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Lexington Park COPs Unit at the District 4 Station |
When one thinks of policing, they tend to immediately envision traffic stops and high-speed chases. However, there is often another side the public seldom sees – community policing. Origins of community policing can be traced back to the 19th century. The overall theory of community policing began when Law Enforcement Officers wanted to become more active within the communities, they served in order to deter crime and/or criminal activity.
In August 2013, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office implemented the Lexington Park COPs Unit. Since its inception, the main goal of the Community Oriented Policing Unit is to strengthen community relationships and focus on crime trends centered around the Great Mills Road corridor and surrounding neighborhoods in the Lexington Park area. Over the years, members of the unit have changed. However, the unit’s mission has not.
If you are following the COPs Unit Facebook page, you may have noticed a few changes. The unit is comprised of four officers of various law enforcement backgrounds and one supervisor, under the purview of the Special Operations Division (SOD) of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
As the summer months approach, you will see the unit’s deputies on their bicycles, conducting more traffic enforcement and foot patrols within the area they serve. Additionally, they will be participating in various community events.
As of April 1, 2022, your Lexington Park COPs Unit consists of the following officers:
Sergeant Melissa Green – Sgt. Green began her career at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center before becoming a Law Enforcement Officer. During her career, she has served in the Patrol Division and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID). The majority of her career was spent investigating felonious crimes and supervising and managing the county’s sex offender registry.
Corporal Glen Knott – Cpl. Knott began his career at the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center. After working for one year at the jail, he then became a Law Enforcement Officer. After serving the citizens of this county on the Patrol Division, he was transferred to the COPs Unit. Cpl. Knott is one of the veterans of the unit. As part of his duties, he was also selected to be a member of the Youth Gun Violence Task Force during the summer of 2021.
Corporal Trevor Teague – Cpl. Teague is one of the newest members to the COPs Unit. He formerly served as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), primarily investigating sex offense cases of both adults and children for nearly six years. Cpl. Teague has also been an active member of the Emergency Services Team (EST) for the last 10 years.
Corporal Daniel Holdsworth – Cpl. Holdsworth has served twelve (12) years with the Sheriff’s Office starting his career in the Corrections Division where he served for three (3) years. After serving seven (7) years in the Patrol Division, he was transferred to the COPs Unit where he has remained since August 2021. Cpl. Holdsworth has recently attended a Police Cyclist Course and is looking forward to interacting with our community while out on patrol. In addition, Cpl. Holdsworth is a two-time cancer survivor!
Deputy Alexander Wynnyk – Deputy Wynnyk is not only one of the newest members to the COPs Unit, but also to the Sheriff’s Office. Prior to his transfer, Deputy Wynnyk was assigned to the Patrol Division. During his brief tenure, he was bestowed with the responsibility of becoming a Field Training Officer (FTO) due to his industrial work ethic. As a result, he was also chosen to be a member of the Youth Gun Violence Task Force during the summer of 2021.
If you need to contact the COPs Unit, they can be reached at copsunit@stmarysmd.com
The COPs Unit office is located at 21633 Great Mills Road in Lexington Park. You can also follow the Lexington Park COPs Unit on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LPCOPSUNIT