Baltimore City Sheriff

What’s the job: Duties differ by jurisdiction. In some counties, the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer. In other jurisdictions, the sheriff is primarily responsible for courtroom security and enforcing court orders, such as evictions. Elected to a four-year term.

Democratic

Name: Sam Cogen

Age: 53

Personal: I have been a Baltimore City resident for 30 years. I am married with an adult daughter.

Education: I have a Bachelor of Science degree from Goucher College

Experience: I was elected Baltimore City Sheriff on November 30, 2022. For 26 years, I held several positions with the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, rising through the ranks from Deputy Sheriff to Assistant Sheriff.

Questionnaire

Q: What is your top priority for improving public safety, and what specific steps would you take in your first year in office to achieve it?

Q: How would you approach the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities it serves, particularly residents who have historically had strained relationships with law enforcement?

Q: Maryland sheriffs have faced questions about the extent to which their offices should assist in federal immigration enforcement. How would you handle requests from federal agencies to cooperate on immigration matters?

Q: Why are you the best candidate for sheriff?

Name: Sabrina Tapp-Harper

Age: 59

Personal: Born and raised in Baltimore, I have belonged to the same church, the New Metropolitan Baptist Church, for my entire life. I serve as Public Safety Committee Chair on the Board of Directors at Park Heights Renaissance. I’m married and have three children– my youngest daughter graduated from Western High School and attends Temple University, my older daughter graduated from Mercy High School and Morgan State University, and my oldest son graduated from Baltimore City College and now serves as a school police officer in Baltimore City.

Education: Roland Park Junior High School

Paul Laurence Dunbar High SchoolB.S. in Criminal Justice from Coppin State UniversityM.S. in Behavioral Sciences from Johns Hopkins University

Experience: In 2014, I joined the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office as a Major and commanded the Domestic Violence Unit, with the BCSO assuming responsibility for protective orders from the Baltimore Police Department. This Unit received the Governor’s Award for their performance under my leadership. I served as Public Information Officer for the BCSO, Special Operations Commander, District Court (evictions), Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, and Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. In 2022, I was appointed Assistant Sheriff. I served 26 years in the BPD, where I began as a cadet and retired at the rank of Major. I served five of the nine police districts, working in and leading several specialized units: Public Information, Internal Affairs, Education and Training, Office of the Police Commissioner, Commander of Juvenile and Adult Booking, Commander of the Northern District, and Commander of Special Investigations (Sex Offense, Child Abuse, Missing Persons, Family Crimes, Sex Offender Registry, Check and Fraud, States’ Attorney Executive Protection, and Arson). While a lieutenant with BPD, I was a research fellow for a year at the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a guest at the White House under the Obama Administration, while a Major, concerning the Violence Against Women Act.

Questionnaire

Q: What is your top priority for improving public safety, and what specific steps would you take in your first year in office to achieve it?

Q: How would you approach the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities it serves, particularly residents who have historically had strained relationships with law enforcement?

Q: Maryland sheriffs have faced questions about the extent to which their offices should assist in federal immigration enforcement. How would you handle requests from federal agencies to cooperate on immigration matters?

Q: Why are you the best candidate for sheriff?