Another Fine Job By Baltimore's Finest Detectives!

Baltimore City Homicide Catches Two More ScumBags!
Nadirah V. Moreno

Lance H. Walker

Police arrest, charge 2 in October homicide
December 18, 2007

Baltimore police said yesterday that they arrested a man and his girlfriend and charged them in connection with a fatal shooting in October in the northeastern part of the city.The victim, Marlon Beckford, 31, of the Bronx, N.Y., was fatally shot while sitting in a car with a woman and her 10-month-old son early Oct. 30. Beckford died at Johns Hopkins Hospital that day, police said. The woman and child were unharmed.City police said that an "extensive investigation" led detectives to two suspects. Early yesterday, members of the Baltimore region's warrant apprehension task force arrested Lance H. Walker, 28, and Nadirah V. Moreno, 31, at their home in the 9800 block of Redwing Drive in Perry Hall.Both were charged with first- and second-degree murder, police said. Police declined to discuss a possible motive in the killing.According to court records, Walker has four convictions for drug possession with intent to distribute, one in 1998, another in 1999, and two in 2002. He also has an illegal-handgun conviction from 1998, court records show.The steepest sentence Walker received in any of his convictions came in October 2001 in Baltimore Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to drug possession with intent to distribute and received a 12-year sentence, with seven years suspended, followed by three years of probation.

[Gus G. Sentementes

Copyright © 2007, The Baltimore Sun

Cops shop with kids in need

Photo by Bill Green
Frederick County Sheriff’s Dfc. James Harris and Tyler
Hartley, a fourth-grader at Middletown Elementary
School, look over a selection of video games at the second
annual “Shop with a Cop” event Saturday morning at Wal-Mart.


By Nicholas C. Stern News-Post Staff
Photo by Bill Green



Armed with calculators and a generous spirit, local police hope to spread some holiday cheer this Christmas to less-advantagedchildren.
As part of the second annual "Shop with a Cop" event Saturday, officers from the Frederick Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police and the Brunswick City Police Department took 11 children from Frederick County shopping.
The officers picked up the children at their homes and brought them to Wal-Mart on Monocacy Boulevard.
Each child had a $100 gift certificate, provided by the Optimist Club of Frederick and Braddock Heights/Middletown, to buy presents for family members. After the officers helped them with their budgeting, the children received an extra $20 to buy something for themselves.
Frederick Police Department officer Samantha Crane said she was impressed that the children were choosing practical gifts, such as sweatpants and pajamas.
"Grown-ups could use stuff too," Crane said.
Officer Chris Stafford, of the Brunswick City Police Department, helped the children with their choices. This is the second time he has taken part in the "Shop with a Cop" event.
Stafford said he hoped this type of positive interaction between police and children would help establish a bond that will last.
While shopping, a 9-year-old boy from Myersville slid the sleeve of a winter coat between his fingers, deciding whether to get it for his sister. With several other people on his list, the $40 price tag was too high, so he chose a blue shirt instead.
"I think she's really going to like it," he said, beaming.
Maryland State Police trooper Beth Demory said she thought the event waswonderful.
"You see so many bad things, it's nice to see something good," Demory said.

Another Good Idea by a Maryland Police Chief!

Speaking personally, I can't see anything wrong with this idea. There is a certain amount of blowhards out there who cry about how everyone should speak english. But let's put a little reality into the situation. The United States is truly a melting pot of every ethnicity from across the globe.
This being said, common sense says that there are quite a few people that english is not their first language. Going on the speak english only bandwagon would deprive legal citizens from getting the Police help needed.
So to you Chief Manger, I say Thank You for bringing this problem to the forefront of Law Enforcement discussion.
I hope your suggestion is implemented.

Montgomery Police Chief J. Thomas Manger is
pushing for some non-citizens to be eligible to
become police.
(By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)




