Bloggers Crazy?

Time to focus on other blogs for a minuite because much of the time we sit back and wonder what the hell they are talking about. Here's our current breakdown for any of you that missed our previous blog crapping.

First and foremost we are crap. Next lets move on to sbynews.com run by Joe Albero. Recently, Joe has posted several artices that other news organizations, such as FOX, had not credited him or his blog with the picture he supossidly took hanging a politiaian in effigy (we thought it was kinda funny actully). Anyways, Joe blew his top sending out e-mails to Fox and other news organizations wanting them to credit his picture on their news program hoping to increase the hits on his blogsite. Recall that Joe sent us an e-mail several weeks ago saying we wouldn't last another several weeks and that he has kept a keen eye on us and for us to get our head out of our ass because we didn't remove a link to the Grinch's blogsite. So obviously, he's nuts and thinks he's such the awsome guy. Joe, seriously, your ego is bigger than our penises (which are ginormous). Get a grip.

Moving on to the Grinch... this guy never ceases to amaze us. The second you think he can't do anything more profoundly dispicable, he post a picture of a peice of poop with Joe Albero's head on it with arms sticking out. Unbelieveable. But, hey that's the first amendment! But still you have to give a guy some credit, albeit completely screwed up and crazy, that he takes the time to sit down and actully edit a picture of a peice of shit to resemble Joe Albero.

Lastly, Two Sense, you know honestly we really don't know too much about this guy but he seems relativly unoffensive and keeps to himself generally. Although he has a blog site, he nor his site strikes us as particularly crude, offensive, or egocentric.

Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton

The new city Mayor, Jim Ireton, has been in office for some time now and is drawing critics from all three of the other blog sites online in the area. The Grinch and SbyNews.com are apparently casting aspersions on the general functionality of the Mayor in office. Correction: Two Sense has advised us that they support the Mayor.

Which brings us to the second point, the city police Chief Webster and the Daily Slime. Although we are not particular fans or enemies of Webster we completely disagree with the coverage the Daily Slime has been lending to these "issues" concerning letters of complaint written against the City Police Chief. Ultimately, the employment of the city police Chief and his continued appointment to office does last with the Mayor. However, the complaints should have never been published due to the fact that the police Chief is right in saying that it was a personnel matter and should never have been released to the media for any reason. Moreover, the Daily Slime has run this same story for four weeks now, give it a rest. We get it, two people wrote complaints about the Chief to the Mayor. WTF Else is there to say about it? Who cares? Publish something about something worth reading. Currently the Daily Slime only lines our Crapper bird cage. Slow news days we guess.

Lastly, we sent Mayor Ireton an e-mail last week telling him that we were the Crapper and blah blah blah but he never responded nor wished our input in crime prevention within Salisbury City :( Poor Cwappa.

Still looking for qualified contributors!

Although we get many people interested in being contributors to our great cause we rarely can include them in our circle of contributors because they suck. So, we are looking for qualified law enforcement professionals AND citizens to write for us on various topics. If selected you will have direct access to post on our blog on topics of our design. Although we don't pay you crap, it's a great way to share your views on issues and have a public readership. We are planning on extending untold benifits to contributors that our board members are currently enjoying. Join us today and become a contributor of the WicBury Crapper! We would like to thank our current contributors, The CrapMasta and The Counsel to the Crapper for their articles and continued participation. We look forward to your interest!

To apply, simply create an e-mail address on G-Mail (Google Mail). Go to gmail.com and create any random email address. Send us your interested in writing to us by shooting us an e-mail from your new gmail.com address. We will respond back with how to proceed. Do not include any information on who you are.

Upcoming Elections???

We've been hearing various rumors about who is running or pining for which positions recently and we received numerous e-mails asking us who we supported for office for these positions.

Currently, the rumor is that Ernie Leatherberry may be pining for the city police chief's position and Alan Webster is considering running for Sheriff of Somerset County. This is another rumor that Capt. Kurner from the Maryland State Police is also thinking about running for this position. The spot for Worcester County Sheriff's Office is currently up for grabs because the current sheriff is more then likely not going to run for another term due to his failing health (we hope you feel better). We've also been hearing that Ocean City Police Chief may be looking for another position shortly. The rumor is she is shopping for real estate (out of state). Sheriff Mike Lewis is expected to run for another term in office.

At this time, we have not lent our support to anyone yet. We are still considering the current political climate. What do you think?

