The Wicbury Crapper, Phase 2

A New Blog!

2010-01-14T23:46:00.002-05:00

A new blog, "The Watchmen" will be taking foot shortly. Stop by and see what it's about! We will let you know when it is completed. The Watchmen will be the evolution of the first two blogs of the Crapper. Four of our newly ordained board members who are administrators of local agencies will be joining us there for what promises to be an entertaining and educational blogsite!

Lt. Barkley Makes Acting Chief, Salisbury Police

2010-01-06T22:39:00.003-05:00

Lt. Barkley has been named as acting Chief of Police of the Salisbury City Police Department and has been serving as the Chief for several weeks now.

WicBury Crapper Board Members at SPD report that he is doing an excellent job thus far. There is a question in people's minds that even though is the the acting Chief will the Mayor leave Barkey in the spot to stabilize and re energize the department or will the city seek out another possible Chief from outside of the area. Chief Barkley surpassed the Asst. Chief, and Two Captains for the spot.

The last time this occurred, Chief Webster was installed approximately ten years ago. During Chief Webster's administration crime substantially worsened and the turn over rate at SPD increased by several times over. Currently, SPD has a staff of younger officers, some just have graduated the police academy. So this begs the question is Chief Barkley a good match for the department as Chief and can he fix ten years of past problems?

We wish him luck and good fortune. We feel Chief Barkley is a very smart and capable person that can, if taking the right course of action, get the job done right.

What do you think?

Staying Warm...

2010-01-06T22:31:00.004-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "SilentButDeadly"...

It is important to remember for all law enforcement that staying warm is not only necessity in life but in work as well. Be aware that, at anytime, you can find yourself outside of the protection of your vehicle directing traffic or hunting for a suspect through the woods.

Carry an extra pair of gloves in your vehicle, a warm cap, and a change of boots and cloths.

It is also important to remember to keep hydrated during negative temperatures. Even though it is cold outside this does not mean that your water consumption rate will drop. Keep hydrated. A loss of hydration can cause a lapse in judgement and difficulty thinking straight.

If it's cold out stay warm and drink lots of liquids.

The WicBury Crapper is in co hoots with your mother.

Tactical Approach by SilentButDeadly

2010-01-01T09:32:00.003-05:00

By SilentButDeadly WicBury Crapper Board Member

Tactical approach to any situation is always stressed. Even though you might be responding to a house alarm, still tactical approach can mean the difference between you surprising a burglar or the burglar surprising you.

There are several things to consider when making a tactical approach to any situation. First and foremost, any approach should be a tactical approach. A tactical approach doesn't necessarily mean you are doing James Bond style tuck and rolls to the front door either. The main points of the tactical approach is complacency, angle of approach, lighting, situational awareness, and readiness.

Complacency and readiness go hand in hand. It is easy for police officers to become complacent in many, many situations including traffic stops, alarm calls, etc. While it is important to remain vigilant an officer must also not be paranoid that every situation is going to result in death. But, it is important to bear in mind, every situation MAY result in death or serious injury. Even though you may have been to the same address 50 times for the same alarm, this does not mean that this time it is not a true breaking and entering. A false sense of security can lull you into approaching a situation in a half-hazard manner. Be sure to get enough sleep prior to coming in to work and eat food with nutritional value.

You angle of approach to every situation is also important. Like many of us learned in the academy, it is important to keep your body bladed to the suspect to a degree. Additionally, when arriving on a call, park several houses prior to the location and walk up on foot. The disadvantage of this is that you now lack a barrier for fire protection and you lack a get-a-way (so to speak) vehicle in the even that you need to back out. So, it is important to judge the situation prior to arrival for your best angle and method of approach to the location. If approaching the front door, approach on an angle and stand to the side. Standing directly in front of doors have resulted in officer deaths. Remember the "fatal funnel" situation when entering houses as well. Hallways and stairwells are death traps. Be ready for a suspect appearing in a doorway.

Situational awareness is also key when dealing with any situation. Clear your mind prior to arrival and place all personal and work related issues on the mental back burner. Play some possible outcomes out in your head while traveling to the call and think about how you can best avoid injury. Upon arrival officers are faced with hundreds of different indicators of the nature of the call. Is the front door open, is there blood on the sidewalk, are there vehicles in the driveway, is someone's false hair weave laying about, are there casings laying about, is the hood of the vehicle cold, has the vehicle been moved recently - These are all a drop in the bucket of what an officer must assess within seconds of arriving on the call and they all play a part it situational awareness.

Last, lighting can also play a big roll on calls. Just because it is daywork does not mean that your flashlight should not be charged. What happens if you chase a suspect into a dark warehouse or other building? What happens if you are held in overtime to cover night shift? A good flashlight is very important to an officer's safety. Never approach a traffic stop at night without a charged flashlight. When on a traffic stop, use as much forward lighting as possible to light up your offender vehicle. Take downs and your spotlight are key. Position your spotlight beam between the driver's side mirror and the rear mirror of the offending vehicle. You will notice, many drivers will move their mirror to avoid being blinding. This is good because first you have already screwed up their night vision and second if they move their mirror, the mirror is now not looking back at you and they have to reassess your position to their vehicle in the mirror. If approaching a residence, keep in mind your back lighting.

High expectations? States eye marijuana reform

2009-12-29T09:36:00.001-05:00

Wash. mulls 15 percent tax as two dozen others consider legislation

OLYMPIA, Washington - Washington is one of four states where measures to legalize and regulate marijuana have been introduced, and about two dozen other states are considering bills ranging from medical marijuana to decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the herb.

"In terms of state legislatures, this is far and away the most active year that we've ever seen," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance, which supports reforming marijuana laws.

Nadelmann said that while legalization efforts are not likely to get much traction in state capitals anytime soon, the fact that there is such an increase of activity "is elevating the level of public discourse on this issue and legitimizing it."

"I would say that we are close to the tipping point," he said. "At this point they are still seen as symbolic bills to get the conversation going, but at least the conversation can be a serious one."

Opponents of relaxing marijuana laws aren't happy with any conversation on the topic, other than keeping the drug illegal.

"There's no upside to it in any manner other than for those people who want to smoke pot," said Travis Kuykendall, head of the West Texas High Intensity Drug-Trafficking Area office in El Paso, Texas. "There's nothing for society in it, there's nothing good for the country in it, there's nothing for the good of the economy in it."

Legalization bills were introduced in California and Massachusetts earlier this year, and this month, New Hampshire and Washington state prefiled bills in advance of their legislative sessions that begin in January. Marijuana is illegal under federal law, but guidelines have been loosened on federal prosecution of medical marijuana under the Obama administration.

Even so, marijuana reform legislation remains a tough sell in some places. In the South, for example, only Mississippi and North Carolina have decriminalization laws on the books.

"It's a social and cultural thing," said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based marijuana advocacy group. "There are some parts of the country where social attitudes are just a little more cautious and conservative."

'Pros and cons'
Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, a Seattle Democrat who is sponsoring the legalization bill in Washington state, said that she "wanted to start a strong conversation about the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana."

Under her bill, marijuana would be sold in Washington state's 160 state-run liquor stores, and customers, 21 and older, would pay a tax of 15 percent per gram. The measure would dedicate most of the money raised for substance abuse prevention and treatment, which is facing potential cuts in the state budget. Dickerson said the measure could eventually bring in as much to state coffers as alcohol does, more than $300 million a year.

"Our state is facing a huge financial deficit and deficits are projected for a few more years," Dickerson said, referring to the projected $2.6 billion hole lawmakers will need to fill next year. "We need to look at revenue and see what might be possible."

Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said that tough economic times across the country have lawmakers looking at everything, and may lead even more states to eventually consider the potential tax value of pot.

"The bean counters are now reporting back to their elected officials how much money is being left off the table," he said, adding that billions of dollars worth of pot is going untaxed.

Ron Brooks, president of the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition, said that he feared that, if legalized, marijuana would contribute to more highway accidents and deaths, as well as a potential increase in health care costs for those who smoke it.

State lawmakers, he said, need to ask themselves "if they believe we really will make all that revenue, and even if we did, will it be worth the suffering, the loss of opportunities, the chronic illness or death that would occur?"

Legalization isn't the only measure lawmakers across the country are weighing. About two dozen states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin, are considering bills ranging from medical marijuana to decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, St. Pierre said. Washington state is among the states that are considering decriminalization, with a bill that would reclassify adult possession of marijuana from a crime with jail time to a civil infraction with a $100 penalty.

Voter-driven initiatives
Fourteen states, including Washington state, already have medical marijuana laws, and 13 have decriminalization laws on the books, St. Pierre said. About two dozen cities across the country, including Seattle, make marijuana offenses a low law-enforcement priority.

Marijuana advocates said that while increased activity in the statehouse is heartening, change most likely will come at the ballot box through voter-driven initiatives.

"Inevitably, the politicians are going to be behind the curve on this stuff," Nadelmann said, noting that almost all of the medical marijuana laws came about by initiative.

This month, a group campaigning to put a marijuana legalization measure before California voters said it had enough signatures to qualify for the 2010 ballot.

That proposal would legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 and older. Residents could cultivate marijuana gardens up to 25 square feet (2.3 sq. meters). City and county governments would determine whether to permit and tax marijuana sales within their boundaries. And in Nevada earlier this month, backers of a move to legalize marijuana there filed paperwork creating an advocacy group aimed at qualifying an initiative for the 2012 election.

Sheriff Lewis Wants Death Penalty

2009-12-29T09:23:00.009-05:00

Sheriff Mike Lewis stated that he wants Thomas Leggs, Jr., accused murder of Sarah Foxwell, to face murder charges in the death of Sarah who's body was found on Christmas, 2009. We can't say we disagree. Leggs has not yet been charged with murder due to the on going investigation however murder charges are expected shortly.

Apparently this piece of shit is facing earlier burglary charges in stemming from an incident where a female met him in a bar and he stated that he couldn't go home because his roommates wouldn't let him in. She asked him to leave twice. He regained entry to her residence and later that night the female woke up to this piece of shit standing by her bed with his pants down.

Press Release from State's Att. Office, Salisbury

2009-12-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

Thomas James Leggs, Jr. appeared before the Honorable L. Bruce Wade for a bond hearing and advice of rights hearing. The Defendant did not speak during the hearing.

The State, represented by the undersigned State's Attorney and supported by two Assistant State's Attorneys and Detectives from the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation, strongly requested that the Court order that Leggs be held without bond.

Judge Wade ordered that the Defendant be held without bond (cannot be released at all) at the Wicomico County Detention Center pending further legal action.

No further information is available at this time.

A Community United... Special Thanks...

2009-12-26T23:13:00.004-05:00

Over the past few days we have seen a community truly united for a cause of finding a missing and abducted child. Not only did thousands of volunteers arrive to assist for the search but thousands of people donated their time, food, water, and shelter to police officers, sheriff's and fire/ems workers from the entire area.

We wish to thank everyone involved that assisted which includes all police officers, road officers filling in, search teams, commanders, fire department, and volunteers who came from across the area to assist in this great effort. It is very unfortunate of the ultimate outcome however, there has never been a more dedicated effort witnessed by this writer by all involved and we and the entire community owe you a deep debt of gratitude.

Special thanks to the following people....who's dedication and efforts have not been overlooked... the following people are awarded the following from our staff and board and will be receiving an award from our staff:

Sheriff Mike Lewis
Acting Chief Ivan Barkley
S.A. Davis Ruark
MSP On Scene Leadership
Chief Gary Baker
Capt. Mike Elliott
Lt. Tod Richardson
Lt. Robin Roberts
First Sgt. Tim Robinson
Sgt. Marty Fisher

Fire Dept. Dive Units
MSP/DSP Flight Staff

Special Thanks....

Police Volunteers
Salisbury City Police Department
Citizen Volunteers
Citizen Supply Donors
Detectives, CID, FBI, and WBI Staff
Assistant State's Attorney's
Fire Dept. Volunteers
Patrol Support
Police and Sheriff Search Units
Search Party Volunteers

Excuse us if we have left anyone out. There were so many that lended a hand. We honor you.

About the Murder of Sarah Foxwell...

2009-12-26T22:00:00.005-05:00

About our lack of reporting...

We did not report on any of the investigation or other surrounding the disappearance, search, and ultimate murder of Sarah Foxwell. This was not by mistake. With all the news outlets reporting news we felt it was counterproductive to report on the investigative efforts being undertaken by police, fire, and citizens at the time they were occurring. Additionally, all of us at this blogsite were involved in the search in one form or another and due to time being dedicated to the search efforts, none of us had time to man publishing the blog.

We understand that some may disagree with our decision however, we felt it was right not to report on the missing person investigation or the ultimate finding of Sarah out of respect to her family and the community at large. Furthering this blog with comments and/or opinions about the search efforts or anything else would have been unconscionable to us; with the express urgency being finding Sarah. The other media outlets had the need of water deliver and others covered as trucks of water showed up.

About Leggs...

Now that Sarah has been found we look forward to the conviction and hopefully the ultimate death sentence for Leggs. A monster that deserves a horrible, suffering death.

We extend our sorrow and empathy to the family and Friends of Sarah.

Foxwell's family establishes memorial fund

2009-12-26T21:53:00.002-05:00

The family of the 11-year-old girl who was found dead by police on Christmas day, has established a memorial fund at a local bank, according to the family's pastor.

Donations to the Sarah Haley Foxwell memorial fund can be made at any Farmers Bank of Willards branch.

Foxwell was reported missing by family members on Dec. 23. After searching for three days, police located her body in a rural Delmar area.

Investigators charged Thomas James Leggs Jr. with Foxwell's disappearance a few hours after she was reported missing, according to police.

Farmer's Bank of Willards locations:

Main Office
7484 Market Street
Willards, Maryland 21874
(410) 835-8906

Willards Branch
7233 Main Street
Willards, Maryland 21874
(410) 835-2482

Shopper's World
Salibury Branch (Next to K-Mart)
365 Tilghman Road
Salisbury, Maryland 21804
(410) 742-1534

Pemberton
1150 Parsons Road
Salisbury, Maryland 21801
(410) 749-4027

Milford Street
102 Milford Street
Salisbury, Maryland 21804
(443) 260-4780

White Marlin Mall Location
12641 Ocean Gateway
Ocean City, Maryland 21842
(410) 213-2983

Montego Bay Shopping Center Location
12831 Coastal Highway
Ocean City, Maryland 21842
(410) 250-1512

E-mail Comments from Readers...

2009-12-26T21:48:00.002-05:00

THank you for all your help ,My heart is broken ,I cant write more .No words can express my thanks to you all.

(Readers Names)
P.s. I know it sucks to have to keep him seqestered from other inmates.

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

Crapper,

About the comment you made on posting info on this case; how about, "Water Needed at Perdue Stadium for the thousands who showed up to volunteer” that might have looked nice on your site, or putting her photo on every link and e-mail address you have. Maybe even something like this,
" Wicburycrapper Blog site donates food, water, and manpower for the search of Sarah Foxwell". That may be stretching it, or how about this headline, “Along with countless other media, Wicburrycrapper stayed to keep the story straight”. I know, I did see part of your “consortium” there and working hard to get the job done, but something on your site would have been greatly appreciated. I read and enjoy your articles and am gratified by the candor the site offers to all of us, but I have to admit I was disappointed by not even seeing a picture of Sarah on your site.

(Reader's Name)
Salisbury, MD
DFC, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office

Why we don't print any articles about active investigations...

2009-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

We have received numerous e-mails about why we don't print articles about on going police investigations, like the current missing persons investigation.

We feel printing anything about an on going investigation can be detrimental to the ultimate outcome of the investigation and therefore, we will never print any information regarding an on going investigation.

Other sites, we feel, hamper the police effort to solve crimes at times by printing misleading, false, inaccurate, or rumor information.

Thank you for your understanding,
The WicBury Crapper Team

Video shows plainclothes D.C. detective drawing gun during snowball fight

2009-12-23T08:47:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON — Washington police were investigating on Sunday whether an off-duty officer drew his gun in the midst of a snowball fight involving a couple hundred people.

The Metropolitan Police Department said video from a local media outlet at the scene Saturday did not show the officer with his weapon drawn. However, authorities have since received "additional images and statements that would seem to support the allegation that the off-duty member did pull a gun," a police statement said.

About 200 people from a D.C. neighborhood had gathered Saturday to brave a snowstorm for a massive snowball fight, CNN affiliate WJLA reported.

"It was pretty fun," one unidentified participant told WJLA. "And then, you know, when the gun came out, uh, it just changed the tone of the thing a little bit."

The off-duty, plainclothes officer was driving in the area of the snowball fight when several snowballs hit his vehicle, police said. The officer exited the vehicle and yelled at the crowd, WJLA reported; witnesses accused that officer of drawing his gun.

A uniformed police officer who subsequently arrived was holding a gun at his hip, but he eventually returned it to his holster, video from WJLA shows. MPD Assistant Chief Peter Newsham said the uniformed officer was responding to a 911 call that someone -- apparently the plainclothes officer -- had a gun, according to WJLA.

The uniformed officer holstered his weapon when he recognized the plainclothes officer, Newsham said, according to WJLA.

The police statement said "there is no evidence that [officers] pointed any weapons in the direction of the crowd or at any individuals."

Calif. court overturns ban on felons owning body armor

2009-12-23T08:36:00.000-05:00

By Robert Faturechi
Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — A police advocacy group has criticized an appeals court judgment last week overturning a law that prevented violent felons from owning body armor, saying the ruling will put officers and the public in danger.

The decade-old ban was enacted after the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, a confrontation between police and two heavily armored bank robbers that injured officers and civilians. The state Legislature passed the ban in 1998 as a measure to protect police. Thursday's ruling by the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles overturned the state law, saying it was unconstitutional because the definition of body armor was too vague.

"It just makes this job that much more dangerous," said Paul Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League union for LAPD officers.

"It's going to make criminals more bold and more likely to shoot it out with the police."

Drunk suspect gets in unmanned police cruiser, yaps on radio until arrested

2009-12-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

By William Bender
The Philadelphia Daily News

GLENOLDEN, Pa. — George Arkins was practically asking to get arrested.

Over the police radio.

Inside a cop car.

Early yesterday morning, police were on foot investigating a small fire in Glenolden Park when they were jolted by an unknown voice on their radio.

Following a night of drinking at Dino's bar on MacDade Boulevard, Arkins, 44, was walking home when he decided to hop in an unmanned police cruiser and strike up a conversation on the radio, said Glenolden Police Chief Michael Donohue.

"Hello, hello, I'm inside a Glenolden police car with nobody around," Arkins said into the radio, according to the police report.

He proceeded to provide anyone who was listening with his name and address on Scott Avenue.

"This person, for whatever his reasons were, decided to get in the car and start yapping on the radio," Donohue said.

A police corporal and a radio dispatcher told Arkins to knock it off, "but the male voice continued talking over the police radio," the criminal complaint states.

When the officer returned to his car, sitting outside Glenolden Park, Arkins was waiting there with his hands up. Police found marijuana in his pocket, and a homemade pipe.

Arkins, who has a previous DUI conviction, was charged with drug and paraphernalia possession, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

"I don't know what he was thinking," Donohue said.

Are a cop's personal cell phone records fair game in court?

2009-12-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

When Officer John Boerth got to court on what he thought would be a slam-dunk DUI case, a surprise move by a public defender forced him and the prosecutor to draw a line in the sand.

Their second surprise came when the trial judge stepped over it.

Now, support of the judge’s action recently by the New Mexico Court of Appeals potentially raises a question for every officer in the country: to what extent are records from your personal cell phone subject to public review in a criminal trial if you carry the phone with you on duty?

“Hopefully, the appellate decision will not have significant impact in other states,” says PoliceOne columnist Ken Wallentine, a law professor and chief of law enforcement for the Utah Attorney General’s Office. “But it would be wrong to just shake your head and say this is not a big deal.

“This case speaks directly to the issue of privacy rights of police officers, and the appellate decision could have persuasive authority in other jurisdictions. Frankly, this case scares me.”

What Happened
One quiet, rainy summer evening in 2005, John Boerth, then a patrol officer and now a detective with the Santa Fe PD, responded as backup toward what sounded to him like an ambulance-assist call on the other side of town. A woman was reported down in the parking lot of a gas station/convenience store, and a civilian was said to be performing CPR on her.

En route with lights and siren activated, he got an update. “Now,” he told PoliceOne, “dispatch said she’d been loaded into a four-door gold or tan Honda that took off. I wondered why they got out of there before the ambulance arrived, but I figured maybe they were going to the hospital.” He killed his lights and siren and turned back toward his beat.

Moments later, a brown Acura sedan with a male driver and two female passengers turned in front of him. That could be the car from the parking lot, Boerth thought. Moreover, “the driver was not maintaining his lane...weaving, bouncing off the curb.”

The officer reactivated his emergency equipment and pulled the car over.

“There were Budweiser cans on the floor in back and the driver was nodding like he was on heroin,” a symptom Boerth readily recognized from past experience working narcotics. The name and DOB the suspect offered came back clean, but he failed a field sobriety test and, despite an initial consent, ultimately refused to have blood drawn at a nearby hospital.

When Boerth questioned the women, they admitted having been at the gas station. “Everyone in the car shot up,” Boerth says. One of the females seemed to OD, but when the others brought her around, they all left.

Boerth arrested the driver for DUI. It was not until the man was booked into the jail that Boerth discovered he’d lied about his name.

He was really Marty Ortiz, with several past DUI convictions (among other offenses), making him eligible for a felony charge — and forcing Boerth to redo the paperwork because of the name change. “It was all a big old mess,” Boerth recalls.