Proposal to Let Noncitizens Join Md. Police Under Review



By Ernesto LondoÃ



It never made sense to Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger: Immigrants who have green cards can join the U.S. military and fight America's wars but, like other noncitizens, are ineligible to work as police officers in Maryland and most other states.
Since 2004, Manger has championed the concept of lifting the citizenship requirement under certain circumstances. At his urging, the Maryland Police Training Commission, which oversees training and hiring standards for law enforcement agencies across the state, began studying the issue this year. A vote could come next month.
"They can fight in Iraq, and yet they're not able to serve as police officers in the communities they were risking their lives for," Manger said.
The subject is fraught with political risk, particularly for elected officials, because illegal immigration has become a more divisive issue in recent years. Also, those opposed to employing noncitizens as police officers point to the difficulty of conducting thorough background checks on noncitizens, and some say they fear that the move could even allow terrorists to infiltrate police departments.
Larry Harmel, executive director of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, said the proposal raises the concern about screening. "One of the things I question is how thorough a background check you can do for someone from another country," he said.
Manger said allowing noncitizens to apply, as some states and other jurisdictions have done, would not entail lowering standards. He thinks noncitizens who have been in the country long enough to undergo a thorough background check ought to be eligible.
Manger said that lifting the citizenship requirement would allow police agencies to hire more candidates who speak multiple languages and have insight into immigrant communities. More generally, he said, it could expand the talent pool in the Washington region, where many departments compete for qualified candidates and have in recent years struggled to fill academy classes.
Maryland State Police Superintendent Terrence B. Sheridan, who chairs the training commission, asked Talbot County Sheriff Dallas Pope to study the issue and report back soon. Pope said the leaders of most law enforcement agencies in the state want to diversify their forces and expand their applicant pools.
"From an operational standpoint, this is a real issue that they have to deal with now and get up to speed with now," he said.
Still, he described the politics of the issue as "one of the disconnects."
"I sense that there's apprehension due to the local, statewide and national trends," he said. "It's a sensitivity that many people want to say they're in step with, but they're cautious about a constituency that sees it in a different light."
Permanent residents, immigrants who hold green cards, are generally not eligible to apply for citizenship until they have had their green cards for five years. Many opt not to apply because the process is lengthy and expensive.
In 2001, Manger, then police chief in Fairfax County, persuaded Virginia officials to waive the citizenship requirement on a case-by-case basis when departments identified stellar candidates who were not citizens. D.C. police hire only citizens, as do federal law enforcement agencies.
Manger described the citizenship requirement as an "artificial barrier," likening it to the since-scrapped height requirement that kept his father from becoming a Maryland State Police trooper after serving abroad during World War II. Years ago, police agencies disqualified applicants who lacked near-perfect vision or for other reasons that now seem antiquated.
"In the mid-1980s, they were rejecting [gay] people because they could be blackmailed," Manger said. "These are ridiculous old notions that have no bearing over whether someone can be a suitable police officer."
According to the Pentagon, roughly 35,000 noncitizens serve in the military.
"These are somewhat similar environments. The military is producing highly-qualified individuals, and I think the citizens would benefit from it," said Sheridan, who supports changing the guidelines to allow noncitizens with military experience to become police officers.
Some cities with long-standing immigrant communities, such as Chicago, do not require that prospective police officers be U.S. citizens. In California, applicants who are permanent residents must have applied for citizenship when they join an academy class.
Other cities where the immigrant population has surged, including Washington and Dallas, have recruited aggressively in Puerto Rico, which brought mixed results. Officials in those cities found that Puerto Ricans had little in common with the region's Hispanic communities and were not always able to build rapport and establish trust.
Manger said he found little enthusiasm for the issue when he brought it up at a commission meeting in 2004, soon after he took the job in Montgomery. The commission surveyed 38 major police departments across the country and found that more than 75 percent had a citizenship requirement, 18 percent considered applicants who were permanent residents and 6 percent were willing to hire people who had work visas. Manger urged his counterparts to back him in eliminating the requirement.
Thomas E. Hutchins, then the superintendent of police, did not see the issue as a priority, Manger said. And no one else at the meeting showed much interest either, he said.
"It got a pretty chilly reception," Manger said.
He said he is not certain that the issue will get more traction this time around. Neither does Pope, the Talbot County sheriff, who declined to say whether he supports the proposal. But Manger is enthusiastic that Sheridan, who was appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in June, asked Pope to study the issue.
The percentage of black officers on the Montgomery police force is roughly equivalent to that of county residents, Manger said. But the percentages of Latinos and Asians on the police force are considerably lower than those in the county, he said.
Manger said that doing away with the citizenship rule is unlikely to trigger a deluge of applicants. But he said even a handful would go a long way toward making the department more accurately reflect the community.
"There's a fight among agencies who want to find qualified people that give you that diversity," he said. "I know for a fact that there are a lot of people that live in Montgomery County that are not U.S. citizens but are as American as anyone else."
After getting the waiver approved in Virginia, largely by arguing that doing so would allow the police force to better reflect the county's growing Hispanic population, Manger hired only two noncitizens in his last few months as chief in Fairfax. They were not what he expected: a Canadian and an Australian.
Washington Post Staff writer Mariana Minaya contributed to this report.

It Would Be Nice If All Departments Could Get The Money They Need!

Who Ever It Is That Keeps Submitting Those Grants; GOOD JOB!

