Baltimore Police Department

The fictionalized version of the Baltimore City Police Department.

Overview

The Baltimore City Police Department is led by a Police Commissioner, who is assisted by a Deputy Commissioners of Operations and Administration. The Police Commissioner answers directly to the Office of the Mayor and 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 and oversees the Homicide, Narcotics, and Major Cases units, which are commanded by Majors. Majors also command the nine individual districts: Central, Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern, Western, and Northwestern.

Membership

	ACTIVE
	RESIGNED
	DECEASED
	PROMOTED/TRANSFERRED

Leadership
Picture	Name	Seasons	Status	Overview
250px; width: 100%	Stanislaus Valchek	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Valchek is the current Police Commissioner.
	Robert Reed	1, 3, 4	Active	Reed is a major and commander of the Internal Investigations Division.
	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, Criminal Investigations Division, and Deputy Commissioner of Operations.
	Cedric Daniels	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Daniels was the Commissioner of Police for Baltimore City until his retirement in 2008. He served as a shift lieutenant in the Narcotics Unit, Major Crimes Unit Commander, Western District Commander, Criminal Investigations Division Commander, and Deputy Commissioner of Operations.
	Ervin Burrell	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Burrell was the Commissioner of Police for Baltimore City until his forced retirement in 2008.
	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.
	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
File:BLAH.jpg	James Asher	4, 5	Active	Asher is the major and commander of the Major Crimes Unit.
File:CAROLINE.jpg	Caroline Massey	3, 4, 5	Active	Massey is a middle aged Detective with an ear for slang and a penchant for clipping coupons.
	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.
	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 season 2 for a drug enforcement unit sergeant posting in the Western District.
thumb|150px|left	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.
	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.
thumb|150px|left	Charles Marimow	4, 5	Transferred	Marimow was the units caustic commander who was given the role to curtail their investigation into political corruption.
thumb|150px|left	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.
thumb|150px|left	Michael Santangelo	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Transferred	Santangelo was as original Barksdale detail member partnered with Jimmy McNulty. He was dumped from homicide by Major Rawls for refusal to act as an insider in on Rawls behalf. Santangelo took a post driving the narcotics wagon in the Western District.
	Lester Freamon	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Freamon is a quiet and methodical older detective who makes major contributions to the series investigations. He is the unit's true commander as he lays out their investigative strategies and purposely chose Lieutenant Asher to be the shift Lieutenant due to his lenient non-conflicting attitude.
	Thomas Hauk	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Herc was a capable narcotics detective who transferred to the Mayor's security detail. He returned to the Major Case Unit as a newly promoted sergeant. Herc is currently suspended from the department with pay pending an Internal Investigation Division hearing.
	James McNulty	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	McNulty is a dedicated Baltimore police officer with many personal problems.
	Patrick Mahon	1	Resigned	Mahon is an elderly detective who retires after an injury.
	Roland Pryzbylewski	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Prez was the son-in-law of deputy commissioner Stan Valchek who had a knack for tracing phone patterns and money accounts but was inept on the streets. Prez left the department after accidentally shooting a plainclothes African American officer Derrick Waggoner.

Homicide Unit

The Homicide Unit of the Baltimore City Police Department 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. The unit  and is comprised of three squads: Landsman, Nolan, and unknown. their located on the sixth floor of the headquarters building. Sergeant Landsman's squad is typically the focus of the show, (according to David Simon's book, there are typically three homicide squads in Baltimore, on rotating shifts). The unit is currently under the C.I.D. supervision of Colonel Cedric Daniels. 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. This was used most prominently in the third season.

