Employee of the Month – Sergeant Ebonie Richardson

Ebonie Richardson grew up in a culture of public service. Her parents served in the military, and her father later joined the Maryland State Police. Her cousin is with the Baltimore Police. And Ebonie is a Maryland Capitol Police sergeant.

“We were raised to believe in the importance of public service,” she explains. “My Dad set an example, and I knew I wanted to be a police officer from an early age.”

Sergeant Richardson received her training at the Criminal Justice Academy at Wor-Wic Community College on the Eastern Shore. Upon graduating, she provided campus security at Salisbury University, followed by Coppin State University in Baltimore and then at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. When she joined the Maryland Capitol Police in 2005, she provided security at the Treasury building in Annapolis for three years, beginning with the evening shift. She spent another five years covering the State House.

Promoted to sergeant in 2013, she served as Evening Shift Sergeant in Annapolis. In August, 2014, she was assigned as Administrative Sergeant at the Maryland Capitol Police Baltimore Detachment. She immediately focused on strengthening the command, re-designing the detachment’s master schedule and implementing new data tracking measures to promote accountability. These changes improved efficiency and resulted in dramatic reductions in overtime and sick leave.

An effective and insightful leader, Sergeant Richardson provided incentive rewards to her staff for performance improvements. At her own expense, she donated furniture to the detachment. Both initiatives boosted morale.

“Sergeant Richardson is an exemplary police officer,” said Chief Mike Wilson. “She’s a natural leader and role model, and she’s always striving for self-improvement.”

Certified in 2004 to teach self-defense, the sergeant conducts a women’s self-defense course (rape aggression defense, or RAD). The two-day program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques is conducted one weekend a month. It started in May this year and will continue until next June. The classes are small to allow for more personalized attention, and over 100 women have already taken advantage of the training.

“Most employees know what our police responsibilities are, so they’re a little surprised when they learn that we offer the self-defense course,” Sergeant Richardson said. “It’s one of many examples of our commitment to customer service and employee safety.”

In the little spare time she has, the sergeant has been studying for her masters of science in organizational leadership from Johns Hopkins University. It is a program specifically designed for law enforcement officers, and Sergeant Richardson graduates this month.

An active community leader, Sergeant Richardson reaches out to at-risk teens through her “Each One Reach One” youth program and employs them in her Budget Cutz Lawn Care Services business. Paying herself a salary of only $1.00 a year, the sergeant’s business provides low-cost lawn care services for elderly citizens and community organizations, thus improving the lives of both her employees and clients.

At DGS, she has participated in the YouthWorks five-week summer internship program for two years. This year, she coordinated the students’ work assignments and time sheets and conducted Wisdom Wednesdays with them. During these sessions, Sergeant Richardson shared her experiences and heard from the students about their own. During one Wisdom Wednesday, she talked about police authority and community relations.

“She is someone who inspires as she leads by example not only in her professional duties but also in her community activities,” Chief Wilson said.

For her commitment to improving the quality of life for all of Maryland’s citizens, both on the job and in her community, Sergeant Richardson is our Employee of the Month.