Grants helping city cops

Jeffrey AldertonCumberland Times-News

— CUMBERLAND —

Grant money is helping city police “take a bite out of crime,” by making the streets safer for area residents these days.Domestic violence, street crime, drunken driving, sex offender registration and school bus safety are among special enforcement initiatives that are receiving extra attention by virtue of enforcement grants from a variety of sources.“All of these grants put more officers on the street to deter crime and make the streets safer while also providing assistance to victims,” said Capt. Kevin Ogle.
Every year, Cumberland Police receives various grants that supplement its $4.8 million operating budget. The department benefits from grants to combat drunken driving, to assist victims of domestic violence in conjunction with the Family Crisis Resource Center, and to monitor motorists as school buses navigate their routes before and after school.In addition, extra attention is being given to registered sex offenders as a grant enables officers to check with offenders twice a year to ensure that they are in compliance with their court-ordered registration.
Although no data was readily available concerning the number of uniformed officers that are on duty at any given time, a number of officers are working overtime in plain clothes and in unmarked vehicles.“Our street crime grant from the U.S. Department of Justice puts officers in high-crime areas to monitor neighborhood activity. The officers are also there to make arrests in the event that a crime occurs in their presence,” said Ogle, adding that the $12,000 grant equates to 460 man-hours of additional enforcement.Domestic violence victims receive further assistance when a Family Crisis Resource Center legal advocate arrives at their door with a Cumberland Police officer.
“This is a first-year, $15,000 grant from the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. This allows our officers to make weekly visits on domestic violence victims with an FCRC legal advocate to do follow-up and meet the needs of the victim,” said Ogle.“These victims are seeing the police officers ... in a different role,” Rhonda Pick, an FCRC legal advocate said.Instead of only seeing police at their door to arrest a batterer in the home, the grant money allows officers to pay more attention to the victim. An advocate and an officer visit victims after a violent incident has been reported, to assist with questions and concerns they may have, or provide referrals for assistance with social service agencies, Pick said.
They also arrange to accompany victims to the hospital or court hearings, providing needed emotional support.“It gives victims a feeling of security, because they know they’re not just on their own after the batterer has been arrested,” Lt. Brian Lepley, CPD domestic violence response team supervisor, said.
In addition to putting a spotlight on domestic violence, Cumberland Police are also giving extra attention to drunken driving enforcement, courtesy of a grant from the Western Maryland Health System.“This puts officers out on the streets on overtime to detect and apprehend drunken drivers.“It’s a very important grant that helps increase public awareness to the dangers of drinking and driving,” said Ogle. “It also lets the public see that we are out specifically looking for drunken drivers.”Ogle said the department over the years has received many grants, thanks in part to the diligence and expertise of officers specifically trained in filing applications.“We rely on the grants to do some specialized work and make equipment purchases outside of our operating budget,” he said. “But the main reason we seek these grants is to continue to target specific neighborhood problems and provide even greater service to city residents.”Ogle said the mayor and council recently approved the department to enter into a contract with the University of Maryland in the preparation of state and federal grants for law enforcement funds.“This will free up our officers that write grants to spend even more time in their patrol duties,” said Ogle. “It could lead to our department receiving even more grant money. That’s our goal.”

Contact Jeffrey Alderton at jlalderton@times-news.com.
Contact Daleen Berry at dberry@times-news.com.
Copyright © 1999-2006 cnhi, inc.

Happy Thanksgiving

To All of Our Brothers & Sisters on this day.

For All of you who are working,
Please remember to make it home safe.

From My Family To Yours,
Happy Thanksgiving.

A todos Nuestros Hermanos & Hermanas en este día.

Para todo usted que trabaja, recuerda por favor para hacerlo en casa seguro.

De Mi Familia A Suyo,
la Acción de gracias Feliz.

THIS IS THE SAME OLD BULLSHIT!

I've truly tried to keep things positive but I've got to get this off my chest.

This is the kind of story(below) I'm so tired of seeing and hearing or being apart of.

"He was a good boy." "He was so kind to others." "He wouldn't hurt anyone."

BULLSHIT!

It's real simple, DO WHAT THE OFFICER TELLS YOU!

I'm fed-up with mothers, sisters, aunts and uncles all over the television crying about how
good of a person the suspect was even when they've got a record longer than I am tall.
They cry and moan about how the police could have found a better way.

BULLSHIT! DO WHAT THE OFFICER TELLS YOU!

Or better yet, don't break the damned law and you won't have to worry about dealing with the police.

