To WicBury Crapper haters...

KISS OUR ASSES!!
Sorry you didn't think of this idea first!
It's no mirror, it's still your computer screen.

Officer/Supervisor of the Month for August, 2009

Officer/Supervisor of the Month for August, 2009 goes to (drum roll please...) Both Sgt's this month!

Sgt. Everette Howard, SPD for his involvement in the arrest of persons and the thrift travel in investigation. Continue the excellent work managing the team. Always a fair and decent supervisor who looks out for his people and fellow police officers.

Sgt. Benson Propst, WCSO for his on going and dedicated efforts. A calm supervisor, with a down to earth demeanor, who has always been an exceptional police officer.

Check out the Constitution....

Check out the U.S. Constitution... It's interesting reading!

http://www.constitution.org/indexco_.htm

Bookmark it.

Oath Keepers followup, Interview with Sheriff Richard Mack

Listening to Sheriff Richard Mack and his interview about the oath keepers, shown at sheriffmack.com, who has written a book. This former sheriff has written a book and talks about defying the federal government by advising that the Sheriff of any county can deny entry to any federal agent or IRS agent or even arrest the president of the United States. In addition to keeping the federal government in check. Mack also impels that you can deny paying federal taxes to an extent, drawing on his interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, specifically the bill of rights. Mack also is rallying against the federal government stating that local Sheriff's should ignore federal gun control acts.

Here's the problem with this idea. Although, by state Constitution, Mack is correct, the Sheriff is the ultimate law enforcement authority in each county, UNLESS the state Constitution has been amended relinquishing the Sheriff's power to a police agency (such as the PG county police). The federal government does have control and can make laws that create minimum requirements that citizens must adhear to, such as paying taxes. Don't pay taxes for a couple of years and see if the Sheriff of your local county will come rushing to your aid when the IRS throws you in the slammer... Sheriff's by their very nature are political figures that are elected to office to carry out a job. However, that job can not interfere with the lawful execution of a federal warrant or a federal mandate. This is due to the fact that the states representatives and state congress people are involved in making laws pass. These people are elected by you, the state people to represent you on behalf of your state in allowing/disallowing laws to pass federal muster.


So lets take a look at the tenth amendment (article 12) to the U.S. Constitution:


Article the twelfth [Amendment X]


The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

What this means is that all other powers, not elaborated on by the constitution or prohibited by state constitutions, can be exercised by each state or the people... so, Mack is basically wrong. The U.S. Constitution gives the federal government the power to tax people, it does not limit the states from taxing people (which is why there is state taxes). All this clause means is that powers that are not given are up for grabs if not absorbed by other constitutions or federal mandates.

So lets talk about the right to bear arms. Most people think that the 4th amendment means that everyone has the right to be armed. No. The fourth amendment (really the II Amendment) states, "Article the fourth [Amendment II][4]
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

What this essentially means is that the Maryland national guard unit has the right to bear arms and to keep the security of the state.

Don't get us wrong, give everyone a gun, that way it will be fair!

Fallen Hero Remembered - Susan J. Clemmer, 41 LAPD

07/08/2009
LAPD mourns suicide death of narcotics detective

Colleagues say Susan J. Clemmer, 41, was 'always smiling' and showed no troubling signs. She shot herself in the head at a Santa Clarita sheriff's station Monday night, police say.
LAPD detective Susan J. Clemmer shot herself at the Santa Clarita Sheriff's Station in Los Angeles County, Calif.

Related Articles:LAPD detective kills self at Calif. sheriff's stationPolice Officer Suicide: How to cope, how to heal Confronting police officer suicidePolice Suicide: A Special Newsline Series

Related Resources:Your emotional survival: Links and resources to help prevent officer suicideP1TV - Charlotte Rappley: Officer Suicide20 tips for helping a traumatized officer

LOS ANGELES — Officers throughout the Los Angeles Police Department grieved Tuesday as news spread that a veteran detective had killed herself in the lobby of an L.A. County Sheriff's Department station Monday night.

Susan J. Clemmer, a well-regarded officer assigned to the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Division, walked into the Santa Clarita sheriff's station about 9:15 p.m. and spoke to the sheriff's deputy at the front desk, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore and LAPD officials.
Clemmer, 41, placed a box of personal items on the counter and asked to speak to a different deputy. After a brief conversation with a second deputy, when Clemmer was briefly left unattended, staffers heard a gunshot and rushed out to find her with a single gunshot wound in her head, police said.No one else was injured.

What Clemmer said to the deputies, and whether she identified herself as a police officer, remained unclear Tuesday.

The death of the 19-year LAPD veteran left officers throughout the tightknit department stunned.

"We're in shock. It came as a complete surprise," said Capt. Kevin McCarthy, one of the commanders of Clemmer's unit. "She was always smiling and easy to work with. There was no indication that anything was wrong."

Clemmer, McCarthy said, had sent a text message to another detective in the unit saying she looked forward to seeing him at work later in the week.

Clemmer joined the narcotics unit about a decade ago and for the last several years was assigned to a squad that worked with the U.S. Postal Service on cases involving drugs sent through the mail, according to McCarthy.

He praised her as a solid officer.

Soon after joining the LAPD, Clemmer was thrust into the spotlight as a crucial witness for the defense in the Rodney King beating trials of the early 1990s.

She told jurors in a federal civil rights trial that King had laughed about the beating he got from several LAPD officers after a traffic stop and said King had spit blood on her during the ambulance ride to the hospital. She also testified that she had spoken to one of the accused officers moments after the beating and that he appeared frightened by the confrontation.
Clemmer's testimony was central to bolstering the officers' defense that they had been frightened by King and acted out of concern for their safety. She took the stand after an expert witness for the defense testified that King's behavior, as described by the defendants, was consistent with PCP intoxication.

Two officers were eventually convicted in the federal civil rights case. Clemmer gave substantially the same testimony in the officers' state trial, which ended in acquittals and sparked deadly riots in Los Angeles.

Between 1998 and 2007, 19 LAPD officers committed suicide, according to a department study released last year.

Comparisons to hitler...

You may have noticed that some local bloggers have been comparing other local bloggers to hitler (name intentionally not capitalized) and also comparing various political figures to hitler. Some bloggers have gone so far as to photoshop other peoples heads on hitler's body or create images that look like hitler from the other persons image.

First and foremost, this is not only in bad taste but extraordinarily disgusting. Although bloggers and political figures may be total assholes they are not hitler. As everyone knows, or should know, hitler was a figure in Germany that lead to the death of over six million (that's 6,000,000) people (Jews, Christians, Anyone accused of their neighbors or children, gay people, and whomever else that they did not agree with). These deaths occur ed from various methods, most including horrible torture of people, medical experiments (including sewing people together and joining organs to see how long they would last), making lamp shades out of people's skin, gas chambers, shoot squats, starvation, and other horrible methods of death. The misery of these people is only dwarfed by the utter stupidity and disgust of persons who portrait hitler in a light that is of a joking manner when comparing them to people with an opinion that happens to disagree with their own.

Obama may be a lot of things but is not hitler. Blog operators also may be a lot of things, but not hitler.

Get a grip on who you accuse of being a Nazi. During WWII the world was united in defeating a truly evil world leader bent on a plan of world domination (literally) by paving it with a road of dead bodies of innocent people. People were proud to go to war to defend this country and the lives of other innocent people across the world. Don't compare hitler to anyone else. To do so is disgusting, repugnant, and sullies your convictions.

Question from a reader...