Ortiz was not an easy client for a lawyer to defend. Besides the previous driving offenses, his sheet included multiple drug convictions, burglary, attempted murder — a laundry list of crimes large and small. Donna Bevacqua-Young, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor who represented the State in his latest DUI, had “prosecuted him five or six times before,” she says. She believes the public defender who drew his case groped for a viable legal strategy.

It was in this effort that the case morphed from messy but commonplace into a hot potato that some legal observers say is potentially transformative.

During a series of pretrial hearings and conferences in Santa Fe County district court in the summer of 2006, the public defender doggedly pursued a bold demand for discovery. He wanted “access to evidence of all oral, electronic, telephonic, or written communications made between Officer Boerth and any other person” during the stop, “including personal cell phone calls that Officer Boerth had with anyone.”

As Boerth recalls it, there were allegations that “I knew his client and was out to get him.” Supposedly a “confidential informant” had called on the officer’s cell phone that night to tip off Ortiz’s whereabouts. Boerth’s dash-cam revealed no evidence of erratic driving, it was claimed, so the stop was made on a false “pretext” and therefore was illegal.

“Concocted BS!” Boerth emphatically asserts. “I’d never seen the driver before that night. If I knew him and was out to get him, why would I do all that paperwork with the phony name he gave me?”

As to the video recording, “The camera didn’t start until I turned on my emergency equipment to actually pull him over. I witnessed the dangerous driving behavior before that.” The public defender referred to that unrecorded gap as “missing footage,” implying a suspicious irregularity. It amounted to six minutes and 35 seconds between the time Boerth killed his lights and siren from the gas station run until he decided to stop the impaired driver.

Boerth says he did have a personal cell phone with him, but he didn’t receive or make any calls on it relative to the stop and arrest. And there was no confidential informant.

Ramifications for Officer Safety
Ken Wallentine, writing about the case later in his legal newsletter “Xiphos,” observed: “Ortiz’s defense attorney didn’t use the term ‘fishing expedition’ in the demand for [Boerth’s] cell phone records, but offered no substantive basis” for why he was entitled to get them. Nor was the formal process of subpoenaing the records and giving Boerth a chance to be heard followed.

Donna Bevacqua-Young, the prosecutor, says she didn’t know about Boerth’s personal cell phone use on the night in question — or even if he had one with him. But when the defender made his sweeping demand, she was alarmed. She told PoliceOne: “I thought about the security of officers’ friends and families. If dangerous felons can get their hands on private cell phone records, anything could happen.”

She argued — with the full support of Boerth and the police department — that granting the defense motion would constitute an unwarranted invasion of the officer’s privacy and violate his rights under the federal and state constitutions. He “has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his personal cell phone records,” she said.

At the very least, she maintained, the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act specifies that “reasonable grounds” must be shown that the records are “relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation” before they can be ordered surrendered, and the defense had failed to offer such proof. She told the judge, “There is no way that the State is giving out” Boerth’s cell phone information which, for the record, remained in the officer’s possession.

Ortiz’s attorney kept pressing, of course, arguing that Boerth “did not have an expectation of privacy of his cell phone records while on duty, on patrol, in a marked unit, during an emergency or arrest situation.”

After weeks of wrangling, Judge Stephen Pfeffer in the end agreed that the defense “had a right to access the requested information even without knowing whether any such information existed.” He did attach limitations. Only Boerth’s cell phone records during the controversial six-minute “missing footage” gap in his dash-cam recording would be subject to review. This apparently was the time the defense considered most likely that the alleged C.I. call occurred. And the State could request that the judge first inspect the records alone in his chambers to determine if they included “personal matters irrelevant to the case.”

With those conditions, he ordered Bevacqua-Young to produce Boerth’s cell phone records. The officer was “an arm of the State,” the court ruled, and therefore his private phone records were “within the possession, custody, or control of the State, making them subject to disclosure.” Still, the prosecutor steadfastly refused to order Boerth to surrender them.

Her stance was “insulting” and “in bad faith,” Pfeffer declared, and it “arguably intentionally” prevented the trial from moving forward. Early in 2007, he granted a defense motion to dismiss the case. Marty Ortiz walked.

On the State’s appeal, the case landed with the New Mexico Court of Appeals, which now, nearly three years later, has issued a ruling that supports Judge Pfeffer’s decision and his reasoning regarding officers’ personal cell phones.

Bevacqua-Young’s behavior in refusing to cooperate was “conscious, intentional, and unjustifiable,” the Court of Appeals stated. Her privacy arguments were not “persuasive,” in the court’s view. For example, the court reasoned, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act protects only service providers, not phone customers. Consequently, “[W]e will not disturb the district court’s decision.” Ortiz’s dismissal and the judicial reasoning behind it stand affirmed.

Not surprisingly, Bevacqua-Young is convinced the appellate panel got it wrong. “I wouldn’t change anything I did,” she says. And Boerth predicts that “this is not going to be the last time this issue comes up.”

Wallentine agrees. He praises Bevacqua-Young for “cowboying up and standing her ground” regarding Boerth’s privacy rights. He believes that Pfeffer’s order for her to produce the phone records was a “plain violation” of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

“I am mightily offended by the outcome of this case,” he says. “I consider it a warning. It raises vital questions about an officer’s constitutional rights. There may be a lot of intimate information on a cell phone, in addition to numbers called and received: family records, photographs, internet banking transactions, passwords, account numbers. Is it right for an officer to have a diminished expectation of privacy regarding his personal life just because he carries a personal cell phone on duty?

“Right now this case affects officers in New Mexico. Maybe it will not gain traction in other jurisdictions. But you should be discussing the issues involved with your administration, your prosecutors, and your union so you know where you stand before you find yourself facing them.”

In New Mexico, appeals of court rulings are handled by the Attorney General’s office. Bevacqua-Young says the decision had been made there not to appeal the Ortiz case further.

Two Wash. sheriff's officers critically injured by gunman lying in wait

2009-12-22T20:33:00.001-05:00

12/22/2009

The Associated Press

Washington State Patrol and Lakewood Police officers light flares at a roadblock near the scene of a shooting that involved two Pierce County Sheriff's deputies, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, near Eatonville, Wash.

EATONVILLE, Wash. — Two sheriff's officers were wounded while responding to a dispute at a home between two brothers - the third shooting of law enforcement officers in Washington state in the last three months.

The officers killed the gunman before they were rushed to the hospital. One was listed in stable condition, the other was in critical condition in the intensive-care unit.

Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said the sergeant and a deputy were shot at around 8:45 p.m. Monday while responding to an altercation between David E. Crable and his brother near Eatonville, a rural community in the Cascade foothills. The home is about 15 miles west of Mount Rainier National Park and 50 miles south of Seattle.

Crable, 35, shot the two officers before he was killed when they returned fire, Troyer said, adding that the gunman has a history of "terrorizing" his family. The names of the officers were not immediately released.

Troyer said the officers were met at the door by Crable's brother, Troyer said. When the deputies entered the house, Crable opened fire from upstairs, hitting one of the officers multiple times.

"This is somebody that was laying in wait for our guys," Troyer told reporters near the shooting scene. "There's not much we're going to be able to do when somebody is hiding and arming themselves and we have somebody else inviting us into the residence and the second person opens fire on us."

Crable's family tried to help the wounded officers by providing first aid, Troyer said. Deputies said the brother was cooperating with investigators and did not call him a suspect.

"It looks like people that were in this residence went out of their way to help our people," he said.

The shooting comes three weeks after four Lakewood police officers were shot and killed at a coffee shop before their shift. After a two-day manhunt, suspect Maurice Clemmons was shot to death by a Seattle police officer. The Thanksgiving weekend attack on the officers occurred about 17 miles northwest of Monday's shooting scene.

A month earlier, Seattle Officer Timothy Brenton was killed as he sat in his patrol car Halloween night. Christopher Monfort, 41, has been charged with aggravated first-degree murder in Brenton's death.

"Most people of the community as we have seen in the last few weeks have a tremendous regard for (law enforcement)," Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said at the scene late Monday. "But there are people in the community that don't come from there, and that's the people we deal with day after day."

After Monday's shooting, the deputy was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said he was in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

The sergeant was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center and was in serious condition, Troyer said. Madigan spokeswoman Julie Calohan said he was in stable condition early Tuesday.

Ariz. inmates lose case, Sheriff Joe can play Christmas music all day in jail

2009-12-21T16:31:00.002-05:00

12/21/2009

Washington Times

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Sheriff Joe Arpaio - the self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in America - likes Christmas music, especially "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and anything by Alvin and the Chipmunks, and apparently he thinks the 8,000 inmates inside his Phoenix jail should, too.
So it was with some glee that his Maricopa County office announced Thursday in a red-and-green press release that the "sixth and perhaps final lawsuit" brought by inmates to stop the sheriff from playing the holiday songs all day, every day, during the holidays had been dismissed in federal court.

"We keep winning these lawsuits. Inmates should stop acting like the Grinch who stole Christmas and give up wasting the court's time with such frivolous assertions," it read. "But chances are they'll keep suing and we'll keep winning."

The latest lawsuit was filed by inmate William Lamb, who said that being forced to listen to the Christmas songs 12 hours a day was a violation of his civil and religious rights. But U.S. District Judge Roz Silver disagreed, dismissing the case and denying Lamb's claim for $250,000 in damages.

Sheriff Arpaio catapulted to national attention when he cracked down on the thousands of illegal immigrants who swarm daily through his county; put inmates in pink jumpsuits and underwear; worked them in chain gangs; housed them in tents in the Arizona desert and fed them bologna sandwiches.

He said that his Christmas selections were multi-ethnic and culturally diverse, from all faiths and ethnicities. He told The Washington Times earlier this year that in addition to tunes by Alvin and the Chipmunks, the music included the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Bing Crosby and Doctor Demento.

At the time, he said "all people everywhere deserve a little Christmas cheer."
Lt. Brian Lee, the sheriff's spokesman, said the court issued a summary judgment upholding the decision to "inject the holiday spirit into the lives of those incarcerated over the holiday season in the third-largest jail system in the U.S."

He said inmates have sued six times claiming the music was in violation of their religious rights or cruel and unusual punishment, but the court disagreed - finding no evidence of fact, so Sheriff Arpaio was entitled to the judgment as a matter of law.

The sheriff is no stranger to controversy, although his philosophy of "zero tolerance towards the criminal element" has been embraced by his deputies and the community alike. He was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected by double-digit margins in 2000, 2004 and 2008. In 2007 a petition to recall him failed to gain enough voter signatures to get on the ballot.

Most recently he has come to the attention of the federal government. He was notified in March by the Justice Department that he may have unfairly targeted Hispanics and Spanish-speaking people for arrest. In October, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the authority of 160 of his federally trained deputies to make immigration arrests in the field.

The sheriff has denied any wrongdoing and has said he welcomed and would cooperate in any investigation of his office. He has continued to arrest illegal immigrants under recently passed state laws.

Tired of waiting for the federal government to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and concerned about the potential terrorism threat that the lack of border security posed, he assigned deputies in 2006 to monitor his 9,226-square-mile county for illegal immigrants. He targeted the illegals under an anti-smuggling law that state lawmakers passed to fight drug trafficking.

"My message is clear: If you come here and I catch you, you're going straight to jail," he said at the time. "We're going to arrest any illegal who violates this new law, and I'm not going to turn these people over to federal authorities so they can have a free ride back to Mexico. I'll give them a free ride to my jail."

Sheriff Arpaio, 77, captured headlines nationwide when he set up a jail system that included tents, spent less than 15 cents per meal per inmate, and banned smoking, coffee, movies, pornographic magazines and unrestricted television in all of his jails. He also assigned both men and women to chain gangs.

The sheriff also has created several rehabilitative programs, including "Hard Knocks High," the only accredited high school program administered by a sheriff's office in a U.S. jail.

More recently he has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor, with polls showing that he has a commanding lead as a Republican candidate for the November 2010 race.

A November poll by Rasmussen Reports said that of 1,200 likely Arizona voters, he was the Republicans' "best shot at holding onto the Arizona governorship in 2010." The poll said Sheriff Arpaio led the expected Democratic challenger, Terry Goddard, Arizona's attorney general, by 12 points and that 64 percent of voters statewide said he was doing the right thing by working around federal law to continue his aggressive actions against illegal immigration.

Lt. Lee said his boss had received "multiple inquiries locally and nationally" about the latest Rasmussen poll, but had made no decision regarding the governor's race.

Cops still don't have shotguns!

2009-12-20T21:35:00.005-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "SilentButDeadly"....

Even after the last several weeks of a story we published to combat crime and the tools that were required, cops at most departments still don't have shotguns or rifles. Why is this?

We warned you. There will come a time when a law enforcement officer's life is taken by a criminal because he was out gunned. In law enforcement there is the old adage that cops should respond with one step greater force than encountered. But, this is not the case.

So, with armed robberies sure to continue into the new year and with the majority of all reported cases to be armed perps it's just a matter of time before some unlucky cop responds to an alarm he/she thinks is routine and gets shot and killed. Especially considering that many reports have come in that the suspect is armed with a shotgun. The people are pissed at the crime rate. Do you think because the Chief of Police leaving the crime rate is going to dramatically drop? Guess again.

Oh and hey, how about lets let all the cops carry shotguns and rifles, not just the favorites? Is their life more valuable because they are your personal administrative favorite? Not to that cops family which you'll be folding and handing over a flag to.

No shotguns/rifles for cops=less protection for cops & their families = death of a police officer = citizens less protected

General Counsel Returns With Opinions and Suggestions

2009-12-20T08:32:00.004-05:00

General Counsel To Crapper returns this week to challenge the minds and ethics of those dedicated law enforcement officers who are committed to the protection of the people of the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County. The events of the past two weeks, including the retirement of the Chief of Police of the City of Salisbury, require that each and every City Police Officer, each and every Deputy Sheriff and each and every Maryland State Trooper to band together even closer to look out for one another, to work even more closely and to share more information in a timely fashion. There are no real jurisdictional lines in Wicomico County, many of us can't tell where the city ends and the county begins in certain areas on the fringes of Salisbury. All in this together.

The time's now here to explore the closer collaboration between all of the agencies, Delmar and Fruitland included. It's time for the City to fully re-enter WINTF: it's time for the Cities, County and State to join together in a Violent Crimes Task Force: it's time for consideration of bringing the City into the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation, with the understanding that the latter must move in a deliberate manner so as not to dilute the quality of investigations currently being produced.

It's also time to consider the merger, or a structure closely resembling a merger, of the the Salisbury Police Department and the Wicomico Sheriff's Office, bringing the strengths for each agency into line (e.g. LEOPS for the Sheriff's Office and salaries for the City Officers). It's time to review supervision structures for each and every agency.

The challenges are large, but the timing is right to start this process. Let's hope that politics can be put aside so that morale and pride of all of the law enforcement officers in Wicomico County improves. There is absolutely no reason why the Cities of Salsibury, Fruitland and Delmar, the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police from Barrack "E" can't be the be the most professional and best crime fighting forces in the State of Maryland and on the entire East Coast.

There is some strong leadership and professionalism in place in certain strategic locations. Much of the community would support these or similar changes. All of the leaders in law enforcement, the State's Attorney, the Sheriff, the Acting Chief of Police of Salisbury, the Chiefs of the Fruitland and Delmar Police Departments, and the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police should come together to make positive and permanent changes to the "way we do business" down here.

There are legal issues to be considered and some of them are large. But they can be overcome. Counsel will address some of these in future postings.

The age of dysfunctionality is over. The age of excellence is on the verge of beginning.

Let's all pull it together now.

The comments are open. Feel free to challenge any of the rambling ideas here, and more importantly to suggest changes that might even more positively impact the quality and quantity of law enforcement for all who work in Wicomico County. Let's hear them.

Chief Webster Retires

2009-12-18T22:40:00.004-05:00

After a long political battle both in the media and blogs, Chief Webster is retiring after spending 10 years as the city police chief.

Webster is pursuing medical retirement for a shoulder injury that he suffered sometime during the course of his career. Webster is also currently retired, and collecting retirement, from Baltimore where he spend a career as a police officer eventually rising to the level of a ranking officer, we believe a major, in internal affairs.

During his retirement, he will get 70% of his current salary paid to him as a police chief from the city due to LEOPS retirement if he retires on disability.

Although just weeks ago Webster traded quips with a reporter from WBOC stating that he will only leave when Allen Webster is ready. This seems to be a departure from his last attitude and may very well be due to the fact that the city offered him a medical retirement in order to leave, although that is pure speculation.

What are your thoughts on a possible replacement? What type of changes do you think would benefit the department and the citizens?

Results: Officer of the Month, November 2009

2009-12-18T22:31:00.004-05:00

And, the winnnner is.... Det Bob Wilson of WCSO. Det. Wilson has shown his dedication to police work throughout his career and continues his dedicated work for WCSO in the division of WBI, Wicomico's version of CID. We congratulate Det. Wilson on his award. As always he will receive a certificate, a letter, and a gift card.

In second place, the SET team of SPD comes in winning with 8 votes. The CAT will receive a prize as well including a letter, a gift, and a certificate. Excellent work.

An honorable mention goes out to DFC Jeff Chase who consistently performs and has proven himself to be an outstanding officer. DFC Chase will receive something as well. Chase has also been consistently nominated for this award.

Outstanding job to all!

Hotel Robber Caught in the Act by SPD!

2009-12-16T10:13:00.004-05:00

HOTEL ROBBER
SUSPECT ARRESTED BY SPD

Hotel armed robbery suspect was caught by SPD this morning just after robbing another hotel. Excellent work SPD!

Over the course of this week several hotels were robbed by a suspect in the Salisbury Area. Salisbury hotels were under surveillance by an on going investigation resulting in the arrest of the armed robbery suspect. No firearm was displayed, the suspect fled the scene and was arrested a short time there after. Over 20 police officers from multiple jurisdictions assisted in the arrest.

Primary credit to this arrest goes to SPD for an excellent job. All persons involved in this arrest did an outstanding job as cops. Something to be proud of.

American Military Power

2009-12-15T23:25:00.000-05:00

East Side Deli Reward Fund

2009-12-15T17:58:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to reach out to you all. I know many of you are aware of the tragic situation that took place in Salisbury, MD just over a week ago. For those of you who are not, here is what happened. My father was shot at our family Deli in Salisbury, MD on Monday, November 30th, by an armed robber. Those of you who know my father, know he is literally the kindest and most selfless person many people will ever meet. I'm sure many of you have heard the saying, "he would give you the shirt off his back"... well my father really would and then give you a bowl of his homemade soup too!

The man who robbed our Deli shot my father and then proceeded to steal money out of a cash register, while my father fought for his life and almost bled to death on the floor where he was shot. This individual cannot be allowed to commit another act of violence against anyone else!

**We are starting a reward fund for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for this malicious act against my father. Anything you can donate to the reward fund would be greatly appreciated and may be the difference in catching this inhumane individual before he can hurt anyone else. If you can help please make any checks out to

"The Greg Knowles/ East Side Deli Reward Fund.

You can drop off checks at East Side Deli located at 1120 E. Main St., Salisbury, MD 21804 or mail them to the same address with Attention Alicia Knowles or Denise Knowles (my Mom).

If you would like to donate money that is fine too, we just need to keep a list of the amount of money you have donated and your phone number or Address incase the reward is not used. If the reward is not used then all money and checks will be returned to everyone.*Thank you all for your love and support. Please continue to pray for my Dad's speedy recovery, each day he improves a little more.

Much love to you all.

Should Chief Webster Resign?

2009-12-15T16:20:00.004-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "HarleyCop2009"....

We've been pondering the question of if the Chief of the Salisbury City Police Department, Webster, should resign or not... Of course Joe Albero would like the Chief to resign and apparently so would the city's mayor. In an interview with the Chief and WBOC correspondent Elizabeth Harrington the Chief basically stated that he would resign only when he felt that it was appropriate and not before. The Chief is drawing more heat from the three armed robberies last night at the hotels across the Salisbury area.

The Holiday Inn, the Best Western and the Hampton Inn were hit just hours apart from each other. Apparently the same black male entered each of the hotels and presented a note demanding money.

So, this begs the question wouldn't something proactive been implemented prior to the third hotel being hit?

But, wouldn't the new chief, whomever that could be, inherit a sea of problems from budget issues, to personnel shortages, to an ever expanding wide crime problem? So we are left with questions, should the current Chief of Police Allan Webster resign and if so who should replace him? And what could a new chief do differently to combat the growing crime problem? What would you do differently?

WicBury Crapper Holiday Party Reminder

2009-12-15T16:09:00.005-05:00

To All WicBury Crapper Board Members,

Reminder that the WicBury Crapper holiday party will be on December 19, 2009 at 1900 hours. Food and drink to be served. You and your spouse/significant other may attend. Thank you for RSVPing. Also, please bring your toys for tots donation for those of you have have not dropped them off yet to Crapper HQ.

Raffle for prizes to be held at 2030

Secret Santa

Open Bar

Catered By A Favorite Food Provider

2 Hotel Robberies

2009-12-15T07:15:00.000-05:00

Two hotels in the Salisbury Area were robbed overnight... The Salisbury City Police Department responded to the Holiday Inn and to another hotel.

More to come...

Sup?

2009-12-14T12:54:00.003-05:00

Sup?

Gotta match?

Comment from a reader by post and our response...

2009-12-14T12:51:00.003-05:00

Crapper response in red..

Anonymous said...
All ten of you. LOL Your like the Tickle Me Elmo Crew.

