The Ocean City Beach Patrol is recognizing one of its own for winning the “Top Cop” award for 2025 from the Maryland Municipal League.
Richard Krause, a senior officer with the Bel Air Police Department, will be recognized at MML’s summer conference next month in Ocean City, where he spends his summers as lifeguard with the Ocean City Beach Patrol.
“I’m humbled and honored, and I know there’s others that deserve it just as much as me,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “But I’m glad to be recognized for my dedication to the town. I care about the job.”
Each year, the Maryland Municipal League Police Executive Association seeks nominations for the Top Cop award, which recognizes the work of officers from nearly 80 police departments throughout the state. The winner is selected based on the officer’s performance throughout the year.
Krause is a 22-year veteran of the Bel Air Police Department, where he protects nearly 6,000 kids as the town’s primary student resource officer. He said he was nominated by the department’s police chief, who recognized some of Krause’s accomplishments in 2025 – one of which included handling a potential school shooter situation.
“It was probably the clencher on top of the other stuff I’ve done throughout the year,” he said.
a lifeguard as the top cop in maryland? doesnt say much about policing in maryland or is it just telling us how f’d up this state is?