Anonymous said...
I understand that this blog is mainly for law enforcement personnel, but you do have non-LEOs who read it. Would it be possible for you to publish a guide for the general public, on how we can help the police to do their jobs?Cooperation between residents and police officers seems to be missing around here, especially in the city. Part of it is that people are scared of their neighbors, another part is that dispatch is sometimes insensitive to callers. And some of the officers come off as arrogant, while the public comes off as angry and un-cooperative.What can we, as citizens, do to ease the tension and form a working relationship with our officers? What can the police do to regain the citizens' trust and cooperation?
August 28, 2009 9:55 AM

Absolutely. We will produce and publish a guide for the public in dealing with the police and post it to our online library that will be online shortly. Give us a few days to get this taken care of. Thank you for your interest in assisting the police.

Question from a reader...

To answer some of your questions, and bear in mind this is not legal council or should it be taken as such, please contact your attorney. The following is for informational purposes only. We will attempt to address each question individually. Crapper answers in red.

Anonymous said... To the Crapper we go. I am asking the crapper to research cases that officers have acually won a case of violation of LEOBR. I ask this because one hears continually that there is no "Tort" to support this type of infraction.What are the potential penalities to an agency that violate LEOBR ?Is there civil remedy ?Can the timing and circumstance be considered in the venue. As a case of a 15 year Sgt. being moved from a specialized unit.

The timing in itself, may or may not be an issue for a tort, probably not. However, an "on going course of conduct" may lend itself for a tort under the "hostile work environment" if there is emotional distress that occurs under this issue. Unfortunately, departments can require personnel to work odd hours, midnights, and generally anything else the department deems appropriate. However, a transfer without cause or due process as a retaliatory measure is illegal under LEOBOR (see below). Proving that the transfer was punitive, without due process, lands on the plaintiff, in this instance, the police officer. There are transfers that can occur to "benefit the agency" that do not fall under disciplinary action. For instance, if an employee has an issue with another employee to where it begins to effect the work of either or both employees or there is another such conflict, the employee(s) can be transferred, without disciplinary action, in order to elevate the problem.

The notice is given at 1600 to report at 2400 to a Patrol group the same day and this would occurr on a friday causing the said officer to work 10days in a row. Going from day work to midnights. This giving the Sgt. eight hours to prepare for duty in unform, pick up equp., get uniforms ready, and sleep.

Where a department could get into trouble is if they require personnel to work over 44 hours in a work week without paying overtime or transfer personnel from a midnight shift to a day shift, followed by an evening shift (with no break, essentially requiring personnel to work 24 hours). In this aspect, there is the concern that the officer might act in a manner unfit for duty (i.e. crashing his police vehicle) due to lack of sleep, which the department would probably be liable for civilly.

I see this happening once as a possible oversight, but to happen twice well lets just say this Sgt. better have thick skin. If this Sgt. is the only Sgt. in a two year period to receive written counseling from his immediate supervisor. The immediate supervisor admits that this Sgt. is the only Sgt. written up in that period. This I/S has at least five other Sgt.s that have faced an array of situations that could have reulted in one form or another of discp. action yet there was none taken ?? Would this be considered an hostile possibly retalitory enviroment. Yet no sustained I.A.D. cases, letters from the public or complaints by personell on this same Sgt.. Subordinates that continually strive for what is best for the agency. No known or documented tranfer request from this said Sgt.s Patrol groups.

Again, the course of conduct comes into issue, on the departments end. First, was there really a violation of policy requiring a reprimand. If not, this is an issue. Can the officer prove that other violations occurred, by other officers, without them receiving reprimands? If this is correct, would those officers be willing to come to court and testify that they indeed violated the same policy however never received any disciplinary action? These are questions that would have to be answered by the court and proven by the plaintiff. There is no doubt that departments routinely target specific personnel that they just don't like or whatever their reasoning is. This can, inevitabley, land a department in hot water, especially if a class action lawsuit is filed on behalf of all personnel that have been "wronged" by the department. But, it is dependant upon the officers to prove that either violations of the department's own policies by the department occurred or it really was a "hostile work environment" and it is incumbent upon the department to prove that the transfers or other actions were consistent with the policies of the agencies, there was a reason for doing so other then punitive in nature, that the department was indeed not target specific individuals, and that there was not a hostile work environment. The term "hostile work environment" is wide ranging. Officers can also raise questions or file complaints to their human resources departments.

I dont know just food for thought. I was wondering if this site has access to this type of legal advise.If anyone may quess who I am reffering to please do not post the person name. This situation mimics mine and I dont want agency or personnel be wrongfully targeted by the question. I ask because i am very close to the person that this happend to.Is there a state or federal agency that would be able to assist here ??Well no big deal. If anyone has a simular case to add please do. I would love to read it. Please dont add name or agencies lets keep this real. No BS please

There have been cases where officers have sued departments for transfers, etc. Some of these cases are posted below and are great reading. In short, the possibility to sue an employer always exists if there is a "hostile work environment". However, it is incumbent on the employee to prove that this type of environment actually exists and to produce witnesses that can factually testify to this effect and/or produce records.

http://www.startribune.com/local/13823686.html

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_138555.html

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20081230/NEWS/81230019/1001/rss

http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/1189584-2-LAPD-officers-sue-city-over-transfer-out-of-gang-unit/

August 27, 2009 11:47 PM

Transfers from one division or department to another for disciplinary reasons, although departments can claim it's for other reasons, are plainly unlawful. The problem is proving that the transfer was made "with malice". However, Maryland LEOBOR plainly states:

3-103. RIGHTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GENERALLY.
(D) RETALIATION.
A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MAY NOT BE DISCHARGED, DISCIPLINED, DEMOTED, OR DENIED PROMOTION, TRANSFER, OR REASSIGNMENT, OR OTHERWISE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN REGARD TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER’S EMPLOYMENT OR BE THREATENED WITH THAT TREATMENT BECAUSE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER:
(1) HAS EXERCISED OR DEMANDED THE RIGHTS GRANTED BY THISSUBTITLE; OR(2) HAS LAWFULLY EXERCISED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

Cops Egg House??

CARROLLTON, Texas — By now, we've seen police personnel busted for all manner of misconduct.

But egging a house?

It sounds like a joke, but it's certainly not. The Carrollton Police Department fired an officer Wednesday afternoon over the dumb stunt. And three of the department's dispatchers were terminated this month over the incident.

"This may be minor. This may be juvenile. But this is about accountability and what is acceptable," said Carrollton Assistant Police Chief Mac Tristan.
I don't know if there's a good way to lose a job, but egging a house surely qualifies as one of the world's worst ways.

Jennifer Cackler, 27, a two-year veteran of the department, was dismissed Wednesday. The fired civilian dispatchers are Cackler's sister Ashley Cackler, 22, of Carrollton; Laken Schifelbein, 20, of The Colony; and Laura Anderson, 23, of Plano.

Ashley Cackler and Schifelbein had been dispatchers for only four months. Anderson worked for the department almost two years.

Through her attorney, Jennifer Cackler declined my request for an interview. Efforts to reach the three dispatchers were unsuccessful.

Egging a house is one thing. Police retaliation is another. And this appears to have been a case of police payback – middle-school style.

On the night of May 9, the home of Carrollton resident Steve Benzer was pelted with a dozen eggs. Assistant Chief Tristan would not say what might have motivated the officer and dispatchers to do such a thing. "I'm not certain. That would be speculation on my part," he said.
But it's pretty easy to speculate after talking to Benzer. Quite clearly, the 45-year-old man is a major pain in the butt to Carrollton police.

Of course, he doesn't see himself that way. Benzer says he's just a citizen trying to restore peace to his north Carrollton neighborhood. For the last three years, he has been at war with a family across the alley – particularly with the teenage boy there. "A hellion," he said.
"It's a chaotic household. It's a party house," Benzer said. "In reporting unlawful activities, I have become vilified by police."