There's a reason why these same people complain about the police instead of backing us up.
Either they're to lazy, to much of a criminal, to much of a coward or just don't care to even think about doing the job of a police officer. But they'll be in front of a camera complaining about the job police officers do when they have no idea what the job takes.

Bottom Line, SHUT THE HELL UP AND OBEY THE LAW!

That's it. I just needed to get that out.


The Wolf


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(CNN) -- Friends and family identified the 20-year-old Frederick, Maryland, man who died after police used a Taser stun gun on him Sunday morning, according to a local television station.

Jarrel Gray, 20, died after police used a Taser gun on him Sunday morning, family and friends say.

The man, who friends and family identified as Jarrel Gray, was involved in a fight at an apartment complex about 5 a.m. Sunday, police said. Authorities have not released Gray's name.
"I haven't heard anything except that he's gone," Troy Thomas told WJLA-TV. Thomas, who said he was Gray's uncle, told the television station, "I lost my best friend."

Cassandra Rollings, a friend of the family, appeared at the apartment complex where Gray died, holding a large photo of the young man wearing a tie. Gray was a "very good kid," Rollings said.
Deputies responded Sunday morning to a report of a fight at an apartment complex and found four people in a scuffle, Cpl. Jennifer Bailey of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said Sunday.
Eric Cargenas, a man who lives in the apartment complex and said he saw the fight, told WJLA that two people started fighting after a yelling match.
A deputy used a Taser on Gray, who fell unconscious, Bailey said. He was taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
His body was taken to the medical examiner's office in Baltimore for an autopsy. The results of some tests could take several weeks, according to an office spokeswoman.


Baltimore is about 50 miles east of Frederick.
The sheriff's office has not publicly identified the deputy who allegedly used the Taser, but Bailey said the deputy was placed on administrative leave with pay while authorities investigate the incident.
Since June 2001, more than 150 people have died in the United States after being subdued with stun guns, according to Amnesty International, which has called for police departments to suspend use of the devices pending study of their possible risks.
More than 7,000 of the nation's 18,000 law enforcement agencies use the devices, Amnesty says.
Recent deaths involving Taser devices have received much publicity. Last month, a police officer at Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, Canada, used a Taser gun on a 40-year-old man making his first airplane trip outside Poland. He died.
In a statement released Friday, Taser International cited the Vancouver case and said it "appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths or deaths following a confrontation with police. Historically, medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the Taser."
A bystander's video of the October 14 incident in Vancouver shows the victim continuing to struggle after being shot with the device.
Taser International said on its Web site that the struggle "is proof that the Taser device was not the cause of his death." Cardiac arrest caused by electrical current would have caused immediate death, the company said.
"We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the Taser device and/or the law enforcement officers involved as the cause of death before completion of the investigation," said Tom Smith, the company's founder and chairman of the board.
But Amnesty International, noting that coroners have determined Tasers were a contributing factor in more than 30 deaths, said such a link cannot be ruled out.
The devices use compressed nitrogen to shoot two probes -- connected to the device by wire -- up to 35 feet at speeds exceeding 100 mph.
An electrical signal transmitted through the wires contacts the body or clothing, "resulting in an immediate loss of the person's neuromuscular control and the ability to perform coordinated action for the duration of the impulse," according to the company. E-mail to a friend

Excellent Work Troopers! Three More Bad Guys Off The Street.

SOMERSET: Police chase leads to discovery of guns, stolen police gearDaily Times Staff Report

PRINCESS ANNE — Two people are currently being held at the Somerset County Detention Center after a Tuesday night police chase, the Maryland State Police said.
At 10 p.m., troopers attempted to stop a vehicle that was allegedly going more than 80 mph on Route 13 near UMES Boulevard, police said.


When the vehicle allegedly failed to stop, a high speed pursuit occurred and continued until the vehicle was stop after police used stop sticks.
When the vehicle stopped, the driver Michaela Anne Hare, 18, of Parkville, Md. remained in the vehicle, while the two passengers, Roderick Derrell Johnson, 21, of Baltimore and a 17-year old juvenile from Perryville, Md. allegedly attempted to flee before hey were shortly apprehended in a foot pursuit, police said.A search of Johnson led to the discovery of a 9 mm handgun, an extra loaded magazine and a handcuff key.
Further investigation determined the vehicle, a 1999 Chrysler, was reported stolen from Baltimore County, police said.A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two ski masks, a pellet gun, a hockey mask and a set of police fatiques which had allegedly been stolen from a Aberdeen Proving Ground police officer.The juvenile was charged with vehicle theft and theft less than $500; Hare was charged with vehicle theft, malicious destruction of property greater than $500 dollars and theft greater than $500. Johnson was charged with vehicle theft, malicious destruction of property greater than $500 dollars, theft greater than $500, handgun in a vehicle, concealment of a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm with a previous felony.Johnson is being held on $50,000 bond, Hare is being held on $25,000 bond and the juvenile was released to a family member.