December 14, 2009 12:31 PM

WRONG....We's a bad ass tickle me elmo crew.

The MD. food bank is in need of your help

2009-12-13T14:17:00.003-05:00

The MD. food bank is in need of your help

DECEMBER 21 ST IN FRONT OF DELMAR TOWN HALL

Just before the joint meeting at 7 pm please clean out your pantry & bring as many food items as you can !The MD food bank will be there to accept them.

I personally challenged all commissioners to bring a frozen Turkey or Ham to the meeting to donate .Lets show them what Delmar can do!!!

If you can't make it call 443-359-5049 and I will come pick up your donation and take it for you.

YOU COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE FOR A FAMILY/CHILD EATING THIS SEASON

TOM MCGUIRE PARTNERED WITH MD FOOD BANK

DIRECTORY
VONNE TERRY MD.
FOOD BANK
28500 Owens Branch Road Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 742-0050
COME GET YOU CASINO UPDATE

Comment from a reader by post and our response...

2009-12-12T18:04:00.004-05:00

Crapper response in red...

Anonymous said...

I know for a fact that you do not post all the post sent in. If is about you or one of your buddies. So you are not better then the Brass.

Print that

The WicBury Crapper said...

To 4:07:

You are correct. Wow we printed it. Now what? Does your penis feel bigger? Did your testicles turn to brass or what? Who is "you" or "one of your buddies"? There's ten of us. We have a lot of "buddies".

May we recommend a basic ESOL class? Geeze.

We do not print probably about half the comments that are sent in to us. That's what the article was about?

Further, we don't print any comments that indicate anyone as a possible board member. If you said the Chief of Salisbury PD was on the board, we wouldn't print that either. We also don't print any comments that name individuals.

The major difference between us and "brass" is that we do this for nothen and give away prizes to good cops for nothen. You get paid to deal with brass and brass gets paid more to deal with you (we can see why).We never claimed to be better than Brass.

In fact, Brass in some departments have been doing much better than before and we commend them on their changes. We don't claim to be better than anyone else at all, except for maybe criminals. But, in general we are just here to share opinion. If you don't like someone who you assume is on our board or don't like a person in your department hey, tough shit. That's life, don't read the blog, kiss our asses, and don't talk to the person, ya rocket scientist. We could care less.

For those of you that read us and like us, great, thanks for reading!

We print what we want. If we don't like what you have to say, we just won't print it.

Depression in Law Enforcement?

2009-12-12T17:23:00.005-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "CornLogsRule"...

It is no secret that over 1/4 of police officers are taking some type of anti-depressant or have taken some type of anti depressant in the past. In fact, the person who seems very out going or happy-go-lucky may in fact be dosing themselves four times a day.

There are several factors for this issue... mostly stress related.

Roting Shifts - Rotating shifts can cause a major instability in brain chemicals such as serotonin. Serotonin as been highly linked with "thinking straight" and depression. A lack of serotonin can cause serious problems.

PTSD - Although we all are "macho" guys and gals, we do see a lot of stuff that happens daily. A lot of this negative observation is absorbed or laughed off.

Reassignment/Demotion/Administrative Action - Can cause major depression in many police officers.

Increased Workload - A high stress workload, day after day after day, can frustrate people that get upset when they are up to their ears in paperwork which doesn't seem to get any better.

Advancement/Toys for others - When officers see specific officers get toys, goodies, and Bennie's, again and again and again but they are working just as hard, can breed depression.

Backstabbing - A high level of anxiety can be linked to co-worker crap talking. What's funny is the people that talk the most crap, feel the worst about themselves as a person and are much more prone to depression and suicide. Some people are threatened by people who produce more, are younger, or are suck ups.

SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder can effect a multitude of people. When it is gray and rainy out day after day, people tend to feel sad. Many times, a lack of vitamin "D", which is absorbed through sunlight, is the culprit. Tanning helps elevate this issue sometimes.

Additionally, some people suffer from forms of paranoia. Paranoia isn't just thinking that people are out to kill you like zombies wondering around. Lower forms of paranoia manifest themselves as thinking that people are constantly talking about them negatively or plotting against them constantly. Many people that suffer from this lower form of paranoia also suffer from social anxiety disorder where they feel very uncomfortable in social settings with people.

These really aren't symptoms of a true mental illness however they typically do indicate a brain chemical imbalance, typically a lack of serotonin which is an important neurotransmitter that "greases" the brain wheels. Many people take a neuro reuptake inhibitor like Zoloft or other. This acts on the neurons of the brain and prevents them from sucking up too much of the serotonin, making more available in the brain, and thus improving the well being of the patient.

Some people suffering from these symtoms can't see the forest through the trees, meaning they can't rationally observe that people are in fact not out to do them in. Some people can not escape the box without balancing their serotonin levels.

Officer of the Month Nov. 2009 Current Poll Results - FOUR VOTING DAYS LEFT!

2009-12-12T17:12:00.000-05:00

Our voting system for officer of the month November, 2009 is now up and running!

Cast your vote for who you think should win the Officer of the Month award for November. New prizes include gift cards, dinners, electronics, music, and more! Now with more secure electronic voting procedures in place.

Take the Poll

Polling ends on 12/16/09.

Current Polling Results - Updated 12/12/09 at 1700 hrs.

Current candidates:

Entire SET Unit SPD - Sgt Howard, Whitman, Underwood, Wilson, Devoe, Crockett, Larkin
Shift E - WCSO

DFC Jeff Chase (WCSO)

Det Bob Wilson (WCSO)

DFC Plant/Kirkpatrick (WCSO)

Pfc Dallam (Delmar PD)

Dep. Jeff Heath (WCSO)

Listening to your brain: 5 ways to deal with job stress

2009-12-12T16:59:00.002-05:00

12/11/2009

Passion for the Job
with Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

The problem with talking to cops about stress is that there’s a little too much touchy-feely going on in some of those discussions. So let’s talk biology. Our brain soup is not a hot tub with little bubbles of hearts and balloons percolating around just waiting to be nurtured. It’s a complicated but primitive mess of chemistry and tissue. Much of what we interpret and label as “feelings” are actually biological processes over which we may have limited control.

No tough cop wants to think they have lost control of their feelings. I sure don’t want to think that. My job and identity are defined by self-control. I need it, I like it, I’m proud of it, and I’m not giving it up. But if I break a leg and it hurts and makes me limp, that has nothing to do with self-control. It’s just a limitation of biology caused by the stress of somebody’s bumper hitting me at 35 m.p.h. (been there, done that!). The same is true with my brain being thumped by stress. I can deal with it now, or limp with it later.

Basically your brain is operating in two different worlds: the rational and the primitive. When it comes to stress there’s a part of your brain that is sneaking around like a naughty teenager. Nestled comfortably somewhere behind your forehead is your parent-brain sitting in the den placidly smoking a pipe and reading Plato. The brain in the back of your skull is the teenager down in the basement bedroom doing God knows what. Like any parent of a teenager, the calm, rational brain relaxing in the den and analyzing life with a cool, experienced hand doesn’t necessarily want to know what’s going on in the basement. Like any teenager, the primitive basement brain doesn’t think the rational brain needs to know all of its business, but still needs attention and sometimes acts up just to see of the parent gives a darn.

So congratulations on that teen brain of yours. There it sits, nestled in the brain stem, probably thinking about sex. Even if you’re an old duffer like me that impulsive, adrenaline-fueled, hormone-charged bundle of nerves still wants to run things and doesn’t know when to shut up and behave.

Chances are good that your goofy youngster is doing what it thinks is best to help us survive, but making us miserable in the process. Basement brain is selfishly worried about surviving right this moment; it has no sense of the future. It doesn’t care about digestion or fighting off disease or starting a family. It only cares about keeping nerves at attention to recognize threats and getting blood to large muscle groups to be ready to fight. Teen brain doesn’t realize that putting the body in a state of hyper-alertness damages the parent’s ability to relax, engage in emotional closeness, sleep well, digest food, have fulfilling sex, or concentrate on small details. The parent brain is too busy compensating for these icky feelings to pay attention to the stuff in the basement even though that’s really where the problem is.

Are you getting the analogy? Is it time for you to get in touch with your inner 14-year-old. This is the person who is stressing you out and you don’t even know it. Consider one or more of these suggestions:

1) Ask the people who know you best “Do you think police work has changed me?” Don’t be defensive. Listen and let them answer honestly. Ask at least three people and compare their answers. Your self-awareness will impress them.

2) Be a watcher and listener. Cut the bravado and big talk. If there’s a tough case a fellow officer just handled you don’t have to get your puppy dog face on and say, “How did that make you feel?” Just listen. What you hear may tell you as much about yourself as it does about the other person.

3) Ask a younger version of yourself if you’re sadder, more tired, or less connected than you used to be. Think about who you were a few years ago. We all toughen up — that’s a good thing. But when we grew our thick skin did we trap a cold heart in there too?

4) Casually ask your doctor about stress — both traumatic and cumulative — and see where you are on the checklist of warning signs.

5) If you can’t manage to ask a professional then use the Internet or the public library to find some good information about PTSD, stress, and healthy lifestyles.

Joel Shults currently serves as Chief of Police for Adams State College in Alamosa, Co. Over his 30 year career in uniformed law enforcement and in criminal justice education Joel has served in a variety of roles: academy instructor, police chaplain, deputy coroner, investigator, community relations officer, college professor, and police chief, among others. Shults earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri, with a graduate degree in Public Services Administration and bachelors in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Central Missouri. In addition to service with the US Army military police and CID, Shults has done observational studies with over fifty police agencies across the country. He currently serves on a number of advisory and advocacy boards including the Colorado POST curriculum committee as a subject matter expert.

Shotguns Anyone?

2009-12-12T04:19:00.003-05:00

Now that shotguns may be authorized for some departments (we commend you on your decision to authorize these) we are including a series on tactical shotgun theory and practice. Bear in mind, this is for informational purposes only. Please consult your departmental training and firearms instructor for the proper use of your tactical shotgun.

Salisbury Crime Statistics

2009-12-11T20:55:00.001-05:00

Here is the Crime Alert you've requested for today, December 11, 2009, which includes crime data for yesterday:

Breaking & Entering-5
Theft-11
Assault - 8

To talk smack or not to talk smack, that is the question...

2009-12-09T10:09:00.004-05:00

From WicBury Crapper Board Member "ThinBlueLog"...

Well when we started the WicBury Crapper we figured that it's a blog so people should be allowed to say whatever they felt like, mainly because we believe in straightforward comment. But, shortly people started making negative comments about other people to include peons and administrators. So much so that it really bothered some people that other people were talking smack about them. Therefore, we started to filter some of the comments, or at least try to filter, that were plainly negative, demeaning, insulting, or just plain crazy. This resulted in a substantially loss to comments because a lot of people only want to talk smack about people from behind a computer instead of to their faces which is unfortunate.

Then we got comments and e-mails that people were disappointed that we were attempting to filter comments that were negative about people, so we decided to allow posts that didn't include names of personnel, figuring hey at least people can share their opinions without publicly insulting others.

This hasn't worked either because people really do want to talk smack about each other for some crazy reason.

So, we are left with a question for our readership... what type of comments do you think we should allow and why? Negative comments about anything? Negative comments not stating peoples names, just opinion? Or no negative comments at all? Of course, the knee jerk reaction is no negative comments but, really people want to talk smack..? Let us know what you think...

Wicomico County FOP

2009-12-09T10:06:00.003-05:00

The WicBury Crapper said...

Also we would like to thank the Wicomico County FOP for their continued support and fight for LEOPS.

So, we would like to personally thank the FOP board of directors for their continued support and dedicated efforts on behalf of all of the Law Enforcement Officers in Wicomico County. Thank you. Your efforts have not been overlooked by some.

The WicBury Crapper is does not have any affiliation with the Wicomico County FOP.

Comment from a reader...about Crapper haters..

2009-12-09T09:39:00.003-05:00

Crapper responses in red

Anonymous said...

Hey guys. Thanks for this site. I JUST WANT TO SAY YOU GUYS ARE GREAT AT NEVER PARAPHRAISING A COMMENT. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT TEN OF YOU KNOWLEGABLE PEOPLE RUN THIS SITE.

JOE ALBEROS GOT NOTHING ON YOU ALL.ILL CONTINUE TO FAITHFULLY COMMENT DAILY. YOU GUYS ARE AT THE TIP TOP OF YOUR GAME COPS. ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE YOU SHOULD KISS YOUR ASSES! Viva la crapper!

Why thank you reader. It's readers like you that make getting up in the morning all that more special. You make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Like we've always said, if you don't like us, don't read us. It's perplexing to us why someone would read something that they don't like? It's like eating a liverwurst sandwich if you don't like liverwurst. It's not like we are cramming our hot tub steak down your throats?

So, crapper haters, if you don't like us, try sticking your heads up your asses and jumping up and down until you disappear? Sorry, donno we heard that somewhere from some retarded window licker somewhere. Thought it was kinda funny but, doesn't make much sense. Really, we find the negative comments pretty hilarious most of the time. Anyways, happy reading "Crapaholics"!

Comment from a reader by post and our response...

2009-12-08T13:08:00.004-05:00

Crapper Response in Red

In response to http://wicburycrapper2.blogspot.com/2009/12/comment-from-reader.html

Anonymous said... Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Comment from a reader...": So 10:15 he starts rumors about God or do you see yourself as a God. Maybe that is part of your problem. Being that anon 10:15 is a Crapper Board member. I think maybe they should refrain from printing his post or print all the repsonses to his post.

This is why your site is going in the shitter.

December 8, 2009 12:55 PM

Wow, that's nice. People. People can we take the knives out of each others backs for a minute? We can't understand who is taking about whom frankly nor do we really care. We can say for a def. conclusion that whomever 10:15 is, he is not a board member. We know this because we know when board members post internally.

As far as this blog going down the shitter... hey at least you're reading it. The blog is called The WicBury Crapper! We've always known we were crap. Who else has done anything, anything for cops in this area but the WicBury Crapper and possibly you're FOP (not that we are aligned with the FOP in any form). We don't see anyone else out here posting good articles about fellow cops or giving out awards? So, like we've always said, if you don't like our crap don't read us. We don't care either way. To put some wondering at rest we will tell you how many people are where. Currently the WicBury Crapper Board is composed of the following:

5 at WCSO
1 Delmar PD
1 Fruitland PD
1 MSP
2 Salisbury PD
2 Ranking Contributors
3 Ranking Board Members

Although people constantly try to pin who "The Crapper" is on someone, it's not just one person although one person is "Das Crapper". Actually, many people would be very surprised as to who board members actually are in our estimation. It is not whom you may expect, as we have expressed this on here before. Only Das Crapper knows who the Crapper contributors are.

Frankly it's amazing that an organization such as us can have ten people in it from law enforcement across multiple agencies who keep their mouths shut. But this is because of the Crapper Inter Sactum. Although we are not going to give away our secrets of this organization or it's board operations we can say we are proud that to date no one knows who the crapper members or Das Crapper really are.

And, the Crapper is alive and well and we do have an extended readership. Although we may not get as many comments as some other blogs it's more or less because we are directly a law enforcement oriented website and people have expressed concern that their identity may be discoverable. However, this would be very, very rare and only in exceptional conditions requiring legal intervention.

Nevertheless we appreciate you continued support here at the Crapper.

How do I keep my kids safe online and teach them positive values?

2009-12-06T07:16:00.007-05:00

We found a website we would like to share with everyone called ikeepsafe.org. This is an awsome website that educates kids and adults on how to be safe in their online community.

It also includes it's own own online community and kids chat area called "Woogie World" that trains kids on how to be safe online, positive social and life skills, and balancing online time with off-line family time. It allows them to "roam" around the woogie city online, chat with other woogie's (safely), and have their own woogie bank accounts and buy woogie stuff for their woogie pads. It's chat room is "safe" and prior to kids using it they must undergo online training. It's really a pretty cool website you should check out today for you and your kids.

All free.

Joe Albero Show...Joe Albero qualifies as having a mental disorder...

2009-12-06T06:20:00.006-05:00

From WicBury Crapper Boardmember "CornLogsRule" and "ThinBlueLog"...

We are not sure why Rob Mulford, the owner of Market Street Bar and Grill, would go on the "Joe Albero Show". Rob's daughter has cancer and we very much respect the idea of Rob going to every outlet he can in order to raise awareness of this issue and cancer in kids. But Joe is an idiot.

The Albero show, in our view, is nothing but an self ego serving display to Joe Albero. Joe has had an impressive blogging career which he has recently parlayed into a new public access television show. Most of Joes shows and guests are rants about his battle with the city police chief and the city of Salisbury, which he undertook several years ago when his wife was dismissed from the Salisbury Zoo. In fact, Joe has been such a royal pain in the ass to Salisbury that the then Major Tilghman did not run for another term, the zoo director Jim Rapp left his job, and the current city police Chief undergoes a constant barrage of Joe's character aspersions. While we very much respect Rob's dedication to the effort for getting the word out on his daughter any appearance on Joe's "Show" just further Joe's ego of now thinking he is a talkshow host. If this was the case, WBOC would have employed him a long time ago when he went to them begging for a slot on their news program.

Joe, your show is self serving. We are surprised that he can talk with one hand down his pants. Some people just love to hear themselves talk. It's self love, a basic principle of a classic Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The camera work is shoddy and the audio is horrible. Think about replacing the terminator, fake Oakley sunglasses also, its cloudy out Joe. You aren't cool.

Lets check with our friends at Google Health, what is wrong with Joe Albero?

While you are at it, check if you fit these categories. Now the affliction is called Narcissistic Personality Disorder but in the past it used to be called, "Hey, Asshole.."

Overview - https://health.google.com/health/ref/Narcissistic+personality+disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition in which there is an inflated sense of self-importance and an extreme preoccupation with one's self.

Symptoms

A person with narcissistic personality disorder:

Reacts to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation
Takes advantage of other people to achieve his or her own goals
Has feelings of self-importance
Exaggerates achievements and talents
Is preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love
Has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment
Requires constant attention and admiration
Disregards the feelings of others, lacks empathy
Has obsessive self-interest
Pursues mainly selfish goals

Well we think that Joe checks off on each of these categories (we are not making these up, these are real assessments for this disorder). Further, if you think you, our reader, do not fit these categories, as a friend or co worker, you may be an asshole in need of mental help like Joe here.

If you do fit into these categories fortunately there is a cure called STFU. STFU is available over the counter or in knuckle to nose form (knuckle to eye and teefs form is also available upon request). There is also the new STFU-B available for female persons with this widespread disorder.

Who else do you suspect to have crippling personality disorder?

"Tom" Anonymous Visitor to Pingbox's Question....

2009-12-06T05:51:00.003-05:00

The PingBox is a yahoo utility that shows on the right hand side of the blog where you can ask questions live to WicBury Crapper Board Members.... Our response in RED.

Tom is an anonymous visitor to Pingbox.

I had a thought concerning crime in Wicomico. Would it be possible to deputize 1000 volunteer citizens to carry concealed weapons. These would be persons who would pay for and pass a background check, people who would pay for their own training in firearms and who would buy their own approved weapon. Imagine if the thugs knew that there were 1000 armed plainclothes deputies on the streets?

An interesting suggestion but, we don't think this would ever happen for several reasons. A deputy also has arrest powers and all the powers of a police officer so for those reasons we doubt the Sheriff would deputize 1000 people to have arrest powers and carry weapons in plaincloths. Although a deterrent, we shutter to think what 1000 people with no police training, carrying firearms and authorized to use them during enforcement of the law, would result in. You're resulting situation would probably be shootouts in the streets between armed "deputies" with little training and suspected thugs. Lastly a deputy's "power" is derived from the Sheriff so in essence the deputy is an extension of the Sheriff's power. The Sheriff, being the most powerful law enforcement body in the county, puts full faith in his deputies to carry out enforcement of the law in his stead. In order for law enforcement officers to maintain their powers in Maryland they must pass a course of credit hours (6 months) at an accredited police academy, must attend in service training every year, and must be field trained, among other stringent background qualifications. This is why a lot of people don't every become police officers... Although some "slip through the cracks" it's not many. Less than 1/2 of 1% of 500,000 police officers in the United States is ever charged with a crime while sworn. Although the Sheriff can deputize citizens in cases of emergency, again due to liability reasons we feel this situation would probably never happen as the "Reserve Deputy" program is no longer taking place either, to our knowledge anyway.

Article By WicBury Crapper Board Member "SilentButDeadly"...

2009-12-04T07:13:00.003-05:00

Security Tips

As many of us know we have been previously tasked with conducting patrol checks at local establishments at a time of increasing armed robberies. There are somethings you as a police officer and as a citizen should do to exercise caution while walking through any open parking lot, entering a convenience store, or conducting a patrol check of an establishment.

For the Police...

While conducting patrol checks realize that 99% of these checks, due to your random nature of patrol, you will not encounter an issue. However 1% of the time may be deadly. Do not become complacent.
No matter what time of day it is never park directly in front of an establishment. If conducting a drive through check, drive through at a distance of more than 25 yards if possible and observe the front of the store and vehicles in the lot. Anyone in the store wearing a mask is a good indication that they are robbing the place.
The majority of robbers are armed.
If a firearm is pointed at you or you are in fear for your life do not hesitate to shoot. Watch your background.
While approaching the front of the store, note positions of stanchions out front and good defensible locations.
Remember cover and concealment are not the same thing.
Call out with your patrol checks to dispatch, every time. In the event you surprise a suspect use your emergency button while engaging the target.
The pillars in police cars have been known to deflect bullets. Better defensible position is behind the engine block.
If you are being shot at, shoot to kill.
If you are dying, take the suspect with you with your last breaths. Even shot in the heart you still have a good five seconds to engage your target.
Always, ALWAYS carry your firearm off duty with an extra magazine.