I'm not going to choose sides in this dispute, but I will say Benzer has a strong, stubborn personality that could definitely rub the wrong way. He has taken it upon himself to stand outside the neighboring house, performing what he calls "my civic duty to observe and report."
He summons Carrollton police repeatedly, reporting everything from a barking dog to loud music to suspicious activity at the home, which is headed by a single mother.
The woman has responded by repeatedly calling police on Benzer and filing a civil suit that seeks a restraining order to keep him away from her home.

Benzer is undeterred. "I'm sure my observing and reporting of the activities at her house is uncomfortable. I'm sure it's embarrassing. I'm sure it's unpleasant. But it's not unlawful," he said. "My intention is to make the unlawful activities come to an end."
Clearly, just what this volatile situation needed was some peeved off-duty police personnel, a night of drinking and a dozen eggs.

Deputy Chief Tristan will not say what led investigators to realize that people from their own department were involved. And he declined to discuss the case in detail because criminal mischief charges are pending in the case.

But he said he hopes the strong disciplinary measures reassure Carrollton residents.
"This could be considered minor, but where do you draw the line between which illegal acts are acceptable and which aren't?" he said. "There is no line for us."

Spouse, Girlfriends, Mistresses and Law Enforcement

Most police officers tend to be married, some several times over. While relationships sometimes do not work out, the average for divorce in police work tops over 60%. The divorce rate for two married police officers is in excess of 60%. So, the question is why is does this happen more frequently than other professions.

Plainly, being a police officer is stressful. Stress is derived from a multitude of areas including handling calls for service, departmental politics, dealing with trauma while working, and working in a general high stress environment. Additionally, shift work is a major component in law enforcement stress in a relationship. It also allows police officers to seek other people to "hook up" with outside of their normal relationships.


Part of the issue may be the vary reason why people become police officers. Police officers that tend to be highly motivated, type "A" personalities, are at a much greater risk to cheat on their spouses due to the fact that they are constantly seeking the next new challenge.

The stress of shift work, the availability of persons attracted to law enforcement officers (men or women in uniform) is a much greater predictor of a cheating relationship, especially between two law enforcement officers.

Those officers who are faithful to their spouses and vice versa truly face daily challenges to over come many stresses in their lives. However, it can be a much more rewarding existence than the alternative.

Spotlight on LEOBOR

§ 3-103. RIGHTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GENERALLY.

(D) RETALIATION.

A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MAY NOT BE DISCHARGED, DISCIPLINED,
DEMOTED, OR DENIED PROMOTION, TRANSFER, OR REASSIGNMENT, OR
OTHERWISE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN REGARD TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER’S EMPLOYMENT OR BE THREATENED WITH THAT TREATMENT BECAUSE
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER:

(1) HAS EXERCISED OR DEMANDED THE RIGHTS GRANTED BY THIS

SUBTITLE; OR

(2) HAS LAWFULLY EXERCISED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

Why didn't OCPD take or rehire personnel?

Several years ago multiple certified police officers were laid off. OCPD, despite a much better than current economy, refused to re-hire personnel. After months of waiting some were hired by other agencies or hired back from their own agencies. However, this begs the question of why didn't they rehire the people that had experience or had been seasonals or worked at OCPD prior to that and had a good employment record with that agency??

Responding to Serious Incidents

When responding to a shooting or another serious crime it is always the first instinct of police officers to "rush in" to the scene in order to address the immediate problem (and possibly catch the bad guy). In theory, this is excellent however, not withstanding multiple crime scenes (such as the one we had recently in Salisbury), bear in mind that this tactic has several issues.

First and foremost, your safety. You have to count on the fact that the suspect(s) may indeed still be there. These suspects are obviously armed and dangerous and don't mind shooting at people in order to inflict the most amount of damage possible and don't discriminate of who they shoot. It is widely believed that a police officer maybe the target of gangs in order to "score points" in the gang community.

Second, bear in mind that if there are enough units responding to the scene, it is best to establish a perimeter patrol around the site of the crime (or establish a fixed perimeter). Most of the time the suspect vehicle or suspects are still within a small geographic area from the scene. If in a vehicle, bear in mind that the suspects have just committed a very serious crime and of course probably don not want to get caught. So, take appropriate action for a felony stop.

Third, if possible get a K-9 unit en route rapidly. The scent of a human can degrade rapidly over a short amount of time, especially in a highly traveled area or due to various wind conditions and the amount of stress the suspect is under. If serious enough, request air support to be dispatched, especially if it is a serious crime involving a vehicle with description.

Fourth, it is always a good idea to carry a well stocked first aid kit. Make sure that you have a tourniquet. If it is not supplied, "quickclot" or a similar substance is a great addition to your kit (available online). Quickclot instantly stops heavy bleeding from wounds thereby slowing death from blood loss from a bullet wound from bleeding to death.

In summery, consider your options prior to "rushing" into a scene. Think about what would benefit the case, your safety, and the community more. Will 10 officers be required to be at the scene?

Maryland Governor Cuts Millions From Budget

The Maryland Governor today cut millions of dollars from the state budget, including millions of dollars to Wicomico County. This could have negative impacts on the ability of agencies to fund their personnel. However, the last thing we need to do, especially in a bad economy is cut funding to law enforcement agencies or law enforcement officers. Because when the economy gets bad, people get bad. The last thing we need is less cops on the street.

Welcome to the New and Improved WicBury Crapper!

Welcome to the new and improved WicBury Crapper (Phase 2) or Part Duex as we like to call it. We have worked hard to streamline the site into an easier to navigate and generally different design. We have also added some layers of protection to our systems. We hope that you enjoy the viewing experience. We are now moving into Phase II of our operation. Welcome to the second phase of Le Crapper.

We would also like to welcome the 7th Member of the WicBury Crapper board of directors. We now have seven members on the board over four different agencies, departments, and other entities. The board is currently in position to continue to publish articles and stur up a bunch of crap. Have no fear.


What's going to be new at the WicBury Crapper, P2?

1. Easier loading times
2. More protection
3. Faster crap chats
4. Wider display
5. Better content
6. Online library (coming soon)

What's Phase 2 exactly?

1. For us to know and you to find out
2. We are moving into "Phase 2" of the Crapper operation
3. More programs supporting local law enforcement
4. Double secret operations and probation and crap
5. Really sneaky stuff
6. Just kidden'

So, what's our secret? Well, that depends. Some things have changed throughout several agencies in the area to a positive note. We have been getting feedback that agencies are becoming more receptive to the concerns of their personnel. If this is the case, this is a great step.

However, if it is a rouse, we still have multiple options at our disposal, which we have not exercised and hopefully do not have to undertake.

So, while we continue to wish to work toward a common goal of furthering line officers in the area, bear in mind we are always weary of tactics and false senses of security. We are not fooled. Therefore, we are asking departmental administrations to seriously consider their punitive actions prior to taking negative action to resolve a problem against line personnel if that problem is not a clear violation of policy (i.e. targeting individual personnel or crapper board members).

Bear in mind, we have never spoken out against an individual administrator, administration, or it's leadership. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, we act as a safety valve in personnel airing their concerns in a forum where they feel somewhat protected from retribution. Sometimes what people say is not entirely too kind and we do not always agree with what they say however, we agree with the right of people to say it.

The First Amendment to the Constitution was put into place for the specific reason of criticizing the government and government "shall make no law" controlling freedom of speech or of the press in limiting it's powers (save from yelling fire in a crowed theater). Therefore, if you are a good administrator and truly believe in enforcing laws and protecting America's freedoms and liberty then you understand our cause. The bourgeoisie are always the disenfranchised.

