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.
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3 years ago
8 comments:
OK Bounty hunters call them what they are work withthem or not?
I disagree. While it is nice that theoretically all the agencies should work together in a cooperative group I think this is highly unlikely.
First and foremost, just because you cut off the head of an agency doesn't mean the body still does not remember the head. Case in point, look at Sheriff Lewis. Everyone thought that when the new sheriff arrived things would “change”. That he would move administrators around or even terminate them and that there truly would be aggressive criminal enforcement in the county. But, that is not the case.
What we have is citizens who think that Sheriff Lewis is the best thing that happened around here. Sheriff Lewis, as another commenter pointed out, has not decreased the crime rate at all, in fact it increased.
So you made the suggestion that we should possibly combine agencies into what I assume you meant as a county police department. There are several major problems with this idea. And, I warn you if this occurs it will be MAJORLY dysfunctional. Even more dysfunctional that the current organizations are separated.
First and foremost you have the problem of cost. Both agencies have completely different directives and different rank structures within them. Each have completely different personnel in high positions. Both agencies are on different radio frequencies and both agencies have animosity toward one another. So, I've heard people say, “We'll sheriff Lewis can take over both agencies”. Horsecrap the sheriff isn't even around enough to run his own agency let along another one. Besides, what happens to all the administrators of Salisbury City PD? Are they just absorbed into the county folds? How are the officer's going to be paid? Is the county going to match salaries to that of the higher county sheriff's? If that is the case, how is this going to be accomplished with a six million dollar short fall of the county, not to include the city. Who is going to oversee the transfer of power? The Sheriff was voted in to be the sheriff, not the city police chief. Every county in Maryland is required, by state constitution to have a county sheriff's office. There is also currently no mechanism in place to construct a county police department nor there is a need for one.
Trust me, Sheriff Lewis taking over a “county police force” would be the worst mistake the people and Lewis could make. Lewis would then be ultimately responsible for the crime within the city limits (which he really is already but doesn't pay any attention to because he pushes it off on the city police). Completely different policies would have to be put into place than are currently in place for both agencies. The Sheriff's office hasn't even had a written operations manual since the Sheriff took office! So, don't think Mike is going to be the savior of all that is wholly and just in the city and county. Not to mention the fact that you'll have administrators butting heads at both agencies for who's pecker is bigger. The only thing the sheriff has done is bring technology to the sheriff's office. Other then that, there has been nothing accomplished in four years time, except for new rugs and black walls.
Frankly, it's amazing that either one of these agencies functions.
Most def. The only problem, by a long shot was not the Chief, keeping these agencies apart. If the Sheriff wanted to he could have worked with Delmar and Fruitland already, which he has not. Each agency, especially the City and the County each want glory for arrests and credit. While the Chief might have been a def. monkey wrench in the cogs, that's not the only problem. There is a much, much larger problem, with the organization and functionality of the only current county law enforcement agency, the sheriff's office. Why they couldn't get their act together in four years to combat crime is beyond me. I completely agree with the last writer.
No shit. Whos going to pay for all new uniforms and vehicle markings?? People at the city or county be ready to suck a whole new ass for better bennies huh.
City politicians are not going give up there power either way, so it will not happen. County polititians do not support local cops, it will never happen.
As to the first comment, be very careful around "bounty hunters." While they are bound by most of the very same laws as any normal citizen, they tend to operate outside of the law far too frequently, particularly when it comes to the use of force. It's always helpful to work together to find whose who are wanted, but be sure to protect your integrity and your career intensely. Counsel will post specific information on "bounty hunters" in Maryland in the near future.
As to the rest of the commenters, many of your remarks are valid. Counsel may not be suggesting a full merger, but information and intelligence sharing is everything in our profession. This could be improved dramatically. There's a window of opportunity here to improve the cooperation between City and County. Counsel suggests taking advantage of this opportunity. WINTF, VCTF, and others can be some of the vehicles for improvement. Continue the comments and criticisms - that's how all agencies can be improved.
I really really think that everyone needs to listen to all of the sworn personal in the city and county as far as what would make things run smoother and a big part of that is moral. Who is going to take the blame now that Webster is retiring? Why does Lewis take no responsibility for the low moral in his agency? Maybe things will be better this year, it is an election year. Now a quick question, Does anyone out there know of a good old school democrate that keeps his word that has the willingness and ability to run for Sheriff? I think alot of Deputies would support him or her. Only problem would be would current dems in the WCSO be further enpowered or put in there place? Some have said what if we get someone worse? Then hopefully we will unelect them in four years. We have to continue to vote for real good change until all of the politions realize that they infact work for us.
"Speak Without Fear"
MLK JR
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