For citizens...

Be aware of your surroundings. People following you through a parking lot is not good. Check for escape routes between vehicles.
While walking through a parking lot watch for people emerging between vehicles. Watch their hands.
Park as close as possible to the entrance.
If using an ATM, scan the bank first. Circle around once or twice to check to see if anyone is hiding around the corner. If using walk in banking watch the outside of the bank several minutes to determine if it is being robbed first. Are customers walking out after they walk in?
Do not carry large amounts of cash.
Walk with a purpose and game face. When you walk into or out of a large store parking lot area put your "game face on". Don't be distracted talking on the phone. Look around and have an attentive appearance. Walk with a purpose and direction instead of meandering around slowly. If someone approaches look at their waist to see if they are carrying a weapon or obtaining a weapon from their waistband area.
Your vehicle is a 2000 lbs weapon. In in a life threatening situation such as an armed car jacking and you have a route of escape through a suspect. Don't hesitate to run him over and kill him. He's not being nice to you, don't be nice to him, it may cost you your life.
Defensive mace sprays can be ineffective especially against someone armed with a handgun. If kidnapped an edged weapon (knife) can be much more effective if utilized correctly such as a stab wound to the jugular or directly to the heart through the ribcage. The goal is to cause death to your kidnapper.

Public Notice By The WicBury Crapper Board of Directors

2009-12-04T06:32:00.005-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen in Law Enforcement and To the General Public...

We have a very serious crime problem in progress. Yet another armed robbery has resulted in the shooting of a store clerk at the East Side Deli. This article is an attempt to save officers lifes and citizens lives.

Exceptional Issues

Until recently the City Police Chief did not request additional assistance from outside agencies and is embroiled in a spat with the Mayor, Jim Ireton, over three reprimands that he received regarding a "video tape" of Debbie Cambell (city council person) that occurred prior to his installment as the Chief of Police.

Our County Executive Rick wants to make additional departmental budget cuts in order to keep from dipping into the reserve funds the county has at a direct cost to our safety.

Shift staffing at both county and city agencies continues to be exceptionally low. Sometimes there are only four officers working per shift for each the county or city departments.

Personnel still continue to lack the basic tools required for effective law enforcement to include rifles, shotguns and taser weapons. These tools are readily available due to the fact that many officers own private Remmington 870 shotguns (typical standard for law enforcement) and can be put into service immediately. Most officers have already been qualified previously.

Officers in the past have been ordered to conduct "patrol checks" in the wake of robbery increases. This is a serious tactical safety issue instead of a deterrent. Police administrators we are directing this statement directly to you. You are asking officers to engage in a serious lack of tactical safety. Just like alarm calls 99.9% of the time officers will ride to the patrol check not expecting something to happen and more then likely drive directly through the front parking lot or park in front of the store entering. Many of the armed robberies have been with shotguns. Eventually, you are prompting a unexpected confrontation between the officer and the suspect whereas the suspect has the tactical advantage over the officer conducting their patrol check. Eventually, an officer (one) conducting a patrol check will run right into an armed suspect. A shootout will occur and an officer may loose their life in the line of duty. At this point departments will "review" their policies and make shotguns available. This practice will cause an officer their life. While it is an essential job function of officers to protect the public from criminals bear in mind that you must conduct yourself with the utmost tactical safety in mind. It is clear that the criminals are ready to engage in deadly confrontations with the public so it is clear to assume that they will not hesitate at killing a police officer.

Although some administrators have made it clear to render assistance when required typically in the past rendering assistance has unofficially been highly discouraged, even reprimanded. Do not believe everything you read.

Requires Immediate and Exceptional Solutions

It should be relatively clear by now where people's political priorities lay. Clearly both Jim Ireton and Chief Webster, while engaging in on going pissing contests, including law suit by Webster against blogger Joe Albero, are not engaging in effective policing strategies. While Webster makes it a point stating that they need more officers, everyone needs more officers. Both of these politicians must be removed. We must elect a mayor that is not afraid to take action and terminate the police chief. This type of pissing contest can not be allowed to continue and is indicative of our overall government (both local, state and federal) failure to effectively lead.

We do not endorse the reelection of Jim Ireton or Rick Pollitt. Both these people are ineffective. We support the termination of Chief Webster.

Do not sentence officers to death by sending them to patrol checks of establishments without stressing the importance of tactical safety or giving them the tools required to maintain their safety and the safety of the citizens. All officers need shotguns, rifles, and tasers immediately. This lack of priority in this area is completely a failure of government leaders. You want personnel to risk their lives for less money without the proper tools required to defend themselves. An officer will die in a shooting situation if not mentally prepared and have to tools to combat the criminals because of a direct failure of departmental leaders to institute basic safety tools to the field troops.

Departmental leaders, do not be afraid of liability or press. People cry when there is a crime problem and the media crys when criminals are "mishandled" by the police. It's the name of the game. Sheriff Mike Lewis has done an excellent job of publicly defending some of his troops. Strong articles should be written or PSA's done about criminal enforcement across the county.
A Mutijuristicational jump or zero squad must be enacted immediately.

Police administrators in some departments are an untapped patrol resource. All police administrators should immediately take up patrol positions several days per week to augment their staff shortages. These administrators should answer calls for service and work as temporally reassigned "PFC's" without rank several days a week.
"Deputize" former retired volunteer law enforcement officers to augment patrol deficiencies.

County and State Ordered to Render Aid and Assistance to the City Police Due to Crime Rate

2009-12-04T06:29:00.002-05:00

December 3, 2009

Webster turns down outside crime-fighting help; Ireton says county, state should lend aid

SALISBURY -- More police presence in Salisbury from law enforcement agencies outside the city limits could be on the way following the shooting of a delicatessen owner earlier this week.
Some residents and city officials sought the help from outside agencies during a two-hour community crime prevention meeting at Salisbury University, hosted by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and university police department on the night after the shooting.

Salisbury City Councilwoman Debbie Campbell questioned how the local economy could improve if residents were afraid to leave their homes.

"We've got to take our streets back," Campbell said during the meeting.

A request for help from police outside of the city limits can only be made by the police chief or the mayor, said Wicomico County State's Attorney Davis Ruark.

Salisbury University Police Chief Edwin Lashley said "pooling" resources and increasing police presence would make residents feel safer.

"There must be a strategic plan among all law enforcement agencies," he said.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said he called Salisbury Police Chief Allan Webster on Monday after the deli owner was shot and offered to send additional men from the Sheriff's Office and the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation, but Webster declined.

"I call and make the offer in every case," Lewis said.

City police say outside help was not needed with the investigation.

"We had enough people out that we didn't need any help at the time," Webster said during a phone interview Wednesday.

The department could use more patrol officers Webster said.

"The patrol force is our first responders," he said.

Webster was on vacation at the time of the shooting and is expected to return to work today.
City police had enough officers and personnel to handle the investigation on the night of the shooting, and the department was hesitant to pull personnel away from other agencies when assistance with specific tasks was not needed, Capt. Mark Tyler, who heads the Salisbury Police Department Criminal Investigations Division, added.

While outside assistance was not needed on the night of the shooting, the Criminal Investigations Division has a good working relationship with other agencies and will ask for help when necessary, Tyler said.

"We assist each other on a frequent basis," Tyler said. "We talk frequently about cases. We couldn't have a better working relationship."

Webster said he had a Salisbury law enforcement representative contact Maryland State Police on Wednesday, and the agency agreed to check on convenience stores, restaurants and other businesses when they are in the area.

Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton said he also contacted state police and the Sheriff's Office for additional manpower.

"I'm seeking help from the sheriffs' department, the state police and all levels of every government," Ireton said.

While the state and county agencies have agreed to help when they're in the neighborhood, there is no formal agreement between the agencies nor has a memorandum of understanding been signed at this time, according to police sources.

The sheriff said his office will continue to work in the city as needed.

"We will continue to make traffic stops," Lewis said. "We will continue to make criminal arrests like we've always done in the last three years."

Salisbury chief lawsuit case: 'It ain't over'

2009-12-04T06:25:00.001-05:00

December 3, 2009

Salisbury chief lawsuit case: 'It ain't over'

Police chief to seek reconsideration against Salisbury's mayor, City CouncilBy Laura D'AlessandroStaff Writer

SALISBURY -- The legal battle between Police Chief Allan Webster and the city isn't over.
Despite the recent dismissal of Webster's case by a Wicomico County Circuit Court judge, Webster announced Wednesday he'd continue to seek a declaratory judgment. Webster's attorney, Robin Cockey, said a motion for reconsideration would be made by Monday.

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings, and the fat lady has not yet even tuned up," Cockey said.
Webster filed the lawsuit Nov. 3 after receiving the first reprimands of his 40-year career and claimed Mayor Jim Ireton denied him a proper grievance hearing by which to appeal them. Webster said the default judge for the employee grievance hearing, City Administrator John Pick, was a witness and the second-in-command, Assistant City Administrator Loré Chambers, was of a lower rank than he. Webster therefore asked Ireton to allow the City Council to judge his employee hearing, though provisions are not made for such an arrangement within the city charter or employee handbook.

His request led to the fourth and final reprimand from Ireton prior to Webster filing the lawsuit.
Ireton responded to the lawsuit with a public statement, calling the debacle "frivolous" and "unlawful" and labeling it a distraction. His opinion hasn't changed.

"With appealing the ruling, Mr. Cockey and his client are saying the mayor's wrong, Mr. Pick is wrong, Loré Chambers can't be right, the city charter is wrong, the city employee handbook is wrong and the judge is now wrong," Ireton said. "I am confused as to why this distraction continues."

But Cockey said the case hasn't been given a fair chance or a lawful one.

Cockey was taken aback by the delivery of the dismissal, done prior to his Monday deadline to submit a response to the city's Nov. 23 motion.

"Granting the city's motion without allowing the opposing party the time to respond and to request a hearing provided in the Maryland Rules was illegal and unfair and the court's decision was contrary to what we think the merits of the case dictate," Cockey said. "We would like and feel we are entitled to an opportunity to present the merits of the case according to the timetable and in the manner prescribed by the Maryland Rules ---- that's why we have rules."

The court's dismissal was made on the grounds that the chief's case was not ripe for judgment as he had not exhausted all provisions laid out by the city charter and employee handbook.

State police stress racial treatment policy

2009-12-04T06:21:00.001-05:00

PRINCESS ANNE -- Barrack commanders and trooper supervisors across Maryland are underscoring professional conduct and the Maryland State Police agency's intolerance of race-based treatment when dealing with the public after a black woman in Princess Anne handed authorities a cell phone voice message recording of an MSP criminal investigator making a racial slur.

"Commanders and supervisors are using this reported incident as an opportunity to remind their subordinates of the need to remain professional at all times, in all we do," MSP spokesman Greg Shipley said Thursday. "This is being discussed throughout the Maryland State Police. We hold our troopers to a high standard of professional police conduct."

The MSP sergeant who allegedly left the slur on the cell phone belonging to Teleta Dashiell is on administrative duty during a "priority" administrative investigation of the matter, a process that could conclude by the end of December, Shipley said.

The Maryland State Police already has a clear policy in place forbidding racial profiling or other type of race-based police action, Shipley also said, in response to an earlier suggestion by Somerset County NAACP branch President Kirkland Hall that the trooper in question "could use some diversity training."

MSP officials won't discuss the alleged Nov. 3 incident, except to say that the trooper is a 13-year MSP veteran assigned to a criminal investigations bureau and "is not assigned to a particular barrack."

Agency officials also refuse to identify the trooper, although the person heard making the slur identifies himself on Dashiell's voice message as Sgt. Maiello. Dashiell has said that an investigator at the MSP Princess Anne barrack who interviewed her Nov. 10 about the matter identified the trooper as Sgt. John Maiello.

At the Princess Anne barrack, Lt. Krah Plunkert said Thursday that supervisors are "reinforcing our core values."

Plunkert said it is important that the incident doesn't hamper relationships built between the Princess Anne barrack and the black community.

Rick Poilltt Expected to Make More Budget Cuts, Considering Layoffs

2009-12-04T06:07:00.002-05:00

SALISBURY — The Wicomico County executive’s plan for closing the budget shortfall takes too much out of reserves and needs more spending cuts, several council members say.

“We are trying to not go too far into reserves. We are looking at all departments for more cuts,” Sheree Sample-Hughes, the council vice president, said Thursday.

This week the council held a brainstorming session on additional spending cuts the county could make. Before them is a bill by County Executive Richard M. Pollitt Jr. that would address a more than $6 million gap in the budget. He has pinned the shortfall on unexpected Maryland funding cuts and a drop in income tax revenues.

Pollitt’s bill would mainly lower expenses by cutting departments by 15 percent. It would largely raise revenues by drawing down reserve funds that will later need to be replenished.
The approach isn’t good enough, said Councilman Joe Holloway, who hasn’t forgotten how the existing budget was balanced. The county elected then to defer retirement payments, dip into reserves and borrow $1 million from the Solid Waste Enterprise account.

“The county government has dragged its feet too long,” Holloway said. “What are we going to do next year, when indications are that it’s going to be worse?”

This week the council identified several spending reduction suggestions in a meeting. Now, Council Administrator Matt Creamer is putting them into a formal list and will seek the help of the Executive’s Office to put a dollar amount on them.

“I invited them to make some suggestions. I’ll be delighted to hear their thoughts,” Pollitt said Thursday.

Many of the spending cuts, if undertaken, might result in layoffs — something the county has been able to avoid this point. County workers did not receive pay raises this year and will have to take furlough days.

Among the suggestions: How much would the county save if employees were no longer given their birthday off with pay? What would the savings be if the position of public information officer, now held by Jim Fineran, would be eliminated? Furthermore, the council is interested in reviewing the staffing levels among the building inspections staff and the State’s Attorney’s Office.

“It’s a touchy situation because you’re talking about personnel,” Holloway said. “We’ve done everything else. We’re pulled from reserves. We’ve pulled back services.”

Pollitt said he wasn’t able to respond to many of the council’s suggestions, as he hasn’t yet received them. However, he cautioned against the pitfall of looking “at the cost of everything and the value of nothing.” For example, he highlighted the importance of the public information officer position at a time when the county is faced with many challenges.

“Of all times, this is the time when you need a clear channel of information from the county to the public,” Pollitt said.

As the council and executive continue to work on the budget, the county is approaching the halfway point of its financial calendar. In April, deliberations will begin for next year’s budget.
Pollitt said he knows next year’s budget will likely be worse than the current one. His goal has been to put off the “drama” and keep services intact.

“Do you want to start the pain now or spread it out?” he said.

Comment from a reader...

2009-12-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

12/02/09 1336 hrs

Anonymous said...

All right the chin thing was funny. Lets keep it real if we want to be heard. The posting of cameras at county roads was highly offensive to me. The threat of a gas ring was also highly offensive to me.

G.P.S. in cars.

Buy this crap when you have given the men and women of your agency a disability that works for law enforcement. When they have a better retirement package.

I hope all sworn from the top to the bottom will be filling one of these out. If not the deputies need to file a law suit.

This is where all the nay sayers to collective bargaining will feel the pinch. The total lack of attendance at the F.O.P. says it all. We will show up when we are angry or need something. It is time for deputies to form the brotherhood of quality work and fraternity. This does not mean support misconduct by your brother. That we are right no matter what. The instituion of Law Enforcement loses credibilty when this is done.

It is my understanding the law suit filed for the question "A" is to be heard January 12, 2010. Every deputy and their families need to contact State Reps and local reps in an attempt to aid this cause. If you do not you are part of the problem not the solution.

These types of evaluations have be done in the past and they are not in the least effective or accurate. Hunter nelms did away with them years ago. Captain Mike Elliott also supported the termination of this practice.

Lets face it folks there are some that are favored and some that are not liked. It is pure human behavior to go harder on those that are "On your list". Enough said on that.

In a time of furloughs the county decides to put one more stresser on their people. The crime is out of control. Shifts operating at minium. I dont get ??

If the Sheriff has any desire to know thw truth about things he needs to meet with his people. In a forum that allows them to speak freely.

There is so much misinformation and paranoia it is out of control on this issue. Is it to aid in lay offs. Is it something that will aid in future promotions ?? Who knows.

The bottom line is there is strength in unity. One of the few if only places to meet and discuss this issue at this time is at the F.O.P. meetings. I think they will ask a meeting with the Sheriff to get to the bottom of this. With Christmas coming no one wants to sit and wonder if they will have a job next year.

The new computer system was supposed to catch all aspects of production. So why this type of scewed evaluation process.

With all that is out there to cloud you thought process try to keep a clear head and be safe. There is a war out there and it is not getting any better.

Remain faithful to the code and be strong.

Major "C"

Armed Robbery/Home Invasion on Honeysuckle

2009-12-03T22:05:00.003-05:00

This place is a toilet!

Two black males, one wearing a blue hat and one with corn rows entered a residence on Honeysuckle brandishing a firearm during a home invasion approximately an hour ago. Suspects were armed with a black automatic handgun. Luckly no one got kild' this time around. Run for the hills.

Last Months Officer of the Month Winners...

2009-12-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

Sgt. Propst and Cpl. Williams,

To the winners of our last months officer of the month award. Please notify us by e-mailing us by clicking here if you have or have not received your rewards. Your e-mail will be kept confidential.

Both of you were awarded prizes that should have been delivered by U.S. Mail by now. If you have not received these awards they may have been intercepted by your department, tampering with the U.S. Mail, prior to you receiving them in which case we will replace them and deliver them by an alternate method of our choosing.

Thank you,
The WicBury Crapper Council

Rant by WicBury Crapper Board Member "HarleyCop2009"...

2009-12-02T13:36:00.007-05:00

Most employees of Wicomico County have already received an e-mail from their department heads about a reinstatement of the policy of conducting regular written performance evaluations on employees. For some reason this hasn't been going on in years. This is at the direction of our county executive Rick Pollitt. Recall this is the same Rick Pollitt who allowed our budget to spiral out of control and is now scratching his head trying to figure out how to cut 6 Million out of the budget. So, Rick among other things has layed off crossing guards, essential to the security of our children CROSSING THE STREETS and has allowed crime to run completely rampant without our county boarders.

So now Ricky is looking to cut more personnel by having supervisors fill out performance evaluations on personnel in order to search for next years layoffs. Simply, it is our opinion, that he will lay off county employees who he feels is not "pulling their weight". Never mind the good old boys network where no doubt favorites of the county departments and their supervisors will receive outstanding evaluations while other peon employees will receive negative evaluations as a way of their supervisor to both suck up, securing their positions, and crap on peons they don't like. By the way wasn't the point of having a new county administrator to do away with Ted Shea entirely? Who's getting fat off our tax dollars while we loose our jobs? Keep your heads down while protecting fat cats!

Be aware this is coming to Wicomico County. While we have nothing against performance evaluations, they must be conducted correctly and without bias. Failure to do so could result in one of the biggest county class action lawsuits. Additionally, supervisors also have a liability because they are not protected by the county from civil action regarding negative performance evaluations because these are individual opinions of the supervisors!

I am asking the WicBury Crapper fellow board of directors to render a decision regarding support of Rick Pollitt as county executive which should be published online. If it is determined that Ricky is trying to fix his budget woes with layoffs again we suggest he take a strong look at who he has at his right side like Ted Shea who is rumored to earn over $100,000 a year. Nothing like cutting two cops out to keep Ted Shea, right Ricky? Doesn't look like Ricky is missing too many meals either. "Meaa see what we are gonna do here see is cut the budget see.. meaaa."

Write Rick Politt or leave comments on here and let him know that you don't want your safety sacrificed while fat cats at the top keep getting rich.... as our cops, firefighters, and essential government employees toil away to keep the crumbling infrastructure of our county economy afloat contact...

Government Office Bldg.,
Room 303
P.O. Box 870

Salisbury, MD 21803-0870
Office: 410-548-4801

Fax: 410-548-4803

E-mail: rickpollitt@wicomicocounty.org

State v. Brittany Barkley

2009-12-02T13:32:00.001-05:00

Excellent work by the police and the Wicomico County States Attorney's Office in all these murder cases.

Judge D. William Simpson imposed a sentence of Life Without Possibility of Parole for First Degree (Premeditated) Murder and Thirty (30) Years in the Division of Corrections to run CONSECUTIVELY to the Life Without Parole Sentence for the Armed Carjacking.
Anita's family members were there and were very appreciative.

2009-12-01T09:03:00.001-05:00

East side deli was robbed last night by a masked gunman. Store employee was shot twice and is in the hospital. Police admin blame the economy. Shotguns?

2009-12-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Suspect involved in shooting of four officers has been killed by police! Its miller time!!

Remembering A Fallen Hero

2009-11-30T02:55:00.003-05:00

Night Watchman

George Workner Baltimore City Police Department

Maryland

End of Watch: Tuesday, March 15, 1808
Cause of Death: Stabbed

Date of Incident: Monday, March 14, 1808

Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Knife

Suspect Info: Executed in 1808

Night Watchman Workner was stabbed to death during a jail break of nine inmates from the Baltimore Jail. The inmates had fashioned pewter keys and picked the locks to their cell doors. Then they attacked the guards with a small knife one of the inmates had obtained. Watchman Workner was stabbed in the side during the escape and died from the wound the following day.Four of the nine inmates were apprehended and sentenced to death for Watchman Workner's murder. Their execution date was set for April 22, 1808, but they again attempted to escape two days beforehand. That escape attempt failed and they were hung in the jail's courtyard at noon on April 22, 1808.