Lets give some credit where credit is due. Departments can not run without leadership. There has to be personnel that deal with the public, delegate authority, provide scheduling, and other duties. However, it is with the express intent to supply all operations (patrol, CID, TAC, etc) with a smooth working environment, hence the word operations. Without operations there would not be a need for an administrative group but not vice versa. So, in effect, who is working for whom? We are both each other's clients. But, it should be a partnership to create a more positive working environment and that's where we come in.

We try and protect the lowly working peon who has much less latitude to affect change than his "higher ups". But, we are committed in "change" of attitude.

Lastly, you will not silence us, no matter what happens. This means even if action is taken against some or all of our board members, we will get exponentially worse. You understand the general power we have to affect people's opinion and public views. We are a threat and we understand that but that's not our goal. We don't want it to come to a negative outcome, so we are asking our counterparts in departmental administration to view things from a constructive perspective. Don't crap on us or our members or readers and we won't crap on you. Things improve, we improve. Things get crappy, we get shitty.

We will be drafting letters shortly to each department requesting considerations for improvement within the departments. They can either read them and absorb what is said or toss them into garbage. But, we are making the attempt.

Our officer of the month and supervisor of the month programs are still in effect. You will still be able to nominate personnel and award cards will still be sent to deserving people. We are not allowing one or two to make a good program fall by the wayside. So bear with us as we update our awards procedures.

We are requesting the following from our readers... Criticisms about agency operations are acceptable. Personal attacks on agency personnel (including administration) are not. Do not use people's names, we will not publish the comments. We will not publish any blatantly abusive comments or comments that we just plain choose not to publish, and do not post peoples personal information or work information.

We are here for the line officers. Thank you for your support. For all those that don't support us or dislike us we poop on you. Go read something else, there's plenty more crap on the Internet.

Another Great Crap Chat!

Another great crap chat! We discussed everything from agency politics, LEOPS, to shoguns and rifles, and agency politics and leadership! Thank you for all in attendance! We wil publish the next crap chat date shortly giving advanced notice. Thanks again!

Morons in Charge...

WTF is going on with the bomber they just released to a terrorist country? This guy killed over 200 people in an air bombing and they released this criminal back on "compassionate grounds"?! Maybe they should have let that cancer eat away at his pecker like it did his prostate. What is happening to this world? What a complete farce of justice. Your thoughts?

Ask The Crapper a Question...

Well, it's that time again to ask the crapper a question! So, if you have a law enforcement related question we will answer it, as long as it does not jeopardize the safety of police officers or discuss agency policies and procedures specifically to a particular agency. If you are a law enforcement officer, you may also ask us a question on whatever topic, as long as it isn't who we are! HA! 'Cause we ain't gonna tell ya!

So ask away.... !

Crap Chat Rescheduled...

Due to the Internet bandwidth issue we had been experiencing with google, the crap chat was rescheduled and will be Sunday Aug. 23, at 9PM! Be there or be square! Bring your crap.

People shot at Fairground...Bank Robbery...

Last night, as we may all know, there were multiple people shot at the Fairground Drive apartment complex. The suspects fled the scene.

It is clear, and has been clear, for some time that criminals in this area do not care about the life of citizens and others. They are content being criminals and cause crime and misery to all those who they feel cross them. There was also a bank robbery last week where two armed suspects entered into the bank, one had a handgun, and one had what looked like a sawed off shotgun. This incident occurred in the afternoon in "broad daylight". You, as a police officer, could have been in there banking while off-duty.

So, this begs the question... why do our local police officers still do not have rifles or shotguns and only select members on departments do? This seems a serious risk to officer and citizen safety. In order to combat crime and keep our community and police officers safe-er all should be issued both weapons in case officers run into suspects that don't care who they kill or harm. Life and death is a game to these people.

1. If a shooting situation is occurring bear the following in mind... if possible position yourself behind a defensive location, such as a building stanchion, ATM machine, or other hardened object that you feel would be capable of taking fire.


2. Check your background. When shooting ensure that your shots aren't going to pass the suspect and strike a citizen, perhaps in the parking lot or behind the suspect.


3. If the suspect has been shot, do not approach the suspect. Stay in a defensive location yelling commands for the suspect to "stay down". Keep your firearm trained on the suspect. Wait for more units to respond.


4. When police respond, if off-duty, bear in mind you may be considered a threat to responding police. Ensure that you keep your firearm pointed downrange toward suspects, yell "Police Officer! Police Officer!", comply with directions, and be ready to give the "secret signal" when required to responding officers.


5. Always, always carry your firearm off-duty and an extra magazine.


6. Always wear your vest.
7. If shot, don't give up. Shoot to kill. Head, center mass, and groin shots will deliver the most damage, the quickest.
8. If dying, take that suspect with you.

Salisbury is a very, very dangerous place. It is your responsibility as a police officer to keep the public safe and keep yourself out of harms way in the process.

Again, we are asking police departments to recognize this serious threat and assign rifles and shotguns accordingly to police officers. Don't wait until an officer is shot or killed.

YOUTH OR CONSEQUENCES: ANOTHER HYPOTHETICAL

It's 2 AM and officers have just arrested a 15 year old for First Degree Murder. As the defendant is entering the interview room, a lawyer shows up at the front desk and confronts the Duty Officer saying that he represents the 15 year old, having been retained by the "kid's" grandmother. The lawyer adamently insists that no questioning of the defendant occur at this time or at anytime in the future. The lawyer insists that he be allowed to speak with the defendant immediately. In the back, the Detective advises the defendant of his Miranda warnings, which he states that he understands and then waives them and gives the Detective a full confession. The defendant never makes a request to speak with a lawyer, but rather asks the Detective if it would be a good idea to talk with his Grandmother. The Detective says he can't tell the defendant one way or the other. The defendant doesn't ask anything further before he confesses.

The defendant is of average intelligence, but acknowledges that he smoked a "joint" approximately five hours ago. To the Detective, the defendant sounds coherent and answers all of the questions in a somewhat responsive fashion.

Will the defendant initially be charged as an adult or as a juvenile? Will the defendant's confession be admissible at his trial?

Online Library Coming to the Crapper...

That's right! Now you can combine two of your favorite activities... reading cop crap and sitting on the crapper.

We are in the process of adding an online library to the crapper. The library will contain PDF's and other files on everything from LEOBOR to cop health, workouts, tactical approach to situations, medical emergency information, and more. All accessible free through the WicBury Crapper!

Great work SPD!

On August 14, 2009 at approximately 9:37 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspects for an armed robbery that was committed on a victim in the area of Railroad Avenue and Elizabeth Street in May of 2009. The investigation of the robbery led to the identification of the suspects who on May 25 had assaulted the victim, then robbed the victim at gunpoint taking U.S. currency, a cellular telephone and jewelry.

ARRESTED #1: Shawn Goslee Johnson, 20 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland

ARRESTED #2: Shamale Dontae Goslee, 18 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland

On August 14, 2009 at approximately 6:30 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the area of Rt. 13 and Vine Street for the report of a bleeding victim. Upon arrival the officers located the victim who was suffering from multiple stab wounds. The victim advised the officers that the victim had been involved in an argument with the below listed suspect who was known to the victim. The argument escalated and resulted in the suspect producing a pocket knife and stabbing the victim several times in his torso. The officers located the suspect who was taken into custody. The victim was treated at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center and was listed in stable condition.

