On the Right Side of the Law
When you think about a modern-day sheriff, the visual that probably comes to mind is a man in a greenish brown uniform, wearing a six-points star on his chest and sporting a beige hat with a stiff brim. But one of Coppin’s finest has forged a notable career in this male dominated field. Major Sabrina Tapp-Harper ’96, has cracked the glass ceiling of Baltimore City’s field of law enforcement.
Part of her success is attributed to her belief that she was called. “Law enforcement is a calling,” she proclaimed. You don’t necessarily choose it. It kind of chooses you.” As such, Sabrina said when answering that call, she innately had the tools necessary to meet the challenges of the vocation. Additionally, being a Black woman adds another dimension to her day-to-day role as sheriff. “I take a no-nonsense approach to the issue of discrimination. I know how it feels to be marginalized and I’m not afraid to speak up.”
Sabrina has been a mainstay within Baltimore’s police force. “I have been interested in the law for as far back as I can remember,” said Sabrina. Before joining the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, Sabrina retired from the Baltimore City Police Department at the rank of Major. She has been in policing her entire adult life. “I did 26 and a half years there. I started as a cadet and came up through the ranks.” At the end of her sophomore year as a cadet Sabrina was promoted to Special Investigation Commander. Her responsibilities included: sex offense, child abuse, executive protection, and family crimes.
In 2014, Sabrina went to the Sheriff’s office to manage the Domestic Violence Unit, then a newly created division. She immediately put her previous experience to work. One of her immediate accomplishments was to use a tactical approach to address citywide protective orders. “We took over protective orders which removed some of the burden from the police department.”
Sabrina has a storied career. Sabrina is region three president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), where she presides over 20 states. She and NBPA members address national improprieties and discriminatory issues in the criminal justice system. “Part of the mission of the organization is to be the conscientious of the criminal justice system.” Also, as an advocate of the Violence Against Women Act, during President Obama’s Administration, Sabrina was a guest at the White House. She was a research fellow at the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2008.
Sabrina has fond memories of her alma mater. “Coppin demanded the best, especially when it came to writing.” When she was at Coppin, it was not enough to have completed one’s 120 credits to graduate, but you had to successfully pass an exit writing assignment. “You had to come in on a Saturday and fulfill a four-hour writing assignment that had to be reviewed by a board in order to graduate,” she recalled warmly.
At the end, the Major applauded Coppin for preparing her for what was ahead.
