Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins says he won’t allow his officers to help developer Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) access the private properties of landowners along the route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).

The decision comes as Jenkins learned the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department already turned down a request for help from PSEG last week. “I took that as Piedmont wants to use local law enforcement as leverage to allow them onto private property,” Jenkins said. “My directive was that none of my personnel would be allowed to work for Piedmont.”

PSEG filed court orders on April 15, for temporary access to almost one hundred properties across Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick County.

The electrical company wants to perform land surveys to collect data needed to complete the 70-mile power line’s application.

If PSEG tries to enter a landowners private property, Jenkins says residents may call the police and sign a no-trespass order.