ARRESTED: Dale Franklin Long, 43 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland

On August 15, 2009 at approximately 7:20 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Family Dollar Store on South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a burglary. Upon arrival the officers observed that a suspect had broken the glass in the front door then had entered the business and had taken property. The officers observed the suspect on the store video system and recognized the victim from previous contact.
On August 16, 2009 at approximately 3:20 pm, the officers observed the suspect in the area the Chesapeake Inn on Rt. 13 North. The suspect was stopped and found to still be in possession of the property taken from the Family Dollar Store.

ARRESTED: Joseph Dean Sterling, 40 years of age
Delmar, Maryland

Minor Issues?

Departments, in fact any and all work environments, are faced with serious issues and non serious issues. Some comments have been bringing up issues at departments that, respectfully, in our opinion are minor issues.

For instance, the bike week issue or other issues. These issues are in fact minor although they may be a personal irritant. So we will look at some issues and give you our opinion on them:

Bike week issues - Minor. People in divisions that are "fixed" in the sense that shifts do not rotate during the week probably shouldn't be pulled to work a special event because that would leave that division empty. Since they are working M-F they will have worked 40 hours already.. So rotating their schedule is impractical. It is unknown if bike weeks pay for officers or not but, bottom line is, that is not a subordinates concern because it affects nothing at the line level.

Internet connectivity issues - Very Minor. Many departments do not have Internet in their departments. Some departments require Internet for e-mail and other activities but, there is nothing that mandates that a department must provide it's personnel with any Internet connection. So, while we enjoy our readers reading our crap, if the department doesn't have Internet or bans networking sites such as facebook, there is nothing to do about it.

Some things you just gotta suck up and get done. Bike week comes around once a year. It may be a pain the the crapper but, that's life unfortunately. You are still being paid to do a job that requires policing. Unfortunately, this is not a topic we can defend.

Muscle Building vs. Cardo?

Many officers know that working out constantly will produce a finely tuned human machine ready to spring into action, right? Not necessarily!

Although, strength training is important, putting on mass specifically may not be as beneficial as a good cardiovascular system. Muscles require more blood for the heart to pump and demand more energy. Although being a large badass is cool it can also kill you. It is more beneficial to be cardiovascular fit as heart disease from stress can kill. If engaged in a high stress situation a large individual with poor cardiovascular performance can easily seize up when his muscles use up the oxygen in his blood and lactic acid begins to build up in large muscle groups, especially the back.

A cramp or muscle seizure of the back can instantly debilitate a person in a fight. So remember it is important to mix in a consistent cardiovascular workout, stretching, along with being big (if that's your thing).

Slow Posts....

Hey all you "Crapaholics",

We apologize for the slow posts for the past two days however we are working with google to fix a slow download response from their servers for the blog. We should be back in the saddle tomorrow. However, please continue to comment on current articles.

Additionally, VIP cards will be out shortly and are currently being printed. You will be able to order them from our online zazzle.com store. They will get you various discounts at participating establishments (we will publish a list shortly).

Stay safe Crappers!

-The WicBury Crapper

Comment From Reader

The comment - Hey Crapper, Maybe you can help me understand this. A certain administrator at a certain agency put out an agency wide email today. The email stated that all personnel, except courts and schools, would be required to work "bike week" in September. Now mind you, courts and schools were ALSO exempt from last years fiasco bike week duty. Everyone elses schedule has been adjusted so that minimal overtime will be paid, and so that personnel such as cid and admin will work a different eight hour shift than normal on those days, in order to work at bike
week. How come schools and courts aren't having their schedules adjusted so they
may also contribute to this assignment? Especially since they got out of it last
year too. I would hate to think that a certain administrator views their duties
as priority, and not the other units. I mean, it's not like there is much major
crime around here or anything.

Our Response - Okay, so if we are to understand your comment correctly, you are upset because divisions at an agency, specifically courts and schools, are not scheduled for bike week assignments or are exempt from scheduling entirely. We are unaware of any police scheduling for any bike week either in Wicomico, Worcester, Ocean City, etc.

However, if bike week is occurring during the week then our impression would be that a schools division would require the same personnel daily and they have a fixed schedule and a fixed location as so they could interact with the same students daily. Therefore, it would be somewhat difficult to assign them to work during any weekday, especially at the start of a new school year. The same applies to courts if it is a day work assignment, whereas CID and ADMIN have more flexible and mobile assignments

Honestly, crappy as it may or may not be, a department can assign it's personnel however or whichever way they see fit, so long as it is not punitive in nature without due process, as per LEOBOR. This does not seem the case if all of patrol is scheduled. So, unfortunately there really is no other answer then that. For whatever reason they did not see fit to assign those divisions to the special event. We have no idea why except for the theorized answer we stated above.... Sorry we can't be of more help.

WicBury Crapper Online Store Open!

The WicBury Crapper online store is now open! Get all your crappy products right here! All proceeds will be donated to law enforcement charities. Some proceeds may be used to further WicBury Crapper programs such as our Officer of the Month program. However, no money will be kept for profit. We will be adding more products shortly. Also, when available, our discount VIP card will be offered through the store for direct purchase. Lastly, all the designs below are available on other colors and styles than shown. Check the online store for details and ordering online.



make custom gifts at Zazzle

Silent Auction Friday Aug. 21, 2009!

The silent auction of the custom-made CAC helmets, that will be worn by the Shorebirds, will occur on Friday, August 21st. Please participate to support the Child Advocacy Center!

Posts disappearing...

We got a comment from an apparent critic asking why the tables and chairs post was deleted and if we were scared. We deleted that post along with the post of the mother being tasered because the download speed of the blog was lagging, the video was wrong on their server end, and the polls were not appearing. So talk all the trash you want about tables and chairs. We ain't scared of crap. If you don't like it, get the hell off our stoop.

By the way we've been getting some questions about our cause on Facebook. It goes to donate directly to the national law enforcement officers memorial fund. See nleomf.com for details.

IMPORTANT ARTICLE: Police Psychology - Police Officer Suicide: How to cope, how to heal

Practical Police Psychology

with Dr. Laurence Miller
Police Officer Suicide: How to cope, how to heal
Q: The recent suicide of Lt. Derrick Norfleet of the Oakland Police Department has left the local law enforcement community in shock. This kind of event also reverberates with police departments across the country. How does a law enforcement agency deal with this kind of tragedy? What can we do honor our colleague and recover as a department?

A: You took the first step – you asked the question. There are no easy answers, but there are some answers. In an earlier column, I dealt extensively with what fellow officers can do to help prevent or stop the suicide of one of their colleagues. Here, I’ll focus more on coping with the aftermath of a tragedy that’s already happened.

Why Do They Do It?

Although each person has their own history and their own story, there actually are a set of fairly well-understood reasons why people in general – and police officers in particular – choose to take their own life. These usually boil down to some combination of anger, helplessness, hopelessness, and/or shame. Many cops live in an either-or, black-or-white, you’re-only-as-good-as-you’re-last-screw-up kind of world, where anything less than total perfection all the time is considered intolerable. When such a rigid belief system is stressed by perceived failures at work, and perhaps further strained by personal problems at home, the whole system is at risk of imploding and the officer now feels that there’s “no way out.”

Paradoxically, for other officers, it may be the opposite problem. After a suicide, or more commonly, an arrest, many colleagues may be stunned to learn that their seemingly golden-boy colleague was engaged in all kinds of illegal, corrupt, and unethical behavior, at work and in his personal life, and now his evil ways have caught up with him and it all comes crashing down. This, too, may lead to a “no way out” scenario where the accused officer believes there’s nothing he can do to shake himself out of the web of trouble he’s woven himself into.