Is sbynews.com really ranked within the top 100,000 websites in the U.S.??

2009-11-30T02:13:00.005-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "IllGutYouLikeAFish (BM - Info Tech)"....

Not even close. Here is why...

First and foremost, the rating amount is gathered from the rating website Alexa itself. So, it draws upon data that is collected by either it's website (through a code that alexa users put on their website) or through the "Alexia Toolbar". Therefore, it is only drawing upon information of it's members, not all websites in the U.S. or the world. So in reality the figure shown to the left of "100,357" is out of unique users that employ Alexa's website methods collecting statistical data. Websites that do not register with Alexa are not included in these figures and therefore are not calculated in the bottom line averages. To prove our point we searched our results... we are not members of Alexa nor do we use their code on our blog site in order for them to calculate our blogsite usage, because we really don't care. But, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck. Meaning, if it smells like mooseshit, and looks like mooseshit, the statistics are probably mooseshit. Below is a capture image of our results on Alexa's website.

Again, they have no data to draw from because we don't include their code on our site to identify us as a member to be calculated. So, really sbynews.com's statistics are only of the sites participating with Alexa to find out their ranking results. Note it reads "No Data" and that we were online since 2000, which is of course bullshit and that 430,891 sites link to us, which again is totally incorrect. But we could go around yelling "HEY! 430,891 sites link to the Crapper! WOW!". Note, if you look up sbynews.com's linking statistics they read "80". So again, totally in accurate.

So the figures shown about sbynews.com are slanted because although it may be popular in the 100,000 range of alexa users, alexa users don't include all websites on the internet, just a small fraction thereof. Note that the number of Alexa users is somewhere in the neighborhood of 380,000 vs 100,000 for the U.S.? If there are only 100,000 Alexa users in the U.S. then sbynews.com would be in last place. But Alexa doesn't publish those statistics. So in reality, it's a tool that makes people feel better about themselves and their websites. But, it's a totally inaccurate way of calculating a websites "popularity".

Read Alexa's information below...taken from their FAQ page....

Now, as mentioned above, Alexa's traffic rankings are based on the past three months of global traffic according to our diverse data sources, and are updated daily. A site's ranking is based on a combined measure of Reach and Page Views. Reach is the percentage of unique internet users who visit a site. Page Views are the average number of user URL requests for a site. However, multiple requests for the same URL on the same day by the same user are counted as a single Page View. The site with the highest combination of users and Page Views is ranked #1. Additionally, we employ data normalization to correct for biases that may occur in our data. Sites with relatively low measured traffic will not be accurately ranked by Alexa. Our data comes from many various sources, including our Alexa users; however, we do not receive enough data from these sources to make rankings beyond 100,000 statistically meaningful. (However, on the flip side of that, the closer a site gets to #1, the more reliable its rank.) This means that, for example, the difference in traffic between a site ranked 1,000,000 and a site ranked 2,000,000 has low statistical significance. Sites ranked 100,000+ may be subject to large ranking swings due to the scarcity of data for those sites.

Alexa's traffic rankings are based on the usage patterns of Alexa Toolbar users and data collected from other, diverse sources over a rolling 3 month period. A site's ranking is based on a combined measure of reach and pageviews. Reach is determined by the number of unique Alexa users who visit a site on a given day. Pageviews are the total number of Alexa user URL requests for a site. However, multiple requests for the same URL on the same day by the same user are counted as a single pageview. The site with the highest combination of users and pageviews is ranked #1.Alexa's traffic rankings are for top level domains only (e.g. domain.com). We do not provide separate rankings for subpages within a domain (e.g. http://www.domain.com/subpage.html) or subdomains (e.g. subdomain.domain.com) unless we are able to automatically identify them as personal home pages or blogs, like those hosted on Geocities and Tripod. If a site is identified as a personal home page or blog, its traffic ranking will have an asterisk (*) next to it: Personal Page Avg. Traffic Rank: 3,456*. Personal pages are ranked on the same scale as a regular domain, so a personal page ranked 3,456* is the 3,456th most popular page among Alexa users.

Princess Anne Man Turns Himself In for Murder

2009-11-29T18:41:00.002-05:00

PRINCESS ANNE -- Police here are investigating a murder that occurred Saturday in the Antioch Avenue and Beechwood Street neighborhood.

A man has turned himself into police and confessed to the crime, according to reports.
Princess Anne Police Chief Scott Keller said the man walked into the Wicomico County Detention Center and confessed to committing the crime.

Officials are still trying to determine how the male victim died.
Police believe the victim and the suspect knew each other and were possibly fighting over drugs.

Four officers shot in ambush in coffee shop

2009-11-29T18:38:00.001-05:00

A Pierce County Sheriff deputy runs to the site where four police officers killed in an ambush at the Forza Coffee Co. near Parkland, Wash., on Sunday, November 29, 2009. Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer told The News Tribune in Tacoma one or two gunmen burst into the Forza Coffee Co. and shot the four uniformed officers as they were working on their laptop computers, then fled the scene. (AP Photo)

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Four police officers were fatally shot Sunday in what police said was an ambush in a coffee shop near Tacoma, Washington.

The officers were sitting in the coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington, before the start of their shifts, reading on their computers, when the shooting occurred, said Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer. He told reporters that authorities believe the officers were meeting and going over cases or doing paperwork.

"This was a targeted, selected ambush," Troyer told reporters. He said a gunman came inside, opened fire and shot all four officers. Two baristas and other customers inside the shop were unharmed -- "just the law enforcement officers were targeted."

Authorities know the identity of the four fallen officers, and were in the process of notifying family members and their departments, he said. He would not say what agencies the officers were from, but said, "they're all from this area."

A $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, he said.

Police are looking for one man and possibly a second person in the attack, which occurred about 8 a.m., Troyer said. The suspect is described as an African-American man, between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a black coat and blue jeans, with a "scruffy" appearance, he said. The man is believed to have fled the coffee shop on foot, he said.

Officers were working on getting additional descriptions from witnesses.

"We're doing everything we can," Troyer said. Authorities were conducting searches in numerous locations, he said, and dogs had been brought in to attempt to track the suspect.

There were no known threats against police before the incident, Troyer said.

Lakewood is about 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma.

Bystanders gathered outside the coffee shop, some of them in tears.

The Forza Coffee Company is on the edge of McChord Air Force Base. Spokesman Bud McKay said the base was not shut down, but security was ramped up around the perimeter as a precaution.

The military has offered assistance to police, he said, but it has not been requested.

4,263 Unique Visitors to the Crapper This Month

2009-11-29T00:02:00.005-05:00

The Crapper has had 4,263 visits from unique visits (meaning separate people) this month. We have had 8,852 hits so far this month to our main page (this includes people some people viewing the main page multiple times).

Not that we ever cared how many people this drivel however, just goes to show you that we still are pooping like madness. Thanks to all for reading our crap!

VIVA LA CRAPPER!

Crime spike expected to continue through holiday

2009-11-28T23:57:00.001-05:00

By Sharahn D. Boykin
Staff Writer - Daily Slime, er... times.

SALISBURY -- Residents can expect to see more shoppers at the mall and other retail establishments for the next month or so, which is not unusual this time of year.

But they can also expect to see a surge in thefts, burglaries and domestic assaults, from now through January, according to law enforcement officers and security experts.

Last December, Salisbury Police Department crime statistics were telling a different story about crime during the holiday season. There was an estimated 7 percent drop in thefts and 8 percent decrease in burglaries, according to data from the department.

Salisbury police also reported a steady decline in the number of shoplifting arrests since August 2008. This was during a time when retailers in the country, about 79 percent, reported an increase in shoplifters, according to the National Retail Federation -- a retail trade association.

This year, even though the holiday shopping season has just begun with Black Friday, thefts and burglaries are already up, according to the city police department's Web site. So far, there have been 150 more burglaries and 141 more thefts compared to last year.

"There's more people willing to try things they haven't tried before," said Muir Boda, a security expert with more than a decade of experience. "Some people get desperate when they want something special."

For several months now, law enforcement leaders have warned the community that people with no criminal backgrounds will begin to commit crimes to provide for their families.

Shawn Lornell Schoolfield, 19, and his sister, Stacey Marie Schoolfield, 24, pleaded guilty to armed robbery charges after robbing an 82-year-old Salisbury man at gunpoint in his home five days before Christmas in 2008.

During the sentencing, a judge said he couldn't figure out why Shawn Schoolfield, a young man with no criminal history who sang in the church choir, would commit such a crime. Schoolfield and his sister committed the robbery to get money for Christmas, according to court documents.

Shawn Schoolfield pleaded guilty to armed robbery and a handgun charge and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

More recently, an 83-year-old woman shopping at an Elkton, Md., Walmart had her fanny pack stolen Tuesday. The suspect, another woman, snatched the pack containing about $300 in cash, credit cards, keys and other personal items from the victim's waist and ran from the store.

Retailers and law enforcement are taking additional precautions in preparation for a possible increase in thefts and burglaries. The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office added extra patrols near businesses and the mall as of Monday, according to Sheriff Mike Lewis.

"We anticipate a spike in crime," Lewis said. "We always have a spike in crime during the holiday season."

The Centre at Salisbury declined to comment on whether it adds additional security personnel during the holidays, but the mall does routinely utilize foot, Segway and mobile security personnel, according to Alane Emerson, a spokeswoman for the mall.

"Safety is a No. 1 concern for us," she said.

Crimes of opportunity are more common, according to police and prosecutors. They caution shoppers to be aware of their surroundings and keep purses and wallets safe. Experts also advise shoppers not to leave gifts, in plain view or hidden, in the car.

"Some people will take whatever opportunity to commit theft and steal someone else's property if they can potentially sell it," said 1st Sgt. Tim Robinson, the assistant commander of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Road Patrol.

In addition to stolen purchases, sometimes shoppers have a tendency to lose children and elderly relatives in the store, according to security experts. Shoppers should keep small children in the shopping cart and monitor older relatives who could wander away and become confused.

Many retail establishments use Adam alerts when an individual is missing in the store. Store employees immediately search the store, including bathrooms and exits.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, we locate them within five to 10 minutes," Boda said.

In addition to burglaries and thefts, domestic violence tends to go up around this time of year as well, according to law enforcement. Domestic violence experts say they expect a spike in assaults after the holiday season.

"The attitude is that a dysfunctional family is better than no family at all," said Michelle Hughes of the Life Crisis Center. "Thanksgiving and Christmas are all about family, so these women will do whatever they have to do to keep the peace. After Christmas, I suspect that it will be worse than usual because of the economy."

The News Journal contributed to this report.

Parsonsburg man killed in collision

2009-11-28T23:47:00.002-05:00

The initial report of the daily times was wrong and has since been corrected. The initial report posted online at delmarvanow.com stated that the driver's were in reversed vehicles...that Shawn Williams was driving the truck... leave it to our fav. writer Sharahn Boykin to get things fouled up....Below is the corrected version.

Pittsville resident also injured in accident involving Ford F-250, Mercury Sable

By Sharahn D. Boykin
Staff Writer

SALISBURY -- Old Ocean City Road was closed for several hours after a fatal accident Friday.

Shawn Michael Williams, a 19-year-old Parsonsburg resident, was traveling east on Route 346, east of Esham Road, in a Mercury Sable when his car crossed the center line and crashed into a Ford F-250 truck traveling west, according to Maryland State Police.

Williams was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

"Speed was not a factor," said Sgt. Mark Conte. "He hit head-on."

Neither drugs nor alcohol were factors, according to police.

The driver of the Ford truck, Travis William Dennis, a 20-year-old Pittsville resident, was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment and later released, according to police.

It was unknown whether Dennis was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

Both drivers were traveling alone in their respective vehicles, according to police.

Friday's fatality occurred at time when the county is experiencing a decline in fatal crashes, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Administration.

The number of fatal crashes in Wicomico County decreased from 18 in 2007 to 14 in 2008.

Worcester County reported an increase in fatal crashes over a one-year period, with 11 in 2007 and 18 in 2008, according to the National Highway Administration. Somerset County reported one fatal crash in 2007 and one in 2008.

MSP Trooper struck by car while making an arrest

2009-11-28T23:46:00.000-05:00

November 28, 2009

WEST OCEAN CITY — Troopers from the Maryland State Police responded to a home, located on Stephen Decatur Highway, for reports of a loud party Friday evening.

When troopers arrived at the scene, a number of individuals fled on foot, police said. Trooper Jason Grozier found one of these individuals in the parking lot of the Marlin Market, and attempted to make an arrest, when he was intentionally struck by a vehicle operated by Waldon Remington III.

Grozier was thrown into the air, and landed forcefully onto the roadway of Sunset Avenue, police said. This action allowed the individual, who the trooper was attempting to arrest, to escape.

Remington, 20, of Berlin then fled the scene in his vehicle, police said. Trooper Grozier was transported to Atlantic General Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries and was released.

With assistance from other law enforcement agencies — which included deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the Berlin and Ocean City Police Departments, and investigators from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation — Remington and his vehicle were located at the Wa Wa Food Market on Ocean Gateway, according to police.

Remington, who was placed under arrest and transported to the Berlin Barrack, was charged with first and second degree assault, as well as other offenses, police said. He was held at the Worcester County Jail without bond.

An investigation is continuing, and anyone with any information in regards to this incident is asked to contact the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation at 410-352-3476 or the Maryland State Police at 410-641-3101.

Black Friday Is Here...

2009-11-27T06:06:00.003-05:00

READY FOR THE FUN??

Another black Friday has come. To all those who are going shopping on this day fit for the gladiators remember take no prisoners, get that digital camera and flat screen TV! It's every man for him/herself!!

Movie in Review - "2012"

2009-11-26T14:44:00.011-05:00

We are adding a new section to our blog, movies in review! We will be giving you our review and critique of movies either currently out or past movies and our rating of those movies.

Parts published in RED indicate portions of the review that may reveal the plot of the movie or give away it's secrets. So, ignore these sections if you don't want us to "ruin" the movie for you.

This weeks movie is the currently released movie "2012" staring John Cusask (or however you spell his name). Although, the general idea of the movie is interesting the movie, in our opinion, is totally unrealistic. Although we understand that "it is a movie" and therefore some of our disbelief has to be suspended in order to enjoy the movie, the movie just plainly is way off the deep end in several areas. First and foremost, the star of the movie, John Cusask is just not a convincing character as being the heroine of the movie. The movie drags out the entire time. The special effects are pretty good but in general the entire plot line of this movie is not very believable and is not worth the $40.00 you are going to spend after popcorn and a soda. We give this movie 2 of 5 stars.

As the movie stated "2012" is supposed to be the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calender ending, alignment of the planets and some of supposedly Nostradamus's predictions. In fact, this idea has caused such a panic that NASA had to publish a statement explaining why the world will not end in 2012 as seen here: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-guest.html!

Also, the planets align every year in the winter solstice. The Mayan calender never actually ended, it was the start of a new calendar period. And Nostradamus is so vague that they can never predict anything until after it happens. Why didn't any of the so called astrologists or fortune tellers predict 9-11?

The plot of the movie is that due to a solar flare the earth's core heats rapidly due to "altered neutrons" being emitted from the sun causing earthquakes, tilde waves, and entire Continental shelves sliding into the ocean.

You are much more likely to die in a car accident that something like this happening. You will die, eventually so, even if this is the way you go, doesn't matter. But, the science behind the core heating up is flawed and can't happen as depicted in the movie. More then likely you will die of a meteor strike in an earth ending scenario. A meteor strike can effectively kill everyone, sure. However, no close earth objects are likely to cross earths path soon, not until around 2228. Anyways getting back to the movie....

So, the heroine John Cusack totally sucked in this movie. He should have died about 9209 times but somehow kept surviving on his luck and wit even when the entire world is falling apart around him. Further he keeps bumping into the same people several times in a world that is in anarchy and falling to pieces? Somehow an pilot with two lessons manages to steer a plane through an entire state falling into the ocean and outrun a giant mushroom fireball. Not to mention that the government developing five ships to sail away on is also completely stupid. And, they realized the president wasn't coming, whoops!! The secret service would force the president to a protected area.

Come on people. Save your money, rent it on netflix.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T06:28:00.001-05:00

Feds working to end use of 10-codes

2009-11-26T06:20:00.000-05:00

11/26/2009
Feds working to end use of 10-codes
By John Scheibe Ventura County Star

If federal Homeland Security officials have their way, the next time a police officer arrives on scene, he'll simply radio back "I'm here" rather than saying "10-97." Police have long used "10-codes" to communicate with each other and dispatchers. The codes were developed in the 1930s, when radio channels were scarce. They allowed police to succinctly relay information through a four-digit number rather than clog the airwaves with wordy descriptions.

But problems developed over time. For starters, there is no universal code. To one agency, a "10-50" might mean "officer down," while to another it stands for a routine traffic stop.
The problem became especially evident during big emergencies, such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., where police and fire agencies from across the nation rushed to help.

"When they got there, many of them were unable to communicate with each other effectively," said Chris Essid, director of the Office of Emergency Communications for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Many agencies faced the same problem four years later when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Essid said. Federal officials now require that officers use "plain language" when responding to a crisis involving multiple agencies. "Very often, it doesn't take anymore time to just say it in English," Essid said.

Federal officials are also urging departments to replace their jumble of codes with "plain language" in their day-to-day operations. Essid and others point to a 2005 incident in Missouri in which a local police officer radioed late one night to his dispatcher that he had just seen a state highway patrol officer's car with a door open stopped along a highway. The officer said he was going to go back to make sure the patrolman was OK.

It turns out the Missouri Highway Patrol officer was lying in a ditch, barely alive, having been shot eight times with a rifle. The local police dispatcher decided to use plain English in sending out a call for help.

Had she said "10-33," her department's code for "officer down," it would have meant something very different to the Missouri Highway Patrol: "traffic backup." Instead, every state trooper within miles responded, and the officer lived. In many cases, "being able to communicate quickly and effectively can mean the difference between life and death," Essid said.

Technology also has come a long way since the 1930s, Essid said, noting police and others now have many more ways to communicate, such as computers in patrol cars. But getting agencies to change a communication system that's been in place nearly 80 years in many places is another matter. "Culture change is never easy," he said.

John Miller, a sergeant with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, said deputies would often get in trouble if they used plain language in the field when he went to work for the department 25 years ago. "The dispatchers would get mad because you were talking too much and taking up too much radio time," Miller said.

Now, more and more agencies are working together, Miller said, whether it's on a big wildfire or other large operation. "There's a big advantage to using plain talk in that everyone knows what everyone else is talking about," said Miller, who has helped train recruits for the department.
Recruits continue to learn the 10-code, Miller said, but deputies are encouraged to use everyday language when possible.

In some situations, using plain language is not a good idea, he said. An officer, for example, might not want a relative to hear something horrific right away at the scene, such as the death of a loved one. An officer might also want to speak in code when they've encountered a dangerous suspect, he said.

"You don't want to tip someone off and endanger your own life or that of someone else."
Sgt. Jack Richards, a spokesman for the Ventura Police Department, believes there will always be a need for police code. "There are times when it's just more efficient to transmit something in code rather than in plain language," Richards said. But like Miller, Richards believes it's important to give officers the choice to use either. "It all depends on the situation," Richards said.

Coming soon.. Online Document Center!

2009-11-26T06:11:00.003-05:00

Coming soon to the Crapper.. An online document center.

You will be able to navigate and download forms like charging documents, cop heath activities, LEOBOR documents, and guides to stay better informed. Stay tuned!

Also our "Citizen's Guide to Dealing With the Police" is almost completed and will be posted to the folder section!

City Cops

2009-11-23T13:05:00.000-05:00

We at the crapper would like to address some murmur-ings we have heard about city cops. We have heard that city cops cut corners, are not polite, are incompetent, etc.

Bullshit. City cops including Delmar, Fruitland, Princess Anne, Ocean City, Berlin, Cambridge and Easton do most, MOST of the police work in the area. Truth be told these cops are stretched thin as a wire and do the best they can with what they have. While local area Sheriff's Offices are elected positions, police departments typically are not so citizens feel they have more pull with the Sheriff's Offices and therefore, at times they may feel they get a "more professional" response from their Sheriff's Office. But, typically city cops are as professional police officers as their county counter parts and deserve an enormous amount of credit with dealing with their indigenous population day after day, being locked into patrolling a small area, and being over burden with reports and a lack of funding and personnel. Some city departments turn over employees regularly therefore they tend to have younger, less experienced, less mature officers. But this is not the fault of the officers rather then that of the department.

While county cops do an excellent job as well they also have to deal with less calls for service and therefore can dedicate more time to investigating an incident BUT they typically deal with a lot more bullshit from their agencies.

So, hats off to the city cops. Keep up the great work.

Reader E-Mail to the Crapper....

2009-11-23T10:16:00.000-05:00

"Hey Crapper,

What is going on with the legaleze on the top of the website and the comment section? I'm kinda worried about posting a comment on here..."

Crapper responses in blue

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "SilentButDeadly"...

To answer your question reader, there are several questions that we will try to answer. We do not track IP addresses. IP addresses are numbers that your server assigns to your computer when you log on to a network. These numbers are reassignable through your server and are automatically assigned to your computer. In order for someone to identify who you are through your IP address several things have to happen first.

IP addresses can be resolved by running the IP address through internet trace however, this only give a very, very rough estimate of where the computer is located (within a 60 square mile area or to the closest hub) so, this tool is totally inaccurate for providing information.