Robber Dragged By Get-A-Way Car

Tables and Chairs Comfy?

A letter from a reader...

Hey Crapper,

What is going on over at the sheriff's office? First I heard they were on a hiring freeze, now I hear that they are hiring certified cops. And, the day before yesterday I heard they just got an assload of brand new furnature delivered to the place? Do they have money or what? Are they hiring right now or what's the scoop? Are they just taking their time and did they get any of that grant money?

Blogging Leads To Arrest of Blogger

'Uh-Oh They're Here'A persistent blogger annoys police -- and winds up in jail.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Washington Post Article (No Author Noted)

A 34-YEAR-OLD woman, the mother of a 12-year-old girl, has been locked up in a Virginia jail for three weeks and could remain there for at least another month. Her crime? Blogging about the police.

Elisha Strom, who appears unable to make the $750 bail, was arrested outside Charlottesville on July 16 when police raided her house, confiscating notebooks, computers and camera equipment. Although the Charlottesville police chief, Timothy J. Longo Sr., had previously written to Ms. Strom warning her that her blog posts were interfering with the work of a local drug enforcement task force, she was not charged with obstruction of justice or any similar offense. Rather, she was indicted on a single count of identifying a police officer with intent to harass, a felony under state law.

It's fair to say that Ms. Strom was unusually focused on the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement task force, a 14-year-old unit drawn mainly from the police departments of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia. (Her blog at http://iheartejade.blogspot.com, expresses the view that the task force is "nothing more than a group of arrogant thugs.") In a nearly year-long barrage of blog posts, she published snapshots she took in public of many or most of the task force's officers; detailed their comings and goings by following them in her car; mused about their habits and looks; hinted that she may have had a personal relationship with one of them; and, in one instance, reported that she had tipped off a local newspaper about their movements.

Predictably, this annoyed law enforcement officials, who, it's fair to guess, comprised much of her readership before her arrest. But what seems to have sent them over the edge -- and skewed their judgment -- is Ms. Strom's decision to post the name and address of one of the officers with a street-view photo of his house.

All this information was publicly available, including the photograph, which Ms. Strom gleaned from municipal records. The task force's officers may have worked undercover on occasion, but one wonders about their undercover abilities, given that Ms. Strom was able to out them so consistently. Chief Longo warned Ms. Strom that her blog posts were scaring off informants and endangering the officers and their families, but he provided no evidence. At no point did Ms. Strom's blog express a threat, explicit or otherwise, to police or their sources.

Ms. Strom is not the most sympathetic symbol of free-speech rights. She has previously advocated creating a separate, all-white nation, and her blog veers from the whimsical to the self-righteous to the bizarre. But the real problem here is the Virginia statute, in which an overly broad, ill-defined ban on harassment-by-identification, specifically in regard to police officers, seems to criminalize just about anything that might irritate targets.

It should not be a crime to annoy the cops, whose raid on Ms. Strom's house looks more like a fit of pique than an act of law enforcement. Some of her postings may have consisted of obnoxious speech, but they were nonetheless speech and constitutionally protected. That would hold true right up through her last blog post, written as the police raid on her home began at 7 a.m.: "Uh-Oh They're Here."

AN ANSWER (Maybe Not The Only One) TO THE CONFESSION HYPOTHETICAL

All of the answers submitted were good ones. The outcome hinges on whether the failure to advise the defendant of Miranda warnings was inadvertent. In the hypothetical, the Detective was simply distracted and forgot to advise the defendant of Miranda Warnings. This does not, of necessity, affect the voluntariness of the confession, assuming none of the other factors (threats, etc.) were present. The best answer is that the portion of the statement given pre-Miranda should and would be suppressed as a "mere violation" of Miranda. That portion of the statement might still be admissible should the defendant take the stand and testify to contrary facts.

The portion of the statement taken after the Detective advised the defendant of Miranda would be admissible in view of Oregon v. Elstad and several Maryland cases, State v. Jackson and others following suit. Keep in mind, however, that the state courts have the option of deciding voluntariness under either state constitutional or state common law as opposed to Federal Constitutional grounds. Some of the highest state courts decide cases based on state constitutional law if they do not like recent Supreme Court holdings. Therefore the answer may be different in the other states which would do their own analysis of the law of that state.