A third pattern may be more noticeable to colleagues, the “train wreck.” This is the officer who everyone knows to be a general goof-off, screw-up, or just plain pain in the ass. This is the guy or gal who always seems to be jumping from crisis to crisis and putting out brushfires. He wears his crap on his sleeve, so to speak, never really crossing the line into major malfeasance, but accumulating a pile of petty complaints and disciplinary write-ups, until the sheer weight of these molehills tips over into a mountain of woe and he’s now facing serious trouble at work or at home and, again, feels like there’s “no way out.”

Finally, otherwise competent officers may suffer from clinical depression or another kind of mood disorder that they just happened to inherit from their family gene pool and that may have been further entrenched by a psychologically unhealthy childhood upbringing. These cases can usually be very successfully treated with a combination of medication and short-term psychotherapy but many officers needlessly suffer in silence because they’re afraid that bringing this to someone’s attention will brand them as a “head case.” A particular problem with some mood disorders is that the officer’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior can often turn on a dime, changing over the course of just a few days from normal and outgoing to suicidal despair. This is often the scenario that leads stunned colleagues to comment, “Killed himself? What do you mean killed himself? I just saw him last shift and at a barbecue over the weekend, and he was talking and joking like he always does. I can’t believe it!”

Prevention: What Can Fellow Officers Do?

As noted above, the subject of police officer suicide prevention is covered more comprehensively in that May 2007 column. Here, I’ll just summarize the main points.

Education. Bring this topic out into the open. Virtually every officer who has suffered in silence thinks they’re the only ones who’ve felt this way. Through departmental mini-seminars, role call in-services, continuing education programs, or printed matter, let people know that this a problem that can be helped. Back it up with appropriate training in crisis intervention and peer counseling.

Policy. I guarantee no one is going to report any kind of mental problem if they believe that it will automatically result in administrative suspension, confiscation of their weapon, light duty assignment, or immediate referral for a fitness-for-duty evaluation. A departmental policy for dealing with officers in distress de-stigmatizes such reporting and makes it clear that unless there is a specific reason for taking any kind of administrative action – i.e. the officer is an immediate danger to self or others or is obviously unfit for duty at the present time – the first response will be to refer the officer for the proper kind of help and back that up with confidentiality and departmental support.

Warning signs. Very few suicides happen without somebody somewhere having observed something that might have clued others in that the person was in distress. Be alert to the warning signs of suicide and depression, such as making threats to others, making threats to oneself, acting like the officer has nothing to lose, becoming preoccupied with morbid death scenarios, especially past police suicides or line of duty deaths, packing more weaponry than usual or necessary, expressing feelings of being overwhelmed, or making final plans.

Peer intervention. You’ll be in a position to observe your partner, colleague, or supervisee long before any shrink gets to see him, so don’t be afraid to step in and offer assistance if you can. Help your fellow officer define and clarify what’s bothering him. Ensure that he’ll be safe until he can get further help. Provide support and let him know you’ll back him up if he does the right thing. If he’s feeling hopeless, help him examine alternatives to checking out; maybe there are real things he can do to fix the situation that he hasn’t thought of and you have. Make a plan and get some kind of commitment: if he can’t handle things on his own, he’ll make an appointment with the EAP counselor or a mental health professional of his choice, but just as you wouldn’t let him go out there with a defective weapon, vehicle, or radio, you won’t walk away and just let him percolate in his own misery.

A number of once-suicidal people have told me that their initial reaction to the helping efforts of others was some version of, “Get the f*** away from me and mind your own f***ing business!” but that later they went back to those same people and told them, “I’m really glad you didn’t f***ing listen to me when I was being an asshole and that you f***ing hung in there and made me get some f***ing help. Thanks.”

Reactions of Fellow Officers to an Officer Suicide

Sometimes, the worst happens and now you have to deal with it. How? The first step is to understand some common reactions of officers to a colleague’s self-inflicted death.

Shock and disbelief. “No, it can’t be him.” Many officers just refuse to believe that the person they knew and worked with could do such a thing. In other cases, there were inklings that something was wrong, but no one ever expected it to go this far. In still other instances – e.g. in the “bad boy” or “train wreck” cases noted above – the death, while sad, really comes as no big surprise, inasmuch as it appears to be just the capping event of a long string of dysfunctional behaviors. What is most disorienting, however, is when the suicide seems totally out of character for the officer you thought you knew.

Identification. “Shit, it could’ve been me.” Underlying almost all of these reactions is a powerful identification factor. One comment I hear over and over again from cops who’ve lost a colleague to suicide is something along the lines of, “I’ve felt pretty bad at some points in my life. How do I know I won’t do it?” Answer: because you’re you and everybody’s personality and adaptive coping resources are different. The kinds of stresses that could destabilizes one person’s psyche enough to make them want to check out may, for someone else, impel them to try to repair the situation or to seek help from someone who can guide them. If there’s any kind of a silver lining that can come from black cloud like this, it should be to heed the warning signs in yourself and others and do something about it.

Symptoms. No, you’re not going crazy, but there are some strange symptoms that can occur after the traumatic death of a family member – blood family or work family – that may weird you out. For example, even though they know their friend is gone, many officers say they expect to see the deceased colleague sitting at his desk or in his patrol car. A few may actually report seeing the deceased colleague or hearing his/her voice but, under the circumstances, these quasi-hallucinatory experiences are usually normal and temporary. Don’t be surprised if you dream about the deceased officer; some of these dreams can be scary when the dreamer imagines himself in the place of the officer, about to do the deed. Others are “rescue dreams” in which the dreamer is trying to stop the suicide but fails. More common symptoms involve disorientation and emotional numbing, just “going through the motions” at work and at home.

Sadness. No shit, Einstein, how do expect us to feel – happy? The reason I mention this is that many people, and a number of mental health clinicians, often confuse the natural sadness and grief of a traumatic bereavement with clinical depression. In fairness, the signs and symptoms – impaired sleep and appetite, low energy, loss of motivation, difficulty concentrating, irritability and agitation – of both syndromes frequently overlap. But just like you’re not a hypochondriac if your stomachache is caused by a bullet hole in your abdomen, you’re not necessarily clinically depressed if your psycheache is caused by a hole in your soul. In a few cases, people can suffer from what’s called pathological grief, but this usually involves serious disability far beyond the point when most people have been able to move on.

Guilt and anger. These have a way of cycling with each other and feeding off each other. Anger can have several targets. You may be angry at the deceased for doing this to himself, for leaving you and the other guys and gals to cope with this grief, even as you feel guilty for feeling this way – the guy’s dead, for chrissake. You may feel angry at the deceased because his suicide rattles the cage of your own identification factor and forces you to wonder what it would take to push you over the edge. You may feel guilty for maybe not taking more action that could have averted the death, but then feel angry at the deceased for putting you in that position, or angry at others who overtly or implicitly imply you should have done more: “Who died and made me this guy’s personal social worker?” You may be angry at the department for not being more proactive and protecting the troubled officer from himself. You may be angry at the deceased’s former partners, family members, or others who you feel were making his life miserable and pushing him closer to the brink. Finally, you may be mad at the whole freakin’ world for just not getting what you guys sometimes go through to try to keep the rest of us smug, selfish, unappreciative citizens safe.

How to Cope, How to Heal

I’m not going to pretend to give you a formula, because there isn’t one, but there are some things you can do to help one another get through this and honor the memory of your deceased comrade.