In order to identify someone through their IP address in a criminal process the States Attorney of the jurisdiction where the offense occurred or a federal judge would have to issue a warrant for the information from the internet provider company OR in a civil case the court could issue a subpoena for the records. It's not as easy as tracking a cell phone call. Most of the time civil suits occur because someone KNOWS who posted the information because that person LET IT BE KNOWN that it was them.

Our legalize is just to let you know that if someone was very, very, very bent on suing someone else for comments, it could theoretically happen but it would take a lot of money and time. It has happened several times recently in some other states, cases are pending.

Having said this, first and foremost, don't break the law by posting comments that break the law. Comments such as threatening the president of the United States of America or taking a criminal action against a public official ARE ACTIONABLE and you may be charged criminally.

Comments that are opinion, for instance "Stacy is a whore" is not a crime, it's freedom of speech. However, if those comments create a serious financial loss or an attack on a persons character people can sue you for libel is these statements ARE NOT TRUE but the burden of proof would be on the defending party to prove that Stacy is in fact a whore. Typically public officials are exempt from suing for opinion comments, which is why the Chief of Police and the Former Mayor lost their suits against Joe Albero.

So here's our advice on commenting...

Feel comfortable commenting on blogs. Normally, it's very, very rare that anyone sues anyone civilly for their comments if they have no idea who those people writing the comments are. Don't take credit for your comments publicly. Having said this some people could consider this being a "pussy" but hey that's their opinion and you as the writer have to weigh the option for yourself if you are in fact a pussy.
If you feel uncomfortable commenting, use an IP jamming program such as "Hide My Ass!". You can even use this online free at www.hidemyass.com. These programs randomly reassign your IP address all over the world. If you pay for the program you can even set it to randomly reassign your IP address every 5 min.
Don't make violent threats against public officials. This is a crime and can be investigated by the police. You may be subject to arrest.
Be careful about what you publish or post from work or about work to the Internet. Normally this is not an issue if you do it from your personal computer as an anonymous poster.... where people get into problems is when they either post negative comments on facebook about their work (stupid) OR write negative comments from their work about their work.

Bottom line is, don't be stupid. The internet does provide a degree of anonymity but, bear in mind that information is discoverable IF you provide people with information to discover you. An IP address along is little more than just a bunch of numbers. You can, very easily, resolve it to an internet provider but thats where it stops. For instance we can see that people post comments using comcast or verizon but that's about it. To match the numbers to someone civilly a long process has to occur in order to obtain the resolving address to someone's residence and even then the burden of proof is on the plaintiff of who in that residence made those comments on that system.

In a criminal matter it is easier. We are not going to discuss what process needs to occur or how to circumvent the process in order to protect the integrity of CAC investigations. But, in order for a criminal investigation to occur a judge must sign a warrant which would not occur for posting comments that are opinion, that falls under freedom of speech.

We hope that we answered your questions. We put those warnings on our site just for your FYI and to cover our own asses that rest upon our personal crappers. However, if we are not worried then you really shouldn't be worried.

Remembering Fallen Heros

2009-11-23T05:41:00.001-05:00

Hmmm, were't we just saying communications is a serious issue?

2009-11-23T04:09:00.002-05:00

11/22/2009
Gangs using cell phones and social networks to coordinate crime
By Liset Marquez Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

ONTARIO, Calif. — These days social networking sites and cell phones are not just a place to catch up with friends.

Gangs in Southern California are using them to orchestra crime, commit fraud and traffic drugs.
The issue is so severe at California Institution for Men in Chino, that Lt. Thomas Goetz said he has assigned two staff members to try to eliminate the use of pre-paid disposable phones in the prison.

"The cell phones have become a communication tool between inside and outside gang members that we can't circumvent," he said.

Issues like this were discussed on Thursday by a panel of law enforcement experts at an Assembly Select Committee hearing held at the Ontario Police Department.

The hearing was organized by Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, and was joined by Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario. The severity of the problem has prompted Torrico and Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, who was also in attendance, to consider co-authoring a bill that would make it a criminal offense to have or sell a phone in a prison.
Currently there is no such legislation. Also, FCC prohibits the state from putting in scramblers to stop the use of phones in prisons, Goetz said.

The main problem for prisons is that there is no way to trace the information that is being relayed in the phone calls, unlike land lines which can be monitored, he said. It's getting to the point that gangs are circumventing all our investigations because of these media outlets," said John Santos, special agent with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Special Services Unit. And the only consequence to inmates is having 30 days added to their sentence, and that's only if the cell phone is connected to a crime, he said. In many cases, those 30 days would be wiped out for good behavior, Goetz said. In 2007 there were only a handful of throw-away phones confiscated at CIM and only 30 in 2008, Goetz said.

But prison officials have already taken away 147 cell phones this year, he said.
A standard cell phone could be sold at the prison for $300, but one with texting or picture-taking capabilities could sell for $500, he said."We trying to find out who's bringing them in and where they are coming from," Goetz said. Some prepaid phones have come in via visitors, others through the mail, and there are cases of staff inside the prison selling them to inmates.
"We have an enormous problem in state prisons, and it is starting to create a huge workload for us," Goetz said. But using phones isn't the only method, gang members are also turning to social media networks to recruit members. They are also using their sites to openly talk about crimes they have committed, Hunter said. Skipp Townsend, an interventionist, has been involved in the culture of gang violence for years and has noticed the recent trend of technology in gangs.

Youth in the East Coast are finding gang members through social networking sites and getting in contact with them, he said.

"These are groups of children with no guidance. They are reaching out to The Crips, and they want to create a hierarchy and they are doing it via the Internet," he said. However, governments are not just sitting back. Agencies like Ontario Police Department have found ways to use sites like YouTube to their advantage, said Detective Gabriel Gutierrez, who is assigned to the Gang Suppression Unit.

A suspect on trial tried to convince a jury that he was not affiliated with any gang, he said.
The Police Department was able to show the jury a video posted on YouTube of the individual with the gang, and he was convicted, Gutierrez said. But you can't solve the issues of gangs by locking them up, said Jerry Hunter, assistant chief of the state Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.

In order to adequate combat gangs, there needs to collaboration between politicians and law enforcement as well as community leaders and parents, Hunter said.

"If unchecked, gangs are capable of gripping entire communities with fear, violence, drugs, graffiti, and other crimes," said Torres.

"When communities are crushed under the weight of these crimes, we cannot sit back and let it happen. Our top priority should be to provide clean, safe environments for our children to grow and our families to live in."

Okay, time to stop crime...

2009-11-20T20:05:00.003-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "CornLogsRule"....

Okay, its time to stop crime.

And we at the WicBury Crapper, of course, have all the answers!

First, lets just admit that crime is totally out of control. Lets ask this question. If your car broke down on Rt. 13 at North Blvd. would you feel comfortable walking down Smith Street to PMRC to make a phone call at 2AM? Probably not. Why? Because you might get hit over the head, shot, stabbed, robbed, raped, or hit over the head while being shot, raped, robbed and stabbed.

So, is this the fault of the police? No. So where does the blame lie? Well the blame lies with the Government because even though everyone wants a lower crime rate and to feel safe in their homes there is apparently no money out there for more police, better equipment, or even to retain current cops on the job (some departments are laying off cops).

Brings us to our next point.. Is education as important as safety? No. While your educators enjoyed an increase in pay and have been restrained from having their budget cuts your kids will be getting beaten, shot, stabbed, robbed and hit over the head for their lunch money OR hit by a car because they slashed the police department's crossing guards. How foolish is this?

In any society safety is of paramount concern to citizens. If you are not safe and there is not enough police protection and the courts fail and punishment fails you have what we have today. And we are on the precipice of a very slippery slope. Eventually, you have anarchy, which is what rampant crime is. Rampant violent crime is the inability of society to control itself from more heathen behaviors because there is a lack of law enforcement. Our jails and prisons are at an all time high in capacity. The U.S. houses five times more people in prison than the rest of the world, on average.

And to no surprise Salisbury is now, per capita, the second most violet city in the United States. How can this be?

Well, people are not afraid of going to jail. Jail is somewhat of an inconvenience for them. People don't like going to prison because they know they won't be out anytime soon. We warehouse people for the simple fact that we can't figure out whats wrong in our society to combat crime. This question has been plaguing mankind since the inception of societal rule.

Years ago crime was not as rampant due to several reasons. First, the moral fiber of society was much more conservative. Most people did not think it was a wise idea to cuss the police mainly because the police would break their teeth off. Therefore, people had a healthy respect and fear of law enforcement officers, as it should be. The move away from the authoritarian style of policing and more towards the community oriented policing has not solved crime, rather it has gotten much worse.

There was a limit on technology and thus communications. Communications is not always a good thing. For instance before movable type (the printing press) people generally got their news from other areas by word of mouth or written notices posted conspicuously. Even when people only had telephones in their homes the ability of the government to tap a criminals phone line was much easier, cheaper, and quicker. It is much, much easier to communicate when criminals have prepaid drop phones. "Blicka Blicka, where you at?" "Yo the polize is right aroun the corna yo."

Drugs are more accepted. Hey, its okay to use, sell, produce, smoke, shoot, or whatever drugs now. In fact, lets open up marijuana smoke shops around the country, oh wait, that's already happening, never mind. OH people are getting shot over drugs? Eh, it's only criminals who cares. OH a stray bullet shot someone in the leg in an apartment building (pemberton), well, they shouldn't have been living in a lower income area. Oh wait a second, that's a wrong way of thinking. Whoops! We have to give people nicer places with tax money so that the criminals will sell drugs somewhere else and thus get shot somewhere else! WTF?!

So we at the crapper of course have the solution to everything. Here's the solution, drum roll please... follow the following plan and we guarantee a rapid drop in the crime rate...

1. Untie the hands of the police. You want less crime, cops want less crime but it might take some muscle because criminals don't care about beating you in the head and taking your wallet so, cops just might have to beat a criminal or two in the head.

2. Initiate martial law for 30 days.

3. Equip the police with what the police need (i.e. rifles, shotguns, tasers, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers).

4. Drop serious criminals on an island saturated with drugs and weapons with no way of escaping (shark infested waters or gunships off shore) and wait. Kinda like escape from New York. Cheesy movie but what a great idea.

5. If that doesn't work drop a MOAB over the island and kill everyone dead.

6. Child molesters, murders, and armed robbers, oh yeah and rapist hang out front of the courthouse. "The hell with them fellas. Worms gotta eat the same as buzzards." - Clint Eastwood, Outlaw Josey Whales.

7. Prioritize law enforcement budgets over anything else. Well it's nice that your kids are learning trigonometry and are all smart and stuff but, who cares when someone is breaking into your house at 3AM?

8. Joint street level enforcement task force. And, when we mean task force, not like the "crime task force" where fatheads sit around and wonder why things aren't improving, we mean twenty huge cops from multiple jurisdictions, in vans rolling around jumping out on corner drug dealers several times a week, randomly. You will see a rapid decrease in street level sales.

The last time this happened people cried that it was racist because cops raided the Parry and Gates barbershop where there is an open air drug market. So, how about now allowing drug sales to go on in front of your barbershop? Their answer, well if you see someone selling drugs in front of the barbershop arrest them! Well, cops tried to do that and it was racist apperently.

9. All searches authorized of persons and vehicles with just RAS (reasonable articuable suspicion). If you are not carrying dope or guns we guess you have nothing to worry about right?

10. Replace failing government officials with officials FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA. ENOUGH OF THE "GOOD OLD BOYS NETWORK" IN POLITICS AROUND HERE. THATS WHY NOTHING EVER GETS DONE WITH ANYTHING. WHO'S DING-A-LING IS BIGGER??ENOUGH OF THE CHIEF AND THE MAYOR BICKERING OVER DUMB CRAP. ENOUGH OF DEPARTMENTS BUTTING HEADS TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE CRIME PROBLEMS. REPLACE EVERYONE WITH ALL NEW AND OUT OF COUNTY/STATE PEOPLE. NEW IDEAS. NEW PEOPLE.

11. Das Crapper for president.

12. Fleeing felons shot dead.

Questions/comments? Hmmmmm?

Here's what 7 days worth of crime looks like in the city...

2009-11-20T20:02:00.001-05:00

Youch!

Here's what 30 days worth of crime looks like in the city...

2009-11-20T20:00:00.002-05:00

Dats a big pizza pie!

Off-duty Nev. officer slain upon arriving home

2009-11-19T15:36:00.001-05:00

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — An off-duty Las Vegas police officer was shot dead early Thursday in a shootout in the garage of his home during what authorities said they think was a random robbery attempt.

The officer died in an exchange of gunfire with one or more assailants shortly after midnight, said North Las Vegas police Officer Chrissie Coon.

"It looks like it was an attempted robbery," Coon said. "He was standing in the garage with the garage door open when he was attacked by multiple suspects. There was an exchange of gunfire."
Coon said the officer was in civilian clothes after arriving home from work when he was attacked. She said she didn't know how many shots were fired, or whether the assailants were wounded.
Clark County Undersheriff Rod Jett told reporters the slaying appeared to be a random act.
Jett identified the officer as a 30-year-old married father of two young children with two years on the police force. He was assigned to a patrol area in the West Las Vegas neighborhood.
The officer's name was not immediately made public.

Police were searching an area around the officer's house.

2009-11-19T15:31:00.001-05:00

Office of the State’s Attorney for Wicomico County
Courts Building
P. O. Box 1006
Salisbury, Maryland 21803
(410) 548-4880
Facsimile (410) 860-2425
PRESS RELEASE
November 19, 2009

A 44-year-old Fruitland man is sentenced to 15 years for committing sex offenses on three girls in his neighborhood.

This morning, Wicomico County Circuit Court Judge W. Newton Jackson sentenced Russell Glen Burnett to 10 years suspend all but 5 for each count of 3rd Degree Sex Offense. Burnett will serve these sentences consecutively plus 3 years supervised probation upon his release. The total sentence imposed was 30 years in the Division of Correction with 15 years to be served in prison.
Last month, Burnett pleaded guilty to 3 counts of 3rd Degree Sex Offense on two 8-year-olds and an 11-year-old. State’s Attorney Davis R. Ruark says Burnett committed the sex offenses on the three girls in his yard and in his home in April of 2009.

The State’s Attorney says some of the victims and their families were present at today’s sentencing. He says they are pleased Burnett will be in prison and their children will be safe as well as other children in the future.

Earlier this month, Burnett was federally indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor for the Purpose of Producing Child Pornography. He is awaiting trial in the U.S. District Court.

For more information contact: Carolyn Widdowson or Davis Ruark at 410 – 548 – 4880.

Crapper Board Meeting Scheduled

2009-11-19T14:27:00.005-05:00

Calling all WicBury Crapper Board Members... Just a remninder...

There is a meeting scheduled for 11/20/09 at noon at location BrassAssBackwards or on your secret squirrel list #23. Be there or be square. By order of Das Crapper. Refreshments and crab feast to be served. Open bar to all board members and their spouses.

Items to be discussed:

On going effort for discount card program

Officer/Supervisor of the Month decision

Agent Snooper of Pooping will make a presentation

Next months publishing goals

Agency Bullshit/Agency Kudos

Opening of WicBury Crapper Blogsite I, Law Enforcement Only Date

Review of recent criminal cases

Review of recent administrative malfunction and corrective actions to be taken

Please arrive wearing your ceremonial garb for the lighting of the "Holiday Tree" and the anointment of the pooper scooper idol. The ceremonial head covering is not required.

Remembering A Fallen Hero

2009-11-19T13:50:00.001-05:00

Trooper First Class William P. Mills Jr.

Maryland State Police

End of Watch: Friday, June 8, 1979
Age: 32

Tour of Duty: 9 years

Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire

Date of Incident: Friday, June 8, 1979

Weapon Used: Rifle

Suspect Info: Not available

Trooper Mills was shot and killed while investigating a domestic complaint involving neighbors in Brookview, Maryland. While on the scene he was shot in the chest with a .38 caliber handgun and knocked down. As he attempted to draw his weapon he was shot in the chest with a high powered rifle.

Trooper Mills had been with the agency for almost nine years.

Comment from a reader by e-mail...

2009-11-19T13:06:00.006-05:00

Our response in red....

If you have a question that you'd rather not post, email us at wicburycrapper@gmail.com and let us know if you would like your question answered privately or as a general post like this one.

Dear Crapper,

That article that you put up about a dysfunctional company was really interesting because I looked it over and at least 7 of the 15 signs apply to where I work at WCSO as a civilian employee lol. Why can't people at the top see the big elephant standing there?! I have never seen morale lower than it is now at our department. I really just can't understand why our bosses don't see or care about what's going on?

Sign No. 2: Bringing up a problem is considered as evidence of a personality defect rather than as an observation of reality. Sign No. 4: Double messages are delivered with a straight face.Quality and quantity are both job one. You can do it both cheaper and better, just don't ask how. If you're motivated enough, you should know already.
Sign No. 5: History is regularly edited to make executive decisions more correct, and correct decisions more executive than they actually were. Those huge salaries require some justification.
Sign No. 7: Directions are ambiguous and often vaguely threatening. Before you respond to a vague threat, remember this: Virtually every corporate scandal begins with someone saying, "Do it; I don't care how." That person is seldom the one who gets indicted.Sign No.
8: Internal competition is encouraged and rewarded.The word "teamwork" may be batted around like a softball at a company picnic, but in a dysfunctional company, the star players are the only ones who get recognition and big bucks.
Sign No. 9: Decisions are made at the highest level possible.Regardless of what it is, you have to check with your boss before doing it. She also has to check with her boss.Sign No. 10: Delegating means telling somebody to do something, not giving them the power to do it. According to Webster's Dictionary, you delegate authority, not tasks. In dysfunctional companies, you may have responsibility, but the authority lives in the office upstairs.Sign
No. 11: Management approaches from the latest best-seller are regularly misunderstood to mean what we're doing already is right on the mark. "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," "Good to Great" and "Who Moved My Cheese?" all seem to boil down to, "quit griping and do more with less."
Sign No. 12: Resources are tightly controlled. Your department may need upgraded software, but there's been a spending freeze since 2006. Cost control is entry-level management, but in a dysfunctional company, anything more sophisticated is considered too touchy-feely. Whatever you propose, the first question you will be asked is if it can be done cheaper.
Sign No. 13: You are expected to feel lucky to have a job and know you could lose it if you don't toe the line. Dysfunctional companies maintain control using the threat of punishment. Most will maintain that they also use positive rewards ... like your paycheck. A few people are actually fired, but most of those who go are driven to quit.
Sign No. 15: The company fails the Dilbert Test.Dysfunctional organizations have no sense of humor. People who post unflattering cartoons risk joining the ranks of the disappeared. When an organization loses the ability to laugh at itself, it is headed for big trouble. If you'd get in trouble for printing this article and posting it on the bulletin board at work, maybe it's time to look for another job before this one drives you crazy.

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "KissMyBrass"...

We will try to answer your question as generally as possible.... We assume the question is why can't people see the elephant?

Well, police departments are interesting animals because they generally don't adhere the the way a company functions because they don't "make money" and for the most part are not a customer friendly business. But, that doesn't mean that they should ignore all aspects of what makes a good company function. Essentially any police department is still an organization that should be planned and operate like a good company in several ways. Your "clients" or criminals or the general public you are there to take reports for should be generally happy with the services provided (less the criminals) and it is incumbent upon administration to ensure that their employees are happy or you get huge turnover, such as some city police departments (cough, cough).

Multiple studies have shown that the happier an employee is the more that employee will produce or at least not become anti-productive thus causing a cancer from within the company. Unhappy employees are a cancer that rapidly spreads, effecting the entire work place. Some believe or have been told that employees create their own morale. This is a very foolish viewpoint and essentially allows managers who adopt this viewpoint to ignore the needs, issues, and problems of their employees with a simple phrase therefore, making managers lazy and exempt from caring for their employees. Thus the cancer spreads.

So, how do you fight a cancer? Well you can use chemotherapy (threats, write ups, reassignments, and discipline) which kills all the bad tissue but also kills a lot of the living tissue and makes the organization sick, hairless, and vomiting. Or, you can use a lesser invasive method of observing, gathering information on how to improve the body before acting harshly, and working with all organs (or branches of the organization) in order to make it healthy again.

If the leadership in your organization never admits fault or that they are wrong or have made a mistake this too is a serious indication that something is very wrong. Everyone makes mistakes but, hey it doesn't apply to me because I have to save face. You are the one that's wrong, that report never made it to my desk and it's not because I lost it, you must have not turned it in or it got sucked into a black hole. Not my fault.

So if there is no mechanism in place for listening to concerns from personnel OR leadership is unwilling to admit there is a problem and is never wrong, things will not improve internally until this issue is fixed. There will always exist an "us vs. them" in these cases.

The funny thing is that some managers are reading this response and rolling their eyes. These people are the problems within an any organization because they think they are always right and peons are not smart enough to think beyond them and are only good for following orders. We crap on you. Poop poop.

Tracy Sparpaglione - Conviction Overturned?

2009-11-17T19:55:00.003-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "DasCrapper"...

An appellate court of Maryland recently overturned the conviction of former officer Tracy Sparpaglione, whom was arrested and prosecuted by the Wicomico County States Attorney office on several charges including sex offense charges, burglary and misconduct in office.

The balance of the charges were overturned and misconduct in office was originally upheld. This was recently overturned by the appellate court because the case had not proved or articulated in the charging documents a "malfeasance" in office.

So, Sbynews.com asked several questions of if this officer was to be reinstated or if there will be a civil case involved. Several persons commented that the States Attorney's office was responsible for the conviction being overturned and that others, such as the police department, should be held liable in his conviction.

