It is with heavy hearts and sadness that the Calvert County Sheriff's Office announces the passing of Lieutenant William (Bill) Soper. Lt. Soper was a beloved member of our agency and will be greatly missed. Please consider keeping Lt. Soper's family in your thoughts and prayers. Rest In Peace, Lt. Soper.
***LIEUTENANT WILLIAM (BILL) SOPER ***
Lieutenant Soper was born on October 1,
1957 in the Panama Canal Zone where his father was stationed in the Air Force
at the time. Bill was raised in Montgomery County, Maryland and graduated from
Wootton High school in 1975. After graduation he attended Montgomery College
where he obtained an Associates of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. Lt. Soper
then went to the University of Maryland and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree
in Criminology in 1980.
In 1980 Lieutenant Soper landed a job
at the University Park Police Department as a Police Officer while still
attending the University of Maryland. In 1983, he transferred to the Rockville
City Police Department. During Bill’s tenure at the Rockville City Police
Department he was not only assigned to the patrol bureau, but spent over three
years in narcotics assigned to a task force working with U.S. Park Police in
Washington DC. In 1984 Lt. Soper was nominated for Police Officer of the Year
by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.
In 1988 Lt. Soper was hired by the
Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. He worked in patrol for one year and was
transferred to the Southern Maryland Narcotics Task Force where he worked for
(3) years. After leaving the Task Force Bill worked in the Criminal Investigation
Unit for (9) years and in 1993 he was promoted to Sergeant. In 2001, he was
transferred to the Internal Affairs Unit. On June 27, 2005 he was promoted to
the rank of First Sergeant and transferred to hold the position of Assistant
Commander of the Administrative and Judicial Services Bureau. In July 2013, he
was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and became the Commander of the
Administrative and Judicial Services Bureau where he remained until his death. Lt. Soper has been a Polygraph Examiner for
over 20 plus years and was currently managing the Bike Patrol Team and Conflict
Management Team. While at the Sheriff’s Office Lt. Soper has received numerous
awards including Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, and Detective of the
Year.
Lieutenant Soper has been married
to his wife Molly for over 20 years. He
has a son, daughter, and step-daughter. In his spare time, Lt. Soper enjoyed running,
motorcycle riding, water sports, snow skiing, and spending time with family. He
has been a leader and mentor for a Boy Scout troop in Huntingtown for many
years. In 2003 he completed his first marathon and was proud to receive the
Marine Corps Marathon Medal.
Lt. Soper’s grandfather was a
Montgomery County Police Officer for (36) years and retired as a Sergeant. He
was proud to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and served in the Law
Enforcement community for (35) years.