Talk about it. I know, takes a real genius to recommend that one, right? But I mean talk productively. Try to understand what happened, without recrimination. I’m not saying spill your guts to people you don’t know well, but among a group of your trusted colleagues, try to achieve what psychologists call cognitive control: coming to a rational understanding of what took place so you’ll feel better prepared for next time. In essence, this is not dissimilar to the kind of operational debriefing many special units do following an officer-involved shooting or hostage crisis. Know what went right and what went wrong. I always teach my classes that 20/20 hindsight = 20/20 insight = 20/20 foresight. Also, use communication to deal with the feelings and symptoms noted above. Let your colleagues know you’re going through the same things they are. Despite the circumstances of his death, try to find something to honor the deceased.
Alcohol. Okay, let’s live in the real world here. We all know that most of these discussions are not going to take place over soy milk and Gatorade. Retiring to your local tavern for your group therapy is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as the alcohol is used moderately and constructively to oil the mechanism of self-expression in a supportive atmosphere, not self-destructively to drown feelings by getting totally smashed or drinking alone and stewing in one’s solitary grief. However, if alcohol has been your particular demon in the past, don’t compromise your recovery by placing yourself at risk. Honor your deceased comrade by taking care of yourself and find the proper way to express your feelings without danger.
Clinical services. By this I mean anything that might involve the participation of a licensed mental health professional, including a formal critical incident stress debriefing or individual psychotherapy. Most of the time, these measures won’t be necessary, but if they are, don’t be afraid to avail yourself of anything that might help.
Grief leadership. The brass should provide a model of constructive mourning of the deceased officer. They should be the ones who exemplify the fact normal expressions of grief don’t make you a weak person and that showing your honest feelings in a dignified way is actually a sign of respect for the deceased and for each other. Police leaders take note: your people will take their cue from you as to what is an appropriate and healthy response to a comrade’s suicide and what constitutes dysfunction and dishonor. Departmental leadership should also be proactive in advising their people on how to deal with the media which, of course, always love “crazy cop” stories. In brief, the key is to not appear too defensive, while striving to maintain confidentiality and privacy of the officer, the department, and the families. When in doubt, always check with department legal counsel and issue all media statements through your public information officer (PIO) or the chief’s or sheriff’s office.
Families. And speaking of families, don’t forget them, either. However you’re dealing with your colleague’s suicide, can you imagine what his spouse is going through? His kids? His parents? Without being intrusive, offer your support to grieving family members, but don’t be surprised if you find your helping efforts initially spit back in your faces by distraught, grieving families who are funneling their pain and anger against the department who “drove” their loved one to this. In that case, just let them know you’re there if you need them and back off. Crises that family members will have to endure in the coming weeks or months include harsh recriminations by others who may want to blame them for the officer’s suicide, intense media scrutiny, possible legal action, and coping with children’s reactions to the death. Ideally, the department should have some kind of program for families dealing with line of duty deaths and this should not discriminate as to cause of death.
In summary, the goal is not to “get over” the untimely death of your colleague: you won’t, and the experience will always be a part of you. But you will heal, you will move on, you will learn from this tragedy. You will never forget, you will never waver in your efforts to reach out to colleagues in distress, and you will never fail to take care of yourself, your comrades, and your loved ones.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific clinical or legal advice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laurence Miller, Ph.D., is a clinical and forensic psychologist and law enforcement educator and trainer based in Boca Raton, Fla. Dr. Miller is the police psychologist for the West Palm Beach Police Department, mental health consultant for Troop L of the Florida Highway Patrol, a forensic psychological examiner for the Palm Beach County Court, and a consulting psychologist with several regional and national law enforcement agencies. Dr. Miller is an instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute of Palm Beach County and at Florida Atlantic University, and conducts continuing education and training seminars around the country. He is the author of numerous professional and popular print and online publications pertaining to the brain, behavior, health, law enforcement, criminal justice and organizational psychology. His latest books are "Practical Police Psychology: Stress Management and Crisis Intervention for Law Enforcement" (Charles C Thomas, 2006) and "Mental Toughness Training for Law Enforcement" (Looseleaf Law Publications, 2008)

Remembering Fallen Hero - Trooper Gregg Alexander Presbury

Trooper Gregg Alexander Presbury

Maryland State Police

End of Watch: Saturday, December 17, 1977

Cause: Gunfire

Age: 27

Tour of Duty: 1 year, 4 months

Badge Number: Not available

Trooper Presbury succumbed to a gunshot sustained while conducting a traffic stop on Route 30, near Glen Burnie, five days earlier. During the traffic stop Trooper Presbury radioed for backup. Before backup arrived the suspect shot Trooper Presbury. Despite being wounded he was able to return fire and wounded the suspect.
A passing motorist used his radio to report the shooting and was able to give a description of the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody and charged with Trooper Presbury's murder.
Trooper Presbury had served with the agency for 17 months. He was survived by his wife and child.

Labor Attorneys In Maryland...

In response to a readers inquiry we are posting these attorneys listed on lawyers.com. This listing is for attorneys for employment law in Maryland including OSHA, Human Resources, Wrongful Termination, American for Disabilities Act, FMLA, and other....

http://www.lawyers.com/Labor-and-Employment/Maryland/All-Cities/law-firms.html?rs=1&N=1183&nbm=1&Ne=60&ac=m12

If considering legal action against any department bear in mind a class action law suit, with several staff members, is more effective than a solitary person filing suit for several reasons. First it lends more credibility that there is a problem (whatever that problem is), second legal fees are lessened because of the more people involved, third (if kept to several persons) they payout may be greater, fourth departments are more willing to settle to avoid bad publicity of a suit from it's own personnel indicating a serious problem to the media. Just a suggestion from the Crapper.

Board Meeting Scheduled

All board members there is a mandatory board meeting on Monday August, 17, 2009 at 9:00 AM. Be there or be square. The meeting is taking place at location "Hotel Elephant" or A12 on your location listing. The WicBury Crapper has spoken.

Raising $100 for remembering falling officers.

Join our cause on facebook to raise $100.00 in 30 days for fallen police officers. All proceeds go directly to The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund from facebook.com. Join our cause the Eastern Shore Line Officer's.

Check out our facebook site online now!

http://www.facebook.com/wicburycrapper

Officer and Supervisor TOP COP Polls Added For Aug.

Officer and Supervisor of the month polls are added for Aug. 2009. Please vote for who you want to see get each prize. Remember, this is not a popularity contest. Vote who you feel honestly deserves the prizes.

Remember, although we strongly consider the votes, they are not our only deciding factor. We also consider our opinion, the court record of each officer, overall professionalism, and draw from personal experiences. All votes must be in by Sept 9, 2009.

Please note, previous winners from the previous month are ineligible and will not be added to the polls. Additionally, any suggestions for inclusion for Supervisor of the month of the rank Lt. and above are also not included in the polls. Supervisor of the month is for Sgt. and below only.

Total Prizes Awarded To Date...

The WicBury Crapper has awarded a total of $75.00 in prizes so far. The first officer of the month received a $25.00 gift card to Chilies. The second two officer's of the month received two gift cards for $15.00 each to the cold stone creamery. And the Supervisor of the month for July was awarded a $20.00 gift card to Papa Johns or Pizza Hut or some pizza place, we forget. Whatever. Enjoy! Have a crappy day!

WicBury Crapper Now On Facebook!

Hey, pssssst. The WicBury Crapper is now on facebook! You can add the crapper as a friend by click the facebook badge to the right or clicking here. Don't be a woosy. Add the crapper as a buddy today!

Thanks To A Major Crap...

We at the crapper would like to send a major nod to "Major Crap" a poster of ours that sparked a nice debate and comment session. We invite all who would like to make a point to write us either by e-mail or online. Good or bad, your comments will be published unless it includes disparaging remarks about an officer by name. Thanks again to Major Crap for his postings.

Comment From Reader

On the request of another reader we are posting this on the main page...

Anonymous said...