Here's our take... Tracy was convicted on a charge which was overturned, not unlike many other persons who commit a crime for which they were arrested. There was more than enough probable cause to arrest Tracy which is all that a police officer or the state needs to charge someone with a crime, based on the witness testimony.

Further, Tracy violated departmental policy. It is clear that Tracy should have never returned to a residence that he had just arrested a suspect for and engage in a consensual sexual encounter with that person. To do so is plainly crazy and totally unethical on many different levels. The excuse that he needed to fill out an "arrest module" is absurd. A monkey could fill out the arrest module and the monkey could generalize the physical characteristics of the person, such as height and weight. So, clearly, Tracy should not be a police officer because his moral fiber, in our opinion, is totally flawed.

Someone also made the comment that many officers have had sex while on duty so why is this different. Frankly, cops shouldn't be engaging in sexual acts while on duty, even of on their break or "assignments". To do so is clearly a violation of the public trust. Having said that engaging in a sex act with your spouse or partner, although is still very unethical while working, is not engaging with a sex act on a girl that you just locked up therefore jeopardizing your job, the public trust, the criminal case in which you arrested her for, and making the entire department and all cops look stupid and silly.

Moreover, it is not the fault of the state's attorney's office in this matter. The state prosecutes cases that they feel are just and proper. It also loses cases many times but, that is not incumbent completely on the state. In this case, it is clear that the witness testimony was iffy at best and the court describes the witness are not entirely reliable (paraphrasing). Given the facts of the case the initial judge made a decision to convict on the charge of misconduct in office, even commenting on how disgusting it was.

Joe is not correct...

2009-11-17T19:35:00.004-05:00

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "CornLogsRule"...

Joe Albero published the following article on his blog about the Sheriff's Office response within the city limits which can be viewed here: http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2009/11/wcso-calls-for-service.html. The real truth is that WCSO does not respond for calls for service within the city limits and it is rare, very rare that the city police call WCSO for assistance.

The city police handle ALL CALLS within the city limits with the exception of some traffic stops that the county sheriff's preform. Most of the statistics that Joe quoted for the county "responding" within the city are calls for service at the schools, courts, traffic stops or officer (deputy) initiated actions. However, for the most part deputies are typically discouraged from initiating criminal investigations or responding for calls within the city limits.

Even though county sheriff's deputies have full authority to provide law enforcement services within the city of Salisbury it is contingent to both the city and county police administration to allow this to happen. Currently, this practice is not in place probably due to both administrations and/or unwritten SOPs.

Here is what Joe stated:

"Former City Councilwoman Lynn Cathcart has stood in front of the Council numerous times complaining the Sheriff's Department needs to come into the City of Salisbury more often and protect the City.

Lynn has attempted to make it sound as if the Sheriff's Department isn't offering their services enough and states that Salisbury is within the County, so why not help out.

The above is just one example of how the Sheriff's Department does in fact service the City of Salisbury. In numerous conversations I have had with representatives from the Sheriff's Department, they proudly serve the City and would gladly help out in any way, shape or form and once again documents like this prove this to be a fact.

Be sure to click on the image above to enlarge it and see what your Wicomico County Sheriff's Department is doing to help curb crime in the City of Salisbury. I think all of you will be surprised. The next time you see Lynn, tell her to try shutting her trap, after you take her foot out of her mouth."

Steven Seagal Lawman

2009-11-17T19:01:00.003-05:00

His movies have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. He is an expert martial artist with a 7th-degree black belt in Aikido. He's considered to be in the same class of action hero as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, Steven Seagal isn't just an action hero in the movies. For almost 20 years, Seagal has been working as a fully commissioned deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. In addition to going out on patrol, Seagal is an expert marksman who has worked with their SWAT team and has instructed Jefferson Parish officers in firearms and hand-to-hand combat.

Check out the preview: http://www.aetv.com/steven-seagal-lawman/video?bcpid=46881070001&bclid=36527476001&bctid=39451855001
Advanced screening of episode 1 on Nov 18th: http://www.aetv.com/steven-seagal-lawman/advance-screening/

Steven Seagal Lawman will allow fans to ride shotgun with Seagal as he and his hand-selected elite team of deputies respond to crimes in progress. Then, when Seagal goes off duty, the cameras will continue following him as he pursues his many ventures, including musical performances and philanthropic efforts in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans.

Series Premiere Wednesday December 2 10/9C

15 Signs Your Workplace Is Dysfunctional

2009-11-17T12:48:00.002-05:00

15 Signs Your Workplace Is Dysfunctional
By Albert J. Bernstein PhD, author "Am I the Only Sane One Working Here? 101 Solutions for Surviving Office Insanity"

Does your job drive you crazy? Do you sometimes wonder if you are the only sane person in working there? Is your workplace dysfunctional, or is it you? Here's how to find out.

Based on more than 30 years of experience as psychologist and business consultant, I've put together a checklist of 15 diagnostic signs of a psychologically dysfunctional business. Is it the job, or is it you?

Sign No. 1: Conspicuously posted vision or value statements are filled with vague but important-sounding words like "excellence" and "quality."
These words are seldom defined and the concepts they allude to are never measured.

Sign No. 2: Bringing up a problem is considered as evidence of a personality defect rather than as an observation of reality. In a dysfunctional company, what it looks like is not only more important than what it is, it is what it is. If you don't believe that, you are the problem. A surprising amount of information is classified. Dysfunctional companies have more state secrets than the CIA. Anything that might embarrass the boss turns out to be a national security issue.

Sign No. 3: If by chance there are problems, the usual solution is a motivational seminar.
Attitude is everything, especially in places where facts are embarrassing or inconvenient. In a dysfunctional family, there's an elephant -- usually a drunken abusive parent -- in the parlor, but no one ever mentions him. To appear sane, you have to pretend that the elephant is invisible, and that drives you crazy. Businesses are full of invisible elephants, too. Usually they are things that might cause difficulties for people with enough clout to prevent their discussion. The emperor may be naked, but if you have a good attitude, you won't mention it.

Sign No. 4: Double messages are delivered with a straight face.
Quality and quantity are both job one. You can do it both cheaper and better, just don't ask how. If you're motivated enough, you should know already.

Sign No. 5: History is regularly edited to make executive decisions more correct, and correct decisions more executive than they actually were.
Those huge salaries require some justification.

Sign No. 6: People are discouraged from putting things in writing.
What is written, especially financial records, is purposely confusing. You can never tell when you might need a little deniability.

Sign No. 7: Directions are ambiguous and often vaguely threatening.
Before you respond to a vague threat, remember this: Virtually every corporate scandal begins with someone saying, "Do it; I don't care how." That person is seldom the one who gets indicted.

Sign No. 8: Internal competition is encouraged and rewarded.
The word "teamwork" may be batted around like a softball at a company picnic, but in a dysfunctional company, the star players are the only ones who get recognition and big bucks.

Sign No. 9: Decisions are made at the highest level possible.
Regardless of what it is, you have to check with your boss before doing it. She also has to check with her boss.

Sign No. 10: Delegating means telling somebody to do something, not giving them the power to do it. According to Webster's Dictionary, you delegate authority, not tasks. In dysfunctional companies, you may have responsibility, but the authority lives in the office upstairs.

Sign No. 11: Management approaches from the latest best-seller are regularly misunderstood to mean what we're doing already is right on the mark. "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," "Good to Great" and "Who Moved My Cheese?" all seem to boil down to, "quit griping and do more with less."

Sign No. 12: Resources are tightly controlled.
Your department may need upgraded software, but there's been a spending freeze since 2006. Cost control is entry-level management, but in a dysfunctional company, anything more sophisticated is considered too touchy-feely. Whatever you propose, the first question you will be asked is if it can be done cheaper.

Sign No. 13: You are expected to feel lucky to have a job and know you could lose it if you don't toe the line. Dysfunctional companies maintain control using the threat of punishment. Most will maintain that they also use positive rewards ... like your paycheck. A few people are actually fired, but most of those who go are driven to quit.

Sign No. 14: Rules are enforced based on who you are rather than what you do.
In a dysfunctional company, there are clearly insiders and outsiders and everyone knows who belongs in each group. Accountability has different meanings depending on which group you're in.

Sign No. 15: The company fails the Dilbert Test.
Dysfunctional organizations have no sense of humor. People who post unflattering cartoons risk joining the ranks of the disappeared. When an organization loses the ability to laugh at itself, it is headed for big trouble. If you'd get in trouble for printing this article and posting it on the bulletin board at work, maybe it's time to look for another job before this one drives you crazy.

Albert J. Bernstein, Ph.D., is the author of the best-sellers "Dinosaur Brains" and "Emotional Vampires." His newest book is "Am I the Only Sane One Working Here? 101 Solutions for Surviving Office Insanity." For more information on how to stay sane at work, visit Dr. Al's Web site, www.albernstein.com.

Is the crapper a pussy?

2009-11-17T12:09:00.003-05:00

Relax... it's just roast beef...

kilbirnie said...
I just read your article and while i do like your website and i do agee with alot of what you guys post i have to take issue with you on this article. You guys or girls or both go on and on about drama but arent you creating drama by not telling the citizens of Salisbury and wicomico county who you are. I mean seriously with all due respect you dont say who you are because your a pussy. You go on and on about how other cops dont like Joe Albero. I have many friends in the law enforcement community and they all say the same about you and that is your a pussy for not saying who you are. Before you call Joe a drama queen look in the mirror. By the way you can call the grinch whatever the fuck you wnt he is just a piece of shit to use your venacular. I wait anxiously for a response. My first ammendment right is a beautiful thing and so is yours.

November 16, 2009 5:57 PM

Wicbury Crapper Board Member "ThinBlueLog" responds..
Interesting point....

Anyways, lets see if we can explain ourselves here. Are we pussys? No. A Pussy actually has no meaning in and of itself. Surprisingly, no one really knows where the term pussy came from only that is is likened to a cat which doesn't make much sense in the first place. It could come from the pussy-willow tree but, that would not make any sense either. For that matter "Dick" doesn't have any real relation to anything either. Maybe there was a guy named Dick once that was a dick? Who knows.

Now that we have sufficiently annoyed our readers with a useless information we will attempt to answer your question. Are we pussys? Well, depends how you look at it. First off, anyone taking this much of a risk in our profession to provide information and an outlet for cops to spew is taking a substantial risk to begin with. Second, are we creating drama by not providing who we are? Sure! Like we said, people revolve around drama. We don't think of it as drama per say more then intrigue. We like to keep people guessing. That's half the fun. At board meetings we sit around and laugh about what we hear and who people think we are. It's funny to us.

Lastly, publishing a persons name as an "owner" of a blog is stupid for several reasons. First, it is self serving. It makes these "blog owners" heads fat and they think they are something special... which they are not. THEY ARE NOT "MSM" AND NEITHER OR WE. Main stream media is what you see when you turn on cable and watch Fox News. Local news like WBOC is main stream media because they are broadcasting a show providing news to a mass audience, have multiple field reporters, and a lot, lot more people watch them. Anyways, sorry got sidetracked there. Joe thinks he is awesome which is crazy. He runs a blog. So, announcing who he is, just like Johnathan Taylor, opens himself up to law suits and other drama.

We are a group of ten currently so, none of us want credit for creating this blog, maintaining this blog, or whatever you like. We do this for the fun of it. Not to further our own egos by thinking we are something special because we pass out awards to cops, allow cops to spew, or talk straight stuff.

Funny that you publish the comment but don't attach your written name to the bottom? A Pussy? No, you are justing being smart protecting yourself personally.

We have, and will continue to admit, we are crap. So pussy? Nah. We just like to stay tucked away in a corner, watching, laughing, and putting shit on the internet.

November 17, 2009 12:28 PM

In wake of Ohio officer's death, cops lobby for H1N1 vaccine priority

2009-11-15T23:55:00.001-05:00

11/15/2009

In wake of Ohio officer's death, cops lobby for H1N1 vaccine priority

By John Futty
Columbus Dispatch

PREBLE COUNTY, Ohio — The death of a captain in the Preble County sheriff's office has prompted Franklin County law-enforcement officials to renew their call to give officers priority for vaccination against the H1N1 virus.

But it's unclear how Michael Thornsberry contracted the virus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aren't planning to change recommendations for priority groups.

Thornsberry, 38, a 15-year veteran of the Preble County force, died Friday at Indiana University Hospital, where he was treated for H1N1 and pneumonia.

The president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9 in Columbus mentioned Thornsberry's death this week in a letter to central Ohio legislators in Washington, D.C.

"I'm imploring you to make the necessary contacts to ensure that law-enforcement officers are given the opportunity to be vaccinated as soon as possible," wrote Police Sgt. Jim Gilbert.

He and Franklin County Chief Deputy Steve Martin began lobbying Washington legislators weeks ago after learning that the CDC did not include law officers among the priority groups for early vaccinations.

The CDC gave priority to pregnant women; people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months; health-care and emergency-medical services workers; and those with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

A CDC spokeswoman said in an e-mail Tuesday that officers "who provide emergency medical service on a regular basis as part of their job" can qualify for early vaccinations at the discretion of the state.

"For many law-enforcement officers, providing emergency medical care would be an uncommon event," Arleen Porcell-Pharr wrote. "Thus, at this point, we have no plans to change our recommendations."

Gilbert said there are about 3,100 active, sworn officers in Franklin County.

The Pickaway County General Health District decided to include law officers among its "first-responders" and has vaccinated a couple hundred officers, said Tammy Ayers, director of operations for the district.

News reports indicate that officers have received the vaccine in other communities, including Muncie, Ind., and the Minneapolis area.

Preble County Sheriff Michael Simpson said that no one knows whether Thornsberry, who became ill in early October, contracted H1N1 on the job.

Franklin County Sheriff Jim Karnes said he questions how law-enforcement officers could not be defined as first responders.

"Who were the ones who died in the towers (on Sept. 11): firemen and policemen. I didn't see anyone from Capitol Hill running into buildings," Karnes said. "If we're not first responders, who are?"

Blogs Rule?

2009-11-15T22:07:00.004-05:00

Commentary from WicBury Board Member "CornLogsRule"....

Do Blogs Rule or Blow Chunks?

So in the last few weeks we've seen the likes of Johnathan Taylor aka Piggy Fats and Joe "Thats My Ego You Are Stepping On" Albero continue to go head to head. Unfortunately, as we mentioned before, the driving force in the blog wars are egos. So, we here at the Crapper like to put things into perspective for you, our general readership. While it is true that both Joe and John Or BigHead and Humugofats, as we like to call them here at Crapper Central, do actually have a decent readership now... Both of these pea brains have their own agendas.

Just as the SbyNews.com was started on Joe's bent on revenge tactics for the city canning his wife from the zoo, which he is still beating into the ground, John's website was started on the theory that Joe is a pinhead for trashing other people. This bothered Joe to the extent that he swore off John and won't even use his name on his website because it would increase John's google hits. In fact, Joe didn't get on the Chief of Police's case until Joe started showing up at the zoo with his camera taking pictures of the staff at which time the Chief banned him from the zoo.

Joe has now even gone so far as to create a TV show, of himself, for himself. While it is true, Joe is very well off, it should be pointed out that Joe's ego is only dwarfed by John's fat ass. And not by much. Joe pointed out in his first episode of "The Joe Albero Show" that his headquarters in downtown Salisbury is "where it all happens". Joe, please. Get a grip. There are ten of us at the Crapper and it happens wherever we feel like making it happen (this blogsite not crapping).. We can make this blog site at home, in our cars, some of us at work, and even laying in bed or sitting on the crapper!

So, lets put things into perspective. People love conflict. Everyone in the US loves conflict and drama which is why we have all of these "reality" TV shows, soap operas, and news broadcasts which show death, destruction, and misery of human kind. How many times do you see a positive news cast about something over that of a negative one?

To break this down further, Joe, your website and your TV show are nothing but distractions, something amusing to look at, but dismissed in the same manner. Your crap is restricted to the lower shore and frankly that's where it will stay because no one really, truly cares about anything you report on. They just like drama. Which is why people are reading this article of us crapping on you. By the way, most of the cops don't like you. Just FYI Joe, oh and most of the fire fighters neither for obvious reasons.

John, your crap is crap too. Lets face it, your entire website is a collection of people who hate Joe Albero. We'll give you the creative award for that. But, continuing to talk crap about cops, sheriff's office employees, former employees, and the Sheriff himself with little or no dealings directly with him is a little coo-coo. You, like Joe, need medication. Oh and cops and fire fighters definitely don't like you either.

In an earlier time, both of you would probably be committed. In Medieval times, Joe would have been burned at the stake while John's fat ass would have been set ablaze for heat and sausages. Joe's chin hair and foul wind would have been enough to power the the city of Minneapolis for a fort night while a hunk of John's left ass check could light up Chicago for a week.

Get of the soap boxes. Deflate your egos. Wait, sorry, deflate your fucking egos and get on with your lives. Or, hey Joe continue to inflate your own ego, pop Viagra, and build your blogsite into everything it can be, a blogsite. John, continue to fuck up Joe's meteoric rise to well, a blog site guy. Cause we think it's all funny as poo.

We on the other hand, are just crap. VIVA DAS CRAPPER!

Police commissioner sent a letter promising to melt Snell’s badge “into a lump of metal.”

2009-11-13T18:41:00.000-05:00

PHILADELPHIA – A former Philadelphia police officer convicted of robbing a drug dealer and participating in a home invasion was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison.

The rogue officer, Malik Snell, was denounced by the judge, prosecutors, and city officials. The police commissioner sent a letter promising to melt Snell’s badge “into a lump of metal.”

Snell, who spent four years in the Marines and then nearly eight as a Philadelphia officer, sobbed as he asked for a lesser sentence, but U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick said he was deliberately exceeding federal guidelines.

“It is very difficult for this court to work up any compassion for you,” Surrick said, noting that Snell had perjured himself “over and over again” and never explicitly acknowledged his crimes.

Snell was found guilty in June of conspiracy, attempted robbery, and a weapons charge, all stemming from a failed home invasion in Pottstown.

He was also convicted of stealing $40,000 in cash, hidden in a diaper bag, from Ricardo McKendrick Jr., a South Philadelphia drug kingpin. The incident occurred while Snell was in uniform. Surrick said he believed Snell had robbed other drug dealers.

Snell was discharged from the police force in 2008; the incidents occurred in 2007 while he was assigned to the 18th District in West Philadelphia. Two earlier trials had ended in hung juries.

Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey’s comment came in a written letter. He had been scheduled to appear in court to ask for “the harshest penalty possible,” but prosecutors said a flight delay and traffic jams prevented that.

“The badge he dishonored will be destroyed . . . melted into a lump of metal,” Ramsey wrote.

Ramsey noted that when an officer is killed in the line of duty, that badge number is “permanently retired . . . as a final honor to these fallen heroes.”

In Snell’s case, Ramsey said, he was “acting out of disgust.”

Unmarked to Marked Color Changing Police Car!

2009-11-13T16:33:00.001-05:00

Suspended St. Louis officer says he 'could have used verbal judo'

2009-11-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

11/12/2009

Suspended St. Louis officer says he 'could have used verbal judo'

By Rebecca S. Rivas
St. Louis AMerican

ST. LOUIS — After being suspended without pay for 19 months from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Police Officer Scott Tillis made his final argument to keep his job at a penalty hearing on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the Board of Police Commissioners found Tillis guilty of two charges of insubordination: conduct unbecoming of an officer and bringing discredit to department or personnel.

Before the reprimands of April 2008, Tillis had filed a discrimination lawsuit against the police board and Police Chief Joe Mokwa because his commanding officers would not allow him to practice his religion. When asked on the stand what he would have done differently, Tillis said, “Recognizing (Smith’s) anger and how he felt, I could have used verbal judo to calm down the situation.”

Welcome Back...

2009-11-13T11:44:00.001-05:00

From WicBury Crapper Board Member "DasCrapper"...

For Wicomico County...

We would like to welcome back a cop to the road who recently was transferred from courts. We would also like to extend a nod to a cop that recently got transferred back to courts and has recovered from a serious surgery. We hope you get back to where you want to be brother. Good luck to all.

Kudos to the department for these transfers.

Polling coming back for officer of the month!

2009-11-13T10:44:00.001-05:00

From WicBury Board Member "SilentButDeadly"...

Yes! Cast your vote for your favorite cops for officer and supervisor of the month for November! List your nominations here or in the last post for nominations. We will be posting a poll online (a little more secure this time) for voting on the 15th! But, we need nominations first to add to the poll. Currently there are almost twenty people in the running as individuals and as a group!

Also, we have gotten a whole buncha membership requests for our officer only blogsite. We will be approving them shortly. Development of the WicBury Crapper One took a little longer than expected. But, those who applied and have had their credentials verified, standby for an approval e-mail shortly (this week or early next week).

Top Ten Major Legal Cases For Cops...

