Baltimore County Police Department hosts 5k festival, hiring event celebrating 150th anniversary

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore County Police Department held their "Every Hour Every Day" 5K festival and hiring event on Saturday. 

The event was in celebration of their 150th Anniversary and served as an effort to recruit more people to work at the department.

"Thank you for serving our community," 9-year-old Charlie Dicks said to his father Steve.

Every hour, every day Steve Dicks is a dad to his son Charlie. 

"I don't know, I just like look up to him," Charlie said.

Steve and Charlie joined hundreds of community members, officers, and potential recruits after the "Every Hour, Every Day 5K" to help celebrate the department's 150th anniversary, but to also look towards their future.

"The best benefit of combining the community and the hiring part of it is we're able to attract people that may not know that they want to become a police officer, but once they see everything we have to offer, they apply on site," Major Paul Borowski, a member of Baltimore County's Police Department's Employment Section, explained. 

Attendees could take writing and agility tests, learn about different units at the police department and see if it may be a career for them.

The event also had training simulations to help people experience and understand what the department does.  

"We have three helicopters here being that we're the 21st largest department in the country. We have a lot of specialized units," Borowski said. 

Major Borowski said he's worked at the department for more than 25 years. 

"I've kind of seen where we came from, where we currently best benefit, and this helps to project where we're going in the future," he shared. 

Officers said their goal is to recruit as many people as they can.

"Combined with the 5k and the hiring event...we will bring over 750 people to the building, so we're hopeful that we can attract, said Borowski. 

Major Borowski said they want the community to see that there are multiple career options within the department, but to also remind them that they're regular people too. 

"We're trying to attract people to understand that part of our job is partnerships and friendships with the community," Borowski said. "We want to be made up of the community, without the community there's no police department." 

Major Borowski told WJZ, the department is always recruiting, and it's an ongoing process year-round.