No....cops are not whiners. They get paid crap to risk their lives and put up with the BS from criminals on the streets as well as the BS from the admin.I hear teachers whining all the time about their salaries....but THEY got a raise this year when no one else did. And they work 10 months a year (or 180 days instead of the usual 260 days/year)and don't have to work nights, weekends or holidays. BOO-HOO! And don't tell me it's because they are more educated...I know plenty of cops that have bachelors or masters degrees that don't earn a penny more than those that came straight from the academy.I say more cops need to SPEAK UP for more pay, and better benifits...some agencies don't even have disability (even if they become disabled on the job)! Teachers get disability benefits....what the file cabinet might fall over on them?????I'm not picking on teachers, really, just trying to point out that there are other county or city government positions that whine more than cops and are much better off than cops.KEEP WHINING....the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Friday, August 14, 2009 2:59:00 PM

SPD Lt. Elmer Davis Reportedly Resigned

Reportedly, SPD Lt. Elmer Davis resigned today. Lt. Davis was reportedly under internal investigation for over 200 plus offenses against policy and procedure ranging from sleeping on duty, loafing, and numerous other offenses. This is the second resignation due to this investigation. Another officer resigned several months ago and one was demoted. There is no word if Lt. Davis plans on applying for another law enforcement position. However the question remains if they had over 200 charges against Lt. Davis, why did it take them so long to file these internal charges? Why did they not correct the problem after the 1st and 2nd offenses of so-called policy violations? How much time and money was dedicated on the surveillance of these officers by either CID or electronic means? How much did the taxpayers have to fork out on this investigation and why weren't these offenses dealt with early on in order to correct supposed issues prior to them escalating to a level which required their either resignation or demotion?

Two other officers within the department, both with distinguished careers, also were demoted and eventually one resigned, who will be missed. We wish these personnel luck as there is life after SPD.

-The WicBury Crapper Board

Comment From Reader..."Major Crap"!!

(photo added by WicBury Crapper)

Anonymous said...

The Ivory Tower is tall and mean at one local department. As I read this I find it alarming that an elected leader would not be taking a hard look at staffing. All the way around.I will say this when Hunter Nelms announced he was not running for office again. The very men he promoted started crying to Mike Lewis how bad they had it.

Come on Mike when you left M.S.P. you were a Sgt. I cant believe you fell so hard for the bull shit. They were cutting each others balls off before you showed up. Now it is just the little guys that get casterated.If you ask me the road Sgt.s get shit on the hardest. They drive shit cars. The seniors ones anyway. It appears the Jr. Sgt.s have Black and Whites. One Cpl. has a Black Charger ??? The Sgt.s are responsible for the agency 16 out of 24 hours.

The public has no clue. Two thirds of the time a critical call is made by a Sgt. The pay scale has newer Cpl.s making almost the same money. The seven percent a year ago went to certain people. The senior people got shit. I see the writing on the wall. Mr. Magoo can see the writing on the wall.So as you bitch and moan remember those that have in fact paid their dues are getting a major crap bath.

No one cares if there is one P.C.O. on a friday night. It does not effect the day jobbers. So we roll up our sleeves and work by the sweat of our brow. That is what we do. Crying about those who could give a crap about is is not going to get anywhere. When you uninfy all the road dogs then you have something to go with.I suggest all deputies from the rank of Sgt, down have a meeting away from your office. Lay out a plan that includes hard work and respect to all. Stick together there is strength in numbers.

For you idiots that do not see the divide and conquer game that is played you are blind.We all know those that are in positions because they are friends of one of two admin. Thats it. Two admin have created this qwagmire of discontent. It is so obvious that other departments are laughing at the situation and make jokes about how you can lead in every stat and if you are not part of the circle you are screwed.

If I worked as a deputy I would tell them to stick the new chrger up someones ass and go out and tear it up. Respect by my brothers is all I want. Get your heads out of your ass and be what you said you wanted to be when you took the job. The placement of those cars would out rage me if I were a hard worker at the Sheriff's office. The message sent is call in sick five minutes before your shift. Get caught drunk in a bar when you are out sick. Do nothing and duck calls get a new car. As for the Sgt. who got one congrats from what I hear you earned it. Over eighty thousand dollars in salary working on cars all day.

Sworn cops. I have never heard anything like this. Just a thought maybe a certified mechanic would have worked out. I guess if a tire needs to be shot or an engine tazered you maid the right move.Putting people in jobs because they hang out with certain admin. has also sent a clear message. I never thought it would be this way. I will take mine out on the thugs and slugs out there. The rest will take care of itself. This fraternity atmosphere will be the down fall of a great leader. Trust me the wolves are in the pen. They will dump his butt in the hour of need just like they did Hunter Nelms. The man that hired and promoted them. Just amazing how it played out. You cant teach courage and loyality. I think Mike lewis needs an one on one with every deputy just like he promised.

If these men and women are not in fear of retaliation I think you would get an ear fool about some of the golden boys. I know for a fact you do not condone some of the underhanded leadership being displayed.The Sheriff's office has the potential to be the best department anywhere around here. In closing only one man can make the changes needed to stop 90% of this you will have criers no matter what you do. In large most of these concerns are ligit.

Major Crap

City Cops Take Care of Business...

Many articles have focused on WCSD and the city police department however, it is important to remember that the city police departments SPD, FPD, and DPD take care of a lot of business within their jurisdictions. The Salisbury City Police CAT team, although massively understaffed, continues to make great arrests and continues to put a crimp in the Church Street areas.

DPD and FPD also deserve a lot of credit in the jobs that they do daily. Keep up the good work city cops. We are behind you 110%!

Dennis Miller On Healthcare Debate

Landfill Questions?

Our county exec. Rick Pilot had a press conference recently to discuss what if anything was going on with the landfill scandal that took place. Yes there have been security measures upgraded since the landfill incident to include cameras, a sliding gate door, and a new fuel management system. We estimated the upgrades to cost approx $200,000.00 although our math may be a little off. Our only question is if spending that amount of money to ensure that people aren't stealing gas and other equipment from a county run facility? Seems somewhat pricey and overkill, especially since the county suffered a severe loss due to the thefts that took place in the first place.

Additionally, we liked the whole whistle blower line to call, is that actually working?

Oh and reminder, election is around the corner! Get ready for a show!

Quit whining?

Some people think that cops are whiners that have everything but always want more. Some agencies have "more" than other agencies either due to their size, budget, or tax base.

For instance the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office earns considerably more than the Salisbury City Police Department. WCSO is on par with the state police for "pay parity" at lower ranks. However they do not currently have true pay parity are upper ranks. Both the state police and WCSO both have take home vehicles issued to them while the city police generally do not except for admin and CID. Both agencies state that the take home car are a deterrent. In actuality there is a lot of work performed off-duty by some officers.

Ocean City officers make considerably more due to their collective bargaining agreement which took about 12 years to get into place. However, it paid off by solidifying their pay and protection from administrative shenanigans.

But how much abuse from agencies and the public is worth the pay? In reality, police officers, regardless of which department they work for, do in fact risk their lives and safety daily to provide safety to the general public. They have to deal with crooked administrative tactics in order to "control" them, they have to deal with the slime of society, and they have to deal with the stress of the job daily. So, police are underpaid.

In speaking with personnel you will find that the vast majority of them gain more stress from their administrative and departments that from the public, risk to their safety, and the criminals. This was proven by our last several polls. So, do you think that cops are whiners?

Duran Moss Gets An Additional 10 Years

Duran Moss, who was recently convicted of a homicide in Salisbury, was recently sentenced to ten years exile federal court time for a handgun and drug violation when he as caught by Wicomico County Sheriff's Deputies. Excellent job to all persons involved, deputies at WCSD, the ATF, and the Wicomico County State's Attorney's Office.