See continuing coverage in Thursday’s The Daily Times

STATE POLICE TROOPER AND NCO OF THE YEAR NAMED - BOTH TROOPERS WORK IN CARROLL COUNTY

(Pikesville, MD)

Outstanding police work above and beyond the call of duty was the order of the day as the awards for the Maryland State Police Trooper of the Year and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year were announced at ceremonies held today.
Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan congratulated Trooper First Class Eric D. Workman, who won 2006 Trooper of the Year honors and Sergeant Robert J. Stryjewski, Jr., who was named the 2006 Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.
TFC Workman, who was chosen from among 32 Trooper of the Year nominees, is assigned to the Westminster Barracks Criminal Investigation Section. Sergeant Stryjewski supervises the Carroll County Drug Task Force and was one of 28 nominated non-commissioned officers.
“Both Sgt. Stryjewski and TFC Workman have distinguished themselves as dedicated public servants who are committed to serving and protecting the people of Maryland,” Colonel Sheridan said. “I am very proud of them and appreciate their willingness to lead by example. They have upheld the highest standards of the Maryland State Police and the law enforcement profession through their outstanding service.”
In early 2006, TFC Workman developed a robbery questionnaire that was used to capture vital suspect information and has become an important tool for use by State Police investigators. On his own initiative, TFC Workman applied for and obtained grants for video enhancing equipment. This equipment has enabled police in Carroll County to analyze and enhance surveillance photos and video more effectively.
TFC Workman initiated a warrant sweep in Carroll County that involved extensive investigation. His work resulted in 11 hard to find fugitives being apprehended.
In 2006, TFC Workman was assigned an investigation involving a farm which had a notorious reputation for criminal activity and allegations of cruelty to animals and environmental crimes. Efforts by other governmental agencies to deal with the situation had failed for the past 15 years.
TFC Workman coordinated federal, state, and local agencies in a sweeping investigation that resulted in criminal charges for stolen property and numerous charges for animal cruelty and environmental offenses.
His ability to track fugitives is outstanding. In the summer of 2006, a person arrested on a traffic stop escaped custody and a search ensued all that night and the next day, but to no avail. TFC Workman was on leave, but was called back in and within two hours, the suspect was in custody.
Then, after being shot and critically wounded during the service of an arrest warrant in December of 2006, TFC Workman refused to quit. He returned to full duty long before anyone thought he could or should. On his first morning back to duty, he was out serving warrants.
Sgt. Robert J. Stryjewski, Jr., is no stranger to outstanding performance awards. He was the 2001 Maryland State Police Trooper of the Year. He was promoted to corporal in 2002, made sergeant in 2005, and now holds the distinguished honor of the 2006 Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.
Sgt. Stryjewski led by example during 2006 and helped the Carroll County Drug Task Force significantly increase its enforcement efforts. According to Major Vernon Conaway, head of the State Police Drug Enforcement Command, Sgt. Stryjewski’s leadership and performance in 2006 was exemplary. He said Sgt. Stryjewski led his unit to substantial increases in every area of enforcement. They include:
-a 61 percent increase in the number of investigations initiated;
-a 153 percent increase in the number of drug purchases made;
-a 64 percent increase in the number of search warrants served;
-a 91 percent increase in the number of felony drug arrests made;
-a 974 percent increase in the amount of drug money recovered;
-a 250 percent increase in the amount of motor vehicles seized;
-a 450 percent increase in the number of real estate properties seized;
-a 400 percent increase in the number of firearms recovered;
-a 1000 percent increase in the amount of cocaine seized and dramatic increases in the seizure of other drugs in Carroll County as well.
Those dramatic increases were not because the task force had an “off” year in 2005. The leadership of Sgt. Stryjewski is credited with having a direct impact on those substantial increases.
The Carroll County Drug Task Force includes police officers from the Maryland State Police, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Westminster Police, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office. The task force is charged with identifying, infiltrating, and dismantling drug trafficking operations in Carroll County.
###
CONTACT: Mr. Gregory Shipley
Office of Media Communications & Marketing
410-653-4236 (Office) 410-653-4200 (through Headquarters Duty Officer)

CONGRATULATIONS DETECTIVE CHARLES BAKER! GREAT JOB!

Charles County Detective Named Deputy of the Year Charles County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Detective Charles