2009-11-13T08:25:00.000-05:00

Police legal advisors from across the nation gathered at the IACP Conference to learn from each other and compare notes on legal developments in law enforcement legal topics across the country. Several presenters discussed the case of Arizona v. Gant and its impact on the search incident to arrest doctrine. Legal officers joined with police physicians for a panel examining the safe use of electronic control devices. Carl Milazzo of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center was joined by the DEA Training Academy’s Jayme Holcomb and the FBI’s Jonathan Rudd in a session exploring the search incident to arrest doctrine applied to cell phones and GPS devices in the post-Gant world. Elliot Spector, a fixture at the IACP updates on civil liability, presented the latest cases on racial profiling, false arrest, as well as search and seizure liability. The Americans for Effective Law Enforcement has graciously provided access to all of the presentations and papers from the 2009 Legal Officers Section meetings and posted them here.
An employment law update, including a discussion of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Connecticut firefighter promotional exam case of Ricci v. DiStephano, was presented by Orlando City Police advisors Jody Litchfield and Lee Ann Freeman. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the City of New Haven violated the Civil Rights Act by tossing out the results of a test where 18 Hispanic and white firefighters passed the promotional exam, but no black firefighters achieved a passing score. The city believed that the test had a disparate impact on black firefighters seeking promotion to lieutenant and captain positions. The case drew national attention because then-judge Sonia Sotomayor was on the appellate court panel affirming the city’s decision.
Cases decided in the 2008-2009 term

Arizona v. Johnson, 129 S.Ct. 781 (2009)

Johnson was the backseat passenger in a car stopped for a traffic violation. Johnson’s behavior and clothing prompted questioning. The officer learned that Johnson was from a town with a Crips gang and that he’d served prison time. The officer asked Johnson to get out of the car to question him further about his gang affiliation. The officer suspected that Johnson was armed and frisked him, feeling a gun. A further search revealed that he was holding marijuana. Johnson began to struggle, and the officer handcuffed him. Johnson was charged with possession of drugs and possession of a weapon by felon.
The Arizona Court of Appeals held that Johnson was lawfully seized during the encounter by virtue of being a passenger in a car that was lawfully stopped for an insurance violation. The Arizona court also held that the initial encounter between the officer and Johnson was voluntary. However, the court stated that once the officer began to question Johnson on a matter unrelated to the traffic stop, the frisk authority ceased, unless there was independent reasonable suspicion that Johnson had committed a crime.
In Terry v. Ohio, 391 U.S. 1 (1968), the Supreme Court ruled that an officer may conduct a frisk when two conditions are present. First, the investigatory stop must be lawful, based on reasonable suspicion that the person detained is committing, is about to commit, or has committed, a crime. Second, to progress from a stop to a frisk, the officer must reasonably suspect that the person stopped is armed and dangerous. Two years ago, in Brendlin v. California, 551 U.S. 249 (2007), the Supreme Court held that a traffic stop constitutes a seizure of a vehicle’s passengers as well as the driver. The temporary seizure of the vehicle occupants normally remains reasonable for the duration of the stop. The Court held that Johnson remained lawfully seized for the duration of the traffic stop. Thus, the first requirement of the Terry v. Ohio frisk rule was satisfied. Because there was also reasonable suspicion that Johnson was armed, the frisk was proper.
Arizona v. Johnson also answered another vital question for street cops. Four years ago, in Muehler v. Mena, 544 U.S. 93 (2005), the Supreme Court held that mere police questioning on a topic unrelated to the initial reason for an otherwise lawful investigatory detention does not create a further seizure requiring a further legal basis. Muehler was a case of a detention during a search warrant execution at a home. Many courts subsequently applied its reasoning to questioning at traffic stops. Some ruled that an officer’s questioning must be strictly limited to the purpose of the traffic stop; others disagreed. A unanimous Supreme Court has now resolved this important question. The Court held: “An officer's inquiries into matters unrelated to the justification for the traffic stop, this Court has made plain, do not convert the encounter into something other than a lawful seizure, so long as those inquiries do not measurably extend the duration of the stop.”
Arizona v. Gant, 129 S.Ct. 1710 (2009)

The United States Supreme Court restricted the search incident to arrest doctrine, rejecting a broad reading of New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454 (1981). In Arizona v. Gant, the Court overturned the search incident to arrest of Rodney Gant’s car after Gant was arrested for driving with a suspended license, handcuffed and secured in the back of a patrol car with several officers at the scene. Officers found cocaine in Gant’s car during the search incident to the driver license arrest.
The Court held that a search of the passenger compartment of a vehicle following an arrest is allowed “only if [1] the arrestee is within reaching distance of the passenger compartment at the time of the search or [2] it is reasonable to believe the vehicle contains evidence of the offense of arrest. When these justifications are absent, a search of an arrestee's vehicle will be unreasonable unless police obtain a warrant or show that another exception to the warrant requirement applies.”
In Chimel v. California, 395 U. S. 752 (1969), the Supreme Court approved a search incident to arrest of the “lunge area” on two theories. First, the suspect could reach a weapon and endanger the officer. Second, the suspect could grab and destroy evidence. Once the suspect is handcuffed and moved away from the vehicle, the suspect’s ability to reach evidence or a weapon is eliminated, or at least significantly reduced. Thus, no search incident to arrest is permissible under the rationale that the suspect can destroy evidence or reach a weapon. One of the practical dangers of the decision in Arizona v. Gant is that some officers may conclude that there is a practical balancing act, a tactical trade off. Leave the suspect unsecured, unhandcuffed, and near the car, and there remains the possibility that that suspect would lunge toward a weapon and thus, the legal justification for the search remains. The legal justification may come at the cost of a significant risk to the officers’ safety.

Five years ago, in Thornton v. United States, 541 U. S. 615 (2004), the Court recognized that a search of a vehicle incident to the arrest of a recent occupant may be also justified “when it is reasonable to believe evidence relevant to the crime of arrest might be found in the vehicle.” The Gant decision also leaves this holding intact. Because Gant and the other two suspects were in custody, handcuffed and secured in separate police cars, the Court refused to apply the Chimel lunge or reaching justification to the case. And because Gant was arrested for a driver license violation, the Thornton evidentiary search holding would not apply. It was not reasonable to believe that the vehicle held evidence of Gant’s suspended driver license status.
Gant holds that once the arrestee is secured, a search incident to arrest of the vehicle is lawful only when there is reason to believe that the vehicle holds evidence of the underlying crime on which the arrest is based. Gant does not foreclose other search doctrines that may apply to particular cases. Fourth Amendment warrant clause exceptions of consent, probation/parole search, exigent circumstances, vehicle “frisk” for weapons upon appropriate reasonable suspicion, inventory and community caretaking, continue to potentially apply.

Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (2009)

This case offers substantial protection to officers and supervisors facing claims of discriminatory law enforcement. In the months following the September 11, 2009, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies received over 90,000 tips regarding the September 11 terrorist attacks. The usual — and some of the not-so-usual — suspects were rounded up. One such suspect was Javaid Iqbal, a New York cable television installer. Iqbal was incarcerated in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, in the Administrative Maximum Special Housing Unit. Iqbal claimed that he was beaten and called names. He was convicted of fraudulently using another person’s Social Security card and number and was deported to Pakistan. He sued a number of law enforcement officials, including FBI Director Robert Mueller and former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft. He claimed that Mueller and Ashcroft personally condoned his incarceration and incarceration of others based on their religious affiliation and ethnic origin.

A slender 5-4 majority held that the complaint failed to plead sufficient facts to state a claim for purposeful and unlawful discrimination. The Court has previously ruled that the theories of respondeat superior and vicarious liability cannot be employed to impose liability under Section 1983 or a Bivens action on a command or policy level official for the acts of their subordinates. Ashcroft v. Iqbal extends protection to law enforcement supervisors accused of acquiescing in discriminatory conduct by requiring plaintiffs to show the supervisors’ discriminatory purpose, and in use of force cases by requiring plaintiffs to show that the supervisors knew of and acquiesced in the use of force, and had a sadistic purpose in their actions.

Herring v. United States, 129 S.Ct. 695 (2009)

Herring went to the Coffee County Sheriff’s impound yard to check on one of his vehicles that had been impounded. As he was leaving, a deputy saw Herring, recognized him, and checked for an arrest warrant. When the deputy found no warrant in Coffee County, he asked a clerk to telephone the neighboring Dale County Sheriff and check for warrants. The Dale County Sheriff’s clerk stated that there was an arrest warrant for Herring. The deputy stopped Herring, arrested him, searched him, and found a handgun and some methamphetamine. However, within 10 to 15 minutes of the call to the Dale County Sheriff, the clerk called back and said that the warrant had been recalled and was not valid. Due to negligent record-keeping by the court clerk, the warrant was “active” in the computer database.
Herring asked to have the gun and drug evidence suppressed. The Court of Appeals refused, holding that the good faith exception to the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule should apply. Herring appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which upheld the court of appeals’ decision. For the first time ever, the Supreme Court extended the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule for constitutional violations arising from an officer’s error and not merely a court worker’s mistake. This decision follows on the 2006 ruling in Hudson v. Michigan, 547 U.S. 586 (2006), in which the Supreme Court refused to apply the exclusionary rule as a sanction for a violation of the knock and announce rule in search warrant execution. The Court noted, exclusion “has always been our last resort, not our first impulse.”
The Court focused on the flagrancy of the error, whether suppression was likely to determine future errors of a similar nature, and whether exclusion of the evidence outweighs the harm to justice incurred when a guilty person goes free. In applying the good faith exception to Herring’s situation, the Court emphasized that it “did not find the record-keeping error to be reckless or deliberate.” Though the Court also left open the possibility that not all police record keeping errors are covered by the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule, it directed lower courts to consider whether such errors are systemic, or whether police have recklessly or intentionally entered false information into a database. The Court was sharply divided, with four justices agreeing that exclusion of evidence is the proper remedy for negligent errors in police record-keeping. The decision seems to signal that the Court wants to see the Exclusionary Rule applied for its original purpose: to deter police misconduct.
Kansas v. Ventris, 129 S.Ct. 1841 (2009)

Donnie Ray Ventris and his girlfriend confronted Hicks at Hicks’s home. Polite conversation went downhill and Hicks was shot and killed. Ventris and the girlfriend took a bunch of his stuff. When arrested, Ventris and his girlfriend each claimed that the other did the shooting. One has to wonder whether the relationship lasted!

While in prison awaiting trial, Ventris shared a cell with Doser, a probation violator who had been specifically recruited by the police to listen for any incriminating information from Ventris. In exchange for this information, the prosecution offered to release Doser from probation and spare him the possibility of serving additional prison time. Doser subsequently told police that Ventris privately admitted to being the one who shot Hicks and took his possessions.
At trial, Ventris took the stand and testified that it was his girlfriend who drew the gun and shot Hicks. The prosecution called Doser to testify about Ventris’s alleged jailhouse confession. Ventris objected to this testimony on the ground that the police had violated his Sixth Amendment rights because Doser, acting as an undercover informant, had effectively interrogated him in the absence of his counsel and without a knowing and voluntary waiver of his Sixth Amendment rights. The prosecution conceded that Ventris’s Sixth Amendment rights had been violated, but it argued that the testimony should nonetheless be admissible for purposes of impeachment that is, to contradict Ventris’s own testimony and thereby call his truthfulness into question. Ventris was ultimately convicted of aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.

The Court held that any benefits from exclusion in these circumstances are greatly outweighed by its costs. The costs of exclusion are substantial, as it would offer a shield to defendants who take the stand at trial and then commit perjury. The marginal deterrence achieved through exclusion, on the other hand, would be small, since the prosecution is already significantly deterred when these uncounseled statements are barred from its case in chief.

Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, 129 S.Ct. 2527 (2009)

This case may well have the biggest financial impact in many years on the cost of policing and prosecution. Boston police officers arrested Luis Melendez-Diaz as he sold cocaine sale in a K-Mart parking lot. One wonders whether the police considered the case to be a blue light special. At trial, bags of the cocaine allegedly sold by Melendez-Diaz were introduced into evidence along with the drug analysis certificates from a state lab technician who analyzed the drugs and identified them as cocaine. The jury convicted Melendez-Diaz of distributing cocaine.
Melendez-Diaz argued on appeal that the prosecution’s introduction of the drug analysis certificates violated his Sixth Amendment confrontation right under Crawford v. Washington. After Crawford, a defendant has the right to demand that either a hearsay declarant testify or that the prosecution show that the declarant is unavailable and that the defendant had a prior opportunity for cross examination.
Prior to the Court’s decision in this case, 44 states and the District of Columbia allowed the prosecution to introduce laboratory technicians’ certificates to identify illicit drugs. In the first few years after Crawford v. Washington, the Court denied certiorari in cases seeking to challenge the admission of such certificates as “testimonial.” Dozens of states, and many national organizations, filed amicus briefs supporting the State of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts argued that the Confrontation Clause was traditionally applied to statements made to police by eyewitnesses to a crime, and not peripheral witnesses such as forensic technicians. The state urged the Court to examine the character of lab reports at being consistent with the sort of public records that fit an accepted exception to the hearsay prohibition. Melendez-Diaz countered that the reports are prepared expressly for the purpose of aiding a criminal prosecution, and therefore lack the objective character of other public records.

The Court held that the lab technicians’ affidavits are testimonial and are subject to the Court’s holding in Crawford v. Washington. Massachusetts had also argued that the defense was free to call the lab technician and the Court rejected that claim. Only four days after issuing the opinion in Melendez-Diaz, the Court granted certiorari in Commonwealth v. Magruder, 657 S.E.2d 113, cert. granted sub nom Briscoe v. Virginia, No. 07 1191 (June 29, 2009) and will squarely address the question of “If a State allows a prosecutor to introduce a certificate of forensic laboratory analysis, without presenting the testimony of the analyst who prepared the certificate, does the State avoid violating the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment by providing that the accused has a right to call the analyst as his own witness?”

The Court stated that “the sky will not fall” after its ruling. Perhaps not, but the day-to-day business of prosecuting alcohol and drug offenses will become far more complicated. Though this decision significantly impacts the prosecution burden, it may well be that a middle ground will be found in most cases. An effective defense attorney recognizes the value in stipulating to chemical testing when there is no advantage to be gained. Most technicians are excellent witnesses and their testimony generally scores points only for the prosecution. Defense attorneys may also exercise caution in irritating judges, juries and even prosecutors with unnecessary demands that the laboratory staff testify. On the other hand, there are often advantages in cross examining even the best witness in a close case.

Some states already have notice statutes applying to laboratory tests. The Court observed that these “notice-and-demand statutes require the prosecution to provide notice to the defendant of its intent to use an analyst’s report as evidence at trial, after which the defendant is given a period of time in which he may object to the admission of the evidence absent the analyst’s appearance live at trial.” Because these statutes do not shift the burden, they are constitutional.

Melendez-Diaz is certain to generate legislative action and additional litigation. One immediate question is whether the calibration affidavits used to certify breath alcohol testing devices and the calibration affidavits for other laboratory equipment will fall under the shadow of Crawford and Melendez-Diaz.
Pearson v. Callahan, 129 S.Ct. 808 (2009)

Though not a widely-heralded case from this year, this case is a great win for attorneys who defend police officers in civil rights lawsuits. A confidential informant told officers that he could buy methamphetamine from Afton Callahan. The CI went to Callahan’s home and Callahan invited him into the home. After seeing methamphetamine, the CI gave a pre arranged signal and officers entered the home. They had neither an arrest warrant nor a search warrant. During the entry, an officer saw Callahan drop what was later identified as a bag of methamphetamine. During the criminal appeal, the prosecution conceded the lack of warrant and the lack of exigent circumstances for the entry. Callahan prevailed and the Utah Court of Appeals reversed his conviction. Callahan then sued for damages in federal court. The Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit found that the “consent once removed” doctrine was not applicable when the person entering by consent is not a police officer. The Court of Appeals ruled that the officers violated Callahan’s civil rights, and that they were not entitled to qualified immunity because they should have known that they were violating Callahan’s rights.

The Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and held that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity from suit. However, the critical holding in the Supreme Court decision does not resolve the issue of “consent once removed.” Though the officers are victorious in the litigation, the real value of this case is that the Court took the opportunity to revise the rule of Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194 (2001). Saucier imposed an analytical model that required a court deciding the issue of qualified immunity for officers to first decide whether the facts alleged by a plaintiff actually rose to the level of a constitutional violation, and then decide whether the constitutional right allegedly violated was “clearly established” at the time of the violation. Many lower courts had criticized the rigid analytical approach, arguing that some cases could be resolved by more expedient means. The true benefit of this decision is to allow federal courts more flexibility in dealing with civil rights cases and ultimately to save litigation costs and headaches.

Cases to be decided in this term
Carr v. United States, No. 08-1301

Thomas Carr plead guilty to sexual abuse in 2004. Two years later, Congress passed the Sex Offender Notification Act, requiring all states to provide a public web site with photographs and information about registered sex offenders. Upon Carr’s release from prison, he was required to register as a sex offender. He moved from Alabama to Indiana and was arrested in 2007. Carr was charged with failing to register as a sex offender upon his move to Indiana, in violation of the 2006 federal law. He claimed that the ex post facto doctrine prohibited his prosecution on a law that did not exist when he was originally convicted as a sex offender. The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rejected Carr’s claim. Other federal appellate courts have reached differing results on the application of the sex offender registration statute to persons convicted of sex crimes prior to its passage.

The high court will also consider another sex offender appeal in United States v. Comstock, in which the Court will determine the constitutionality of keeping a dangerous sex offender incarcerated after the completion of a prison sentence for the underlying crimes.

Berghuis v. Smith, No. 08-1402

This case will revisit the concept of racial proportionality in the jury pool. Diapolis Smith was convicted of murder by an all-white jury. He claimed that the jury pool in Michigan had too few blacks. Black prospective jurors were often excused for work, transportation and child care issues. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held in Smith’s favor, ruling that the statistical analysis showed systemic exclusion of blacks in the jury pool. The Supreme Court will decide whether Smith’s conviction should be tossed on those grounds.
Berghuis v. Thompkins, No. 08 1470

Van Chester Thompkins was convicted of a 2001 murder. Shortly after his arrest, officers provided a Miranda warning. Thompkins said that he understood his rights. However, he did not offer an explicit waiver of his rights. During the interrogation, Thompkins occasionally nodded his head, made eye contact with the officers and answered some questions verbally. An officer asked him if he “prayed for forgiveness for shooting that boy down” and Thompkins clearly said “yes.” Thompkins claimed that his less-than-open communications with the officers should have lead them to understand that he did not wish to waive his Miranda rights. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out his confession. The Michigan Attorney General argues that, “Neither Miranda or its progeny prohibit interaction between an officer and a defendant after warnings have been given and acknowledged but before the invocation of rights.”
Florida v. Powell, No. 08-1175

Kevin Powell was arrested and taken to the police station for interrogation. The officers told him that he had a right to consult an attorney before questioning. However, the form of the Miranda warning given did not include a statement that he had the right to have an attorney present during questioning. The trial court found that was not a sufficient breach of the Miranda rule to trigger exclusion of his admissions. The Florida Court of Appeals and Florida Supreme Court disagreed, reversing his conviction. The United State Supreme Court will now decide whether the flawed warning was fatal to a valid interrogation.
McDonald v. Chicago, No. 08-1521

Nearly two centuries passed before the Supreme Court decided a landmark case under the Second Amendment. Following on the heels of District of Columbia v. Heller, which held that the right to bear arms is a personal right, this appeal asks the Supreme Court to determine that the City of Chicago’s ban on handguns, as well as certain other restrictions on long guns, are unconstitutional. The theory relied upon by the plaintiff is that the Selective Incorporation doctrine of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause forces the City of Chicago to recognize that personal handgun ownership is an individual constitutional right. The case is certain to generate substantial interest among law professors and constitutional scholars because the petition also asks the Supreme Court to entirely overrule the Slaughter-House Cases. These were a series of three cases decided just after the Civil War that the Fourteenth Amendment did not requirer application of fundamental civil rights to the various states’ (and local) governments. If the Slaughter-House Cases are overturned, it likely means that the right to a jury in a civil case and the right to a grand jury in a criminal case will automatically be binding upon state governments. Thus, the irony of the case is that conservative gun rights advocates are pressing an issue that stands to advance a cause promoted for many years by civil libertarians often associated with more liberal causes.

Supreme Court resource sites:
• http://www.oyez.org/

• http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

• www.kenwallentine.com/xiphos

SPD Honors Top Cops, MSP Touts New Troopers

2009-11-12T20:59:00.007-05:00

From WicBury Crapper Board Member "CornLogsRule"...

SALISBURY -- The city police department celebrated the accomplishments and efforts of its officers during an award ceremony Thursday.

The department gave awards and recognized more than 50 law enforcement officers and employees in the ceremony that is hosted twice each year.

The Medal of Honor, the department's highest honor, was awarded to Officer Daniel Calhoun. The Silver Star Awards, the second highest honor, were given to Corporal Don Kuczenski and Officer Tom Burt.

"These officers are doing good work in the city," said Salisbury Police Chief Allan Webster.

Maryland State Police also had something to celebrate after the recent graduation of 59 candidates from the state police academy.

Each new trooper had to undergo 26 weeks at the academy in Sykesville, Md.
"It's a very demanding six months," said Lt. Krah Plunkert, the Princess Anne barrack commander.

Two graduates, Tpr. Jonathan King, a 21 year old Somerset County native, and Tpr. Ryan Watkins, a 21-year-old Wicomico County resident, have been assigned to the Princess Anne Barrack

Do your kids know the "C-Walk"?

2009-11-12T15:54:00.000-05:00

Kids all across the country learning the "C" Walk. Here a girl even does a highschool project on it and the dance team dances to it in the auditorium. This is the "C" walk or "Crips" walk performed by crip gang affiliated rappers like ice cube and xhibit.

Tired of crime?

2009-11-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

So you say you're tired of crime eh? Crime up 11% eh? Well, we have your solution. We bring you this guy...rapping about robbing people in Salisbury and his gang membership, shooting people, and earning money from drug sales. Nice!

Crime Will Not Be Tolerated...

2009-11-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

I like it from behind...

2009-11-12T11:34:00.000-05:00