Homicide Unit
Picture	Name	Seasons	Status	Overview
	Jay Landsman	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Landsman is a squad sergeant in the homicide unit who must divide his loyalties between his men and his superiors.
	Michael Crutchfield	3, 4, 5	Active	Crutchfield is a caustic veteran homicide detective.
	Shakima Greggs	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	She transferred to Homicide Unit when Lieutenant Marimow came into the unit as he was a caustic commander who was difficult to work for.
File:Vernon Holley.jpg	Vernon Holley	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Holley is a burley African American homicide detective who is often partnered with Norris.
	William Moreland	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Bunk is a well liked and proficient member of the homicide unit. Although he is a great detective, Bunk is a known alcoholic with a penchant for infidelity.
	Edward Norris	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Norris is a caucasian veteran homicide detective with an offbeat sense of humour.
thumb|150px|left	Winona	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Winona is an administrator in the homicide unit.
	William Rawls	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Promoted	Rawls was a Major in homicide who was promoted to Criminal Investigations Division Colonel around 2003 and Deputy Commissioner of Operations around 2004. He was a ruthless and feared commander of the unit who expected nothing less than unwavering loyalty and competence from his detectives.
	Michael Santangelo	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Transferred	Santangelo is a former homicide detective who was unable to meet Major Rawls' clearance demands. He transferred to the Western District where he then drove a patrol wagon.
	Lester Freamon	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Freamon is an older methodical detective who was very skilled at homicide investigations but was once kicked out of the unit for angering the Deputy of Operations. He was let back in by William Rawls on two occasions transferring out on both to be of more assistance in leading the Major Case Unit.
	James McNulty	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	McNulty was one of the unit's better detectives until his insubordinate back burning attitude drew the ire of his commander Major Rawls. Rawls had him transferred out of homicide permanently at the end of season one.
	Ray Cole	1, 2, 3	Deceased	Cole was a somewhat inept member of Sergeant Landsman's homicide squad under the command of Major Rawls.

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	3, 4, 5	Active	Mello is a veteran lieutenant who served as deputy for both Howard Colvin and Cedric Daniels. Mello is currently acting commander of the Western District.
	Ellis Carer	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Sergeant Carver is the Western District's commander of the Drug Enforcement Unit.
File:BLAH.jpg	Brian Baker	3, 4, 5	Active	Baker is a rookie patrol officer.
	Robert Brown	3, 4, 5	Active	Brown is a veteran patrol officer.
File:BLAH.jpg	Aaron Castor	3, 4, 5	Active	Castor is a rookie patrol officer.
File:BLAH.jpg	Lloyd Garrick	3, 4, 5	Active	Truck is a Drug Enforcement Unit officer.
[[File:BLAH>jpg|thumb|190px]]	Lambert	3, 4, 5	Active	Lambert is a Drug Enforcement Unit officer.
	Michael Santangelo	3, 4, 5	Active	Santangelo drives the Western District prisoner transport vehicle.
	Edward Walker	4	Active	Walker is a young and corrupt Western District patrol officer.
File:BLAH.jpg	Kenneth Dozerman	3, 4, 5	Transferred	Dozerman was a friend of Carver and Herc in the DEU that moved into the Major Case Unit in season 4.
	Howard Colvin	2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	Colvin was the veteran Major and District commander who was forced out of the department due to his "Hamsterdam" experiment that de-criminalized drugs, despite this causing a reduction in felonies.
File:BLAH.jpg	Anthony Colicchio	3, 4, 5	Resigned	Colicchio is a Drug Enforcement Unit officer who enjoys the rush of physical policing.
	Thomas Hauk	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	A former D.E.U. member who was a partner of Ellis Carver. He left the Western District to work on the Mayor's security detail.
	James McNulty	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Resigned	McNulty was a former beat officer who became a detective. He returned to patrol in season 4 but after the death of an informant, he rejoined the Major Case Unit.

Others

The following are former officers or assistant police not part of a District, Administrative, or Criminal Investigation Division.

Others
Picture	Name	Seasons	Status	Overview
File:BLAH.jpg	Claude Diggins	2	Active	Diggins is an officer in the Marine Unit.
	Randall Frazier	1, 2, 3	Active	Frazier is a Medical Examiner.
	Beatrice Russell	2, 3, 4, 5	Active	Russell is a Port Administration officer and a single mother who develops an interest in case work following a chance discovery.
File:BLAH.jpg	SWAT Team Leader	1, 2, 3	Active	The SWAT team leader often appears when warrants are issued for raids.
	Marvin Taylor	3	Active	Taylor was the commander of the Eastern District until he was demoted.