THE HISTORY OF THE HCPD
CENTURIONS FOR JUSTICE
The Howard County Police Minority Officers’ Association was founded in 1976 by five HCPD minority officers, Herman Charity, Robert Jones, Frank Dawson, Greg Scott, and Richard Hall. They recognized a collaborative effort as the most effective strategy for addressing their concerns, such as fairness and the hiring and promotion of minority officers, with the leadership within the department.
Even as the few minority officers came together to form the association, they still had to endure racial insults and were not treated as equals among their peers. As time passed, their collective efforts and unwavering resolve slowly broke racial barriers, and many became the “first” of many titles. Herman Charity, hired in 1968, was the first African American officer with HCPD and became the first black Corporal, Sergeant, and Detective. He retired as the Lieutenant of Internal Affairs and is still an active pillar in the Howard County community.
Herman Charity recruited Richard Hall in 1973 to HCPD. He became the first African American officer to be promoted to Lieutenant and then to Captain. Hall retired in 2005 as the Southern District Commander after serving in patrol, Education & Training Division, and various administrative units.
Frank Dawson, hired in 1974, went on to create the BearTrax program in the late 70s and served in the department’s Youth section after his patrol assignment. BearTrax is the longest active HCPD outreach program that focuses on positive interactions with at-risk youth.
Also recruited by Herman were Robert Jones in 1971 and Greg Scott in 1979, who collectively served in patrol, the Check and Fraud unit, Warrant Fugitive Section, Traffic Enforcement Section, and Internal Affairs.
Years later, as the association grew, the Minority Officers’ Association became better known as the Centurions for Justice when Kevin Burnett changed the name. CFJ also created bylaws, formed an Executive Board, and started collecting membership dues. Kevin Burnett was the first African American officer to be promoted to the rank of Major. He retired as the Deputy Chief of Administration.
In 2019, long-time CFJ member Lisa Myers became the first African American and female Chief of Police for Howard County. Chief Myers successfully led HCPD through the Coronavirus pandemic and prepared the department for upcoming police reform legislation.
In 2022, past Vice-President Bianca Francoeur recommended a logo update and designed the current one. A huge milestone was accomplished in 2022 when CFJ officially became a non-profit and continues to grow and support the Howard County community.
