Adapted from the British legal system, Maryland used sheriffs and constables to enforce laws until 1914 when a Corps of Motorcycle Officers was established under the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to enforce motor vehicle laws throughout Maryland. A transition from obtaining statewide jurisdiction over criminal cases in 1922, to the establishment of the Maryland State Police in 1935, has lead to the Department of Maryland State Police that we have today. The Department of Maryland State Police is the principle department that enforces state motor vehicle and criminal laws and safeguards the lives and safety of all persons within the State.