BALTIMORE: "The Baltimore Police Department plans to become one of the first law enforcement agencies in the nation to hire civilians to investigate low-level crimes, internal affairs complaints and cold cases. Baltimore will set “a standard for staffing allocations in law enforcement agencies across the country,” which have struggled with hiring and retention, Mayor Brandon Scott said at a news conference Thursday at police headquarters. “This will free up our sworn detectives to better meet the needs of our residents by being out on our streets, deterring and solving crimes,” Scott said. He and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison provided new details on plans to hire 35 civilian investigators this year, which is included in the mayor’s proposed $4 billion city budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Unlike sworn police officers, civilian officers would not carry guns, have arrest powers or require the same level of academy training. The new civilian investigator positions would have a starting salary of $49,000 and still require background investigations, “but allows us to hire at a much faster pace,” Harrison said. They will receive basic training on policies, state and local law, and basic investigative tactics, Harrison said."

https://www.officer.com/training-careers/hiring-promotion/news/21264301/baltimore-police-to-hire-civilian-investigators