The USAO maintains a vigorous civil rights prosecution program which includes allegations of excessive force and violations of the forced labor and involuntary servitude statutes. Our USAO brought the first prosecution in the nation under the forced labor provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

As part of the education process regarding hate crimes and their impact on our society,the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in sponsorship with the Coalition Opposed to Violence and Extremism (COVE), the Maryland Human Relations Commission, the Maryland Association of Human Rights Agencies, and the Baltimore/Howard County Chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute, has held annual, statewide Hate Crimes Summits since 1999. The Summits bring together many different organizations and agencies to discuss issues ranging from changes needed in the current status of federal and state law to strategies for building partnerships, for dealing with hate in our schools, and for improving the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.As part of our education efforts, this office has twice co-sponsored awareness seminars for local law enforcement on cultural issues pertaining to Arabs, Sikhs, and Muslims.

In addition to its enforcement efforts, the U.S. Attorney's Office has joined the proactive efforts of state and local law enforcement to reduce and control crime, as well as efforts to improve and enhance the profession.

Our LEC program has been a leader in supporting community-oriented policing, and in providing much needed resources for training. Our Office initiated the first such training in Maryland in 1994, was a founding member of the Maryland Community Policing Academy, co-sponsored the first regional COP training, and now serves on the Advisory Board of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Community Policing Institute, a regional effort housed at Johns Hopkins University and funded through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice. The Institute provides state-of-the-art, quality training for law enforcement and community groups throughout Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.