a caustic commander who was difficult to work for.

Charles Marimow
Charles Marimow 4, 5 Transferred

Marimow is the former unit commander who was given the role to curtail their investigation into political corruption.

Augustus Polk
Augustus Polk 1, 2, 5 Transferred

Polk is an aging alcoholic detective from the property department who is often assigned to details because he is regarded as useless.

Michael Santangelo
Michael Santangelo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Transferred

Santangelo was partnered with James McNulty in 2002. Santangelo transferred to the Western District to serve as a police van driver.

Freamon
Lester Freamon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Freamon was the MCU's true commanding officer from 2006 to 2008 until his forced resignation.

Herc
Thomas Hauk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Herc is former narcotics detective who transferred to the Mayor's security detail. He returned to the MCU as a newly promoted sergeant. Herc retired after an Internal Investigations Division hearing.

McNulty
James McNulty 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

McNulty served in the MCU from 2002 until his transfer to the Western District in 2004.

Patrick Mahon
Patrick Mahon 1 Resigned

Mahon is an elderly detective who retires after an injury in 2002.

Prez
Roland Pryzbylewski 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Prez served in the MCU from 2002 to 2004, when he accidentally shot Derrick Waggoner, a black plainclothes officer.

Homicide Unit[]

The Homicide Unit is responsible for the investigation of all unexplained deaths that take place within Baltimore City. They are also responsible for investigating all police-related shootings, and, because the homicide unit is generally regarded as containing the best detectives on the police force, they are often given high-profile cases which are not necessarily homicides. A clearance rate of fifty percent or more for the year is aimed for and the Unit is amongst the most demanding in the Criminal Investigations Division. It is commanded by a major who oversees three squads, which are led by Sergeants Landsman, Nolan, and a third unknown member. It is located with the other CID departments on the sixth floor of the BPD Headquarters building. The unit uses a red-black system of tracking cases where red is the color for an open or not cleared case and black is the color for a closed and cleared case. Additionally similar slang such as "dunkers" (easy cases), "whodunits" (difficult cases), and "redball" (media attention gaining cases) are used to describe the various cases. A running practical joke within the unit is to cut a sleeping detective's necktie with scissors and pin them to a notice board in the unit office. Detectives often fall asleep in the office (or on stakeout) because of the overtime demands and have at times worked double and triple shifts as they have dealt with multiple murders.

Homicide Unit

Picture Name Seasons Status Overview
Landsman
Jay Landsman 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Landsman is one of three Homicide squad sergeants.

Crutchfield
Michael Crutchfield 3, 4, 5 Active

Crutchfield is a caustic veteran homicide detective.

The Wire Greggs
Shakima Greggs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Greggs transferred to Homicide Unit in 2006 after the Lieutenant Marimow assumed command of MCU.

Vernon Holley
Vernon Holley 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Holley is a burley African American homicide detective partnered with Norris.

Bunk
William Moreland 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Bunk is an alcoholic, womanizing

Norris
Edward Norris 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Norris is a veteran homicide detective with a biting sense of humour.

Winona
Winona 2, 3, 4 Active

Winona is an administrator in Homicide Unit.

Rawls
William Rawls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Promoted

Rawls was major and commander of Homicide Unit until his promotion to colonel and commander of Criminal Investigations Division in 2002.

Michael Santangelo
Michael Santangelo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Transferred

Santangelo, after failing to meet Major Rawls's clearance demands, transferred to the Western District to serve as a patrol wagon driver.

Freamon
Lester Freamon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Freamon was removed from Homicide in the 90s. He returned in 2002 but left again in 2003 to serve in the MCU. He briefly returned to Homicide in 2006 after Marrimow was assigned command of the MCU, but became de facto commander of the MCU in late 2006.

McNulty
James McNulty 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

McNulty served in Homicide from 2000 until he was transferred to the Marine Unit in 2002. He rejoined Homicide in 2008, where he remained until his forced resignation later that year.

Ray Cole
Ray Cole 1, 2, 3 Deceased

Cole was a member of Sergeant Landsman's Homicide squad until his death in 2004.

Western District[]

The Western District of Baltimore is the city's most violent district and centered in the middle of West Baltimore at 1034 North Mount Street. This district has been examined in greater depth than any other on The Wire and was the epicenter of the major investigations in seasons one, three and four. The Western District is without a District Major as Howard Colvin was forced into retirement and Cedric Daniels was promoted to C.I.D. colonel.

Western District

Picture Name Seasons Status Overview
Dennis Mello
Dennis Mello 3, 4, 5 Active

Lieutenant Mello is the acting commander of the Western District and a veteran lieutenant who served as deputy to both Howard Colvin and Cedric Daniels. 

Carver
Ellis Carver 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Lieutenant Carver is commander of the Western District Drug Enforcement Unit.

Brian Baker 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Baker is a rookie patrol officer.

Brown
Robert Brown 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Brown is a veteran patrol officer.

Aaron Castor 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Castor is a rookie patrol officer.

Aaron Castor
Lloyd Garrick 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Garrick is a Drug Enforcement Unit officer.

Lambert 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Lambert is a Drug Enforcement Unit officer.

Michael Santangelo
Michael Santangelo 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Santangelo drives one of the Western District's prisoner transport vehicles.

The Wire- Jimmy Walker
Edward Walker 4 Active

Officer Walker is a young and corrupt Western District patrol officer.

Kenneth Dozerman
Kenneth Dozerman 3, 4, 5 Transferred

Officer Dozerman served in the Western District DEU until he transferred to MCU in 2006.

Bunny
Howard Colvin 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Colvin is the former major and commander of the Western District who was forced to resign in 2004.

Anthony Colicchio
Anthony Colicchio 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Officer Colicchio is a former Western District Drug Enforcement Unit officer.

Herc
Thomas Hauk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

Officer Hauk served in the Western District Drug Enforcement Unit until he transferred to the Mayor's security detail in 2006.

McNulty
James McNulty 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Resigned

McNulty served in the Western District from 1996 to 2000 until his transfer to Homicide Unit. He returned to the Western District in 2006 until his transfer to MCU in 2008.

Others[]

The following are former officers or assistant police not part of a district, administration, or Criminal Investigations Division.

Others

Picture Name Seasons Status Overview
Claude Diggins
Claude Diggins 2 Active

Officer Diggins works in the Marine Unit.

Randall Frazier
Randall Frazier 1, 2, 3 Active

Frazier is a medical examiner.

Russell
Beatrice Russell 2, 3, 4, 5 Active

Officer Russell works in Port Administration.

SWAT Team Leader 1, 2, 3 Active

The SWAT team leader often appears when warrants are issued for raids.

Marvin Taylor 3 Active

Lieutenant Taylor was major and commander of the Eastern District until his demotion to lieutenant in 2004.

References[]

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