A collection of stories from the UMB Police archives including one about the intramural softball team.
This story is one in a series celebrating UMB Police and Public Safety’s 50-year history, the milestones that shaped us, and the work we continue today.
As we combed through the archives in celebration of 50 years of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Department of Police and Public Safety, we found many interesting stories that launched our “Then and Now” series. These stories include: accreditation through the years, the evolution of police dispatch, public safety employees of the month, the safety awareness committee, departmental K9s, National Night Out, and even a daring rescue of two Baltimore Police officers who crashed on UMB’s campus.
Some stories — though interesting — might not warrant an article unto themselves, but we still think they’re stories worth telling. We hope you enjoy this hodgepodge of tales from behind the badge.
An Olympic Champion
When you hear UMB Police, do you think of Olympic champions? The department has at least two!
Cpl. Loren Finch swam to victory in the 1984 Olympics — but not the one in Los Angeles. Finch was one of nearly 300 competitors in the second annual Law Enforcement Olympics.
An article in The Voice, UMB’s newsletter at the time, described 12 events “geared toward keeping policemen and women physically fit.” The event was held in September 1984 in College Park, Md. Competitors were split into four categories by age; Finch competed at the “master” level for those age 37 to 47.
Security officer William Groh, who has served the department since 1964, was surprised to hear about Finch’s accomplishment. “I didn’t know anything about that,” he said.
According to The Voice article, Finch swam competitively in high school and college, but 22 years had passed since his last race when he won the gold in the 50-yard backstroke. Finch also took home silver medals in the 50-yard freestyle swim and the javelin throw, plus a bronze in the discus toss.
And, in 1992, PFC Augie Vinck took home the gold in the International Law Enforcement Olympics’ first shooting competition. Vinck also took two bronze medals at the games held in Washington, D.C. The medals and plaque are showcased in a display at Pine Street Station.
Doing the Lord’s Work
In 1988, Groh visited then-chief John Collins with an idea.
“I said, ‘Chief, you know what this department doesn’t have? We don’t have a chaplain!’ [Collins] said, ‘Do we really need one?’ and I said, ‘Every police department has a chaplain!’ ”
Enter police officer Reginald “Reggie” Kennedy.
Kennedy was Groh’s side-partner. After Groh approached his partner with the idea, Kennedy decided to become ordained through the United Baptist Ministers Conference of Maryland and the Progressive National Baptist Convention, eventually earning the role in February 1989.
Kennedy continued his role as a police officer but took on additional duties supporting officers and their families. According to an article in The Voice, anyone from UMB could reach out to Kennedy for his support as a police chaplain.
“The University has the Employee Assistance Program now where you can talk to someone,” Groh said, “but Reggie was that person for us.”
Kennedy visited sick officers and provided a listening ear when officers needed someone to talk to. Today, the department’s peer support team and growing officer wellness program provide many of these services.
During his tenure, Groh remembers that. two UMB public safety employees died from natural causes while on duty. Kennedy helped support the employees’ families and made sure they received the death benefits guaranteed to them.
When Kennedy left UMB, Groh says he became the minister of his own church. To this day, he was UMB Police’s one and only chaplain.
Softball Champs
After work, UMB police knew how to have a good time. Many officers recall taking to the field in UMB’s intramural softball league.
“We beat up on Shock Trauma one year to win the last championship,” said Cleveland Barnes, who joined UMB Police in 1971 and worked his way up the ranks, retiring as chief of police in 2009. “We beat up on facilities management the first year to win the championship.”
A 1990 article in The Voice describes the face-off between the “Campus Police” and facilities management. The seven-inning game had “few mistakes by either team,” with the police winning 2-1.
The softball league was co-ed and required at least two women to play. Most departments had a team, Barnes said, but the UMB police softball team — called “The Force” — had some ringers.
“Chuck Wilson was our pitcher. He played semi-pro softball. He was in a league that traveled all over the country,” said Barnes, who was once drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to a 2010 article in The Voice. Instead, he joined the Marine Corps on July 1, 1967. By December, he was in Vietnam.
The UMB softball league played at Hidden Waters, which was the University System of Maryland chancellor’s residence at the time. Today, Hidden Waters is a farm and market.
Groh wanted to play, but a shoulder injury kept him off the team. When they weren’t playing softball, officers would get together for other extracurricular activities after work.
“We used to get together for choir practice. Now you hear ‘choir practice’ and you think we’re singing. Nuh uh,” Groh said. “That’s what we used to tell our wives when we were out having a couple of drinks. My wife found out real fast, though, because she said, ‘Hey, bring home a cheeseburger with you.’ ”
The dusty basement of Pine Street Station — UMB Police and Public Safety’s police station located at 214 N. Pine St. — revealed old softball plaques and trophies. “The Force” took home the top prize in 1990, 1992, and 1998, which appears to be the final season of the softball league.
“Everybody used to come out and watch,” Barnes recalled. “It was a great time.”
One Last Thing
UMB Police were unfunded when they were formed. Without a budget, the officers were left without basic supplies, like pens and paper. Thus began the “midnight requisition.”
“If we needed pens and pencils, we went and got it ourselves from anyone’s desk we could find,” Groh said. “Captain Williams didn’t say, ‘Hey, I want you guys to go swipe this stuff,’ but he’d say, ‘We need some pencils and pens.’ ”
While some unsuspecting employees might have wondered how they kept losing pens, Groh says he’s no thief. It turns out, if you needed something, you could just ask.
“Most people would just give it to us,” he said. “I’d say, ‘Can you spare some pencils, some pads, or whatever,’ and they’d give you the stuff. I made some good friends.”
Thus ends the 50-year-old mystery of the missing office supplies.