December 1999

Lynch Named Director of Mason Police By Daniel Walsch Michael F. Lynch, patrol shift commander with the Baltimore County Police Department and a law enforcement officer for more than 25 years, has been named director of University Police at George Mason University. "We are very pleased to attract an up-and-coming leader like Mike Lynch to the George Mason police department," says Larry Czarda, vice president for operations. Originally from Northern Virginia, Lynch has been a member of the Baltimore County Police Department since 1984. He joined the department as a patrol officer and progressed to training officer, supervisor of the department's community action team, assistant squad supervisor, patrol squad supervisor, supervisor of the department's critical incident support team, and finally to lieutenant and his current position. Before joining the Baltimore County department, Lynch worked as a patrolman with the Charles County Sheriff's Department from 1982 to 1984 and with the University of Maryland's police department from 1973 to 1982. Lynch has received five unit citations from the Baltimore County Police Department, in addition to earning the Governor's Certificate of Merit in 1998 and being named Officer of the Year by the Baltimore County Police Foundation. He earned a graduate degree in applied behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University, another in legal studies from the University of Baltimore, and an undergraduate degree in law enforcement from the University of Maryland. George Mason's police department has been recognized by the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers for "Best Practice" in the areas of professional accreditation and community outreach. The police department earned professional accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 1991 and was reaccredited in 1996, and is one of only 21 accredited university police departments in the United States and Canada.