All in all, under the circumstances, this is a win for the Good Guys. However, I will add the following warning: A deliberate decision to elicit a confession without Miranda followed by advice of rights in order to secure a "full blown" legitimate confession will not work. Maryland cases have considered what used to be a routine practice by some law enforcement agencies in obtaining confessions in this manner, and the Courts have held that a confession elicited under those circumstances will not be admissible.

Other states may use the information obtained in Maryland to further their investigations.

The Defendant's so-called luck has run out. Off to the Maryland Penitentiary he goes.

Hypothetical Situation...

You are on patrol and it's late, about 2:00 AM, and very slow. Suddenly you hear a call for a robbery in progress and it's only one block from your location. You answer over the radio that you are responding and as you round the corner you observe a subject running from you. You pass the victim that positively identifies the suspect by yelling "There he goes.." and pointing at the suspect running. You find out that the suspect has robbed the victim of $20.00 cash but left the credit cards and a check in the victim's wallet. However, due to the suspect's head start it is clear that you won't be able to catch him. It was a strong arm robbery.

About half an hour passes by and you get a call from a store clerk saying that she has been watching the news and said the same thing happened to her a week before. You respond to her store and she provides you with a picture of the same person as you had seen before from the first video tape. But, this time the suspect allowed himself to be captured on video tape.

Six hours have now passed but you finally have a location of the suspect. What is your next course of action and why?

Tactical Approch to A Residence

Daily police officers must respond to a residence for a call for service, many times for a burglary call or a domestic assault. Here are some reminders and tips to help keep you safe. The WicBury Crapper cares about you getting home to your family:

1) When approaching a residence watch the blinds for activity such as a person looking out at you.
2) When approaching look for cameras mounted around the residence,especially the entrances. Many times residences that deal in narcotics have these cameras.
3) Call out with the tag numbers in the driveway or roadway.
4) Do a visual scan of your environment while approaching.
5) Never stand directly in front of the door. Always try to stand on the side the door opens (if inward). If the door opens outward, stand on the side of the hinges.
6) Look for telltale signs of a problem (i.e. corner baggies on the ground, empty shell casings)
7) Be prepared for anything, anytime.
8) Don't park in the driveway or directly in front of the residence. Park several houses down and walk up.
9) Remember to turn on your portable when you exit the vehicle (if your vehicle is equipped with a mobile radio).
10) Remembers where your signal 13 button on your radio is at. Test it monthly by advising dispatch you are going to preform a test.

I wonder what my dept. will say about me?

Is it a good idea to blackball an employee after he or she separates employment? Well, this could take several forms. The department could be upset that you are leaving, due to their current staffing levels in which case they may give you a bad reference to keep you. This sounds kind of crazy but it makes sense because in giving the bad reference, it may be your department's hope that the other department will not want you and therefore, you will stay.

Another possibility is that you may have pissed someone "important" off and therefore they give you a bad reference but this is a double sword. Giving someone a bad reference that pisses a boss off is never a good idea because they that means that the boss is stuck with the problem employee. In fact, the boss may give an intentionally glowing reference just to get rid of you.

Lastly, a department may have a valid reason for giving you a bad reference. Maybe you truly are a screw up.

So, we recommend that if you are interested in applying to another department, go ahead and apply but do not make it "common knowledge" by blabbing all over the place where you are applying to or leave background paperwork or applications laying around the department. It is not a secret but, still you don't want to create any animosity between you and your administration when applying elsewhere. It is also a good idea to look at your employee file every so often. Many departments have a mechanism in place for this. Check you department's policies on how to go about this. Lastly, have a friend call the department and ask about your reference and if required have them fax over a letter of release.

There is nothing that says you can't have someone check on your reference by calling the dept!

Are we doing the right thing?

Sometimes in everyday life we have to ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing. The right thing is a constant question in every one's mind who has a sense of self and community. Is what you are doing or saying the right thing? Are you serving a greater purpose or are you just indulging yourself in what you are doing?

So, we ask you to sit down, take a moment out of your day, either on the crapper or else where, and ask yourself... Am I doing what is right and just today? Is this, in my brief time on this earth, what I want my existence to be about? Take a quiet minute alone, sit, and think for a moment on things and how you treat those around you, especially if you are a supervisor or administrator. Close your door, put the phone on DND and think for ten minutes. Do people benefit from what I do? Do I bring joy or misery to those around me? Am I helping my fellow man, brothers in blue, or hurting them?

The Crapper is existential and introspective this morning.

1st Crap Chat Was Very Smelly!!

Hey, thanks for those who attended the first crap chat, we hope you had a good time. Some interesting points were raised about a lot of different topics including office furniture (?), some guy changing a tire on the side of a road, how we felt about people abusing sick leave, and more. We are looking forward to the next Crap Chat soon and hopefully we have more in attendance for a live discussion with the WicBury Crapper about various law enforcement related topics!

The next Crap Chat will be on Thursday Aug. 20th, 2009 at 8:00 PM! Bring your crap.

Stuff is all messed up...

China Spongebob Squarepants

Fallen Hero Remembered, Daniel C. Bier, CPD

Officer Daniel C. Bier

Cambridge Police Department, Maryland

End of Watch: Sunday, May 3, 1953
Age: 28

Tour of Duty: 7 years

Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire

Date of Incident: Sunday, May 3, 1953

Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber

Suspect Info: Released after 5 years

Officer Daniel Bier was shot and killed after responding to a domestic disturbance call at 4:30 pm. He was shot in the chest with a .45 caliber handgun as he entered the home. The suspect fled the scene but was apprehended by members of the Maryland State Police.The suspect was initially convicted of first degree murder, however, was convicted of a lesser charge of a second degree murder during a second trial. He was released after serving only 5 years.Officer Bier had served with the agency for 7 years. He was survived by his wife, sister, and two brothers.

WTF? Mayor makes comment about SPD...

Hmmm, we are not too sure what to make of this statement. It seems from the quote, if accurate, Jim Ireton the Mayor of Salisbury was telling his police department and code enforcement officers that he is not concerned about their "excuses" and to do their job. He also indicates that if they officers do their jobs then he will support you. But, lets see if that holds true in a cash strapped economy within a high crime ridden city. If you want aggressive policing mayor then you must hold true to that statement of support when the million dollar law suits start rolling in from aggressive police work. Because, unfortunately, it is an eventuality in this society. So, if you don't want to hear "excuses" or reasons for city crime problems then sit back, strap in, and get ready for a wild ride because you are green lighting SPD to kick ass and take names, and you will support them, correct?

Spotlight on LEOBOR - Administrative File

§ 3-104. INVESTIGATION OR INTERROGATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.

(O) ADVERSE MATERIAL.

(1) THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY NOT INSERT ADVERSE
MATERIAL INTO A FILE OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, EXCEPT THE
FILE OF THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION OR THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION,
UNLESS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
REVIEW, SIGN, RECEIVE A COPY OF, AND COMMENT IN WRITING ON THE
ADVERSE MATERIAL.

(2) THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MAY WAIVE THE RIGHT DESCRIBED IN
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION.

08/06/2009
Man arrested for barking at Michigan K-9
Associated Press

THREE RIVERS, Mich. — Authorities said a man has been arrested in for barking at a police dog. The Three Rivers Police Department said officers responded Monday evening to an apartment complex to investigate a suspicious situation. Police said Wednesday in a statement a 26-year-old man in the area "began to torment" a police dog inside the patrol car by barking and shouting at it, causing the animal to become excited and "very aggressive."

The man was arrested and later released on bond. He faces a charge of disorderly conduct.

Crap Chat Coming Soon!! Wanna buy some of our crap??

That's right! Crap chat is coming soon!

Chatroll is already installed on the blogsite however, there are no currently scheduled chats. However, this will change shortly. You will be able to chat directly with the WicBury Crapper and perhaps some of the crapper's craps!

Although this sounds crappy, we will be discussing important issues at hand. All input, as long as it is constructive and well intentioned will be included in the discussion. Discussion logs may be made available after the discussion takes place. IP Addresses will not be recorded.

We will announce a date, time, and topic for each weekly chat and hope that you can attend! Throw in your two sense!

1. Abusive statements about other line police officers will not be tolerated. Although ribbing may be tolerated to some degree.
2. Foul language is permissible however do not direct it to another chat member.
3. Don't make us be adam-henry's and ban people from chat, we'd rather not do that.
4. We still won't publish who you think the "Crapper" is!
5. Hopefully this will be a constructive forum where people can blog off steam, make suggestions, talk crap, and have fun! We will let you know....

Also, an update on crapper crap (merchandise)... we will have some available shortly. All donations go to police charities directly. We collect no money from anyone. Crapper VIP cards are still in the works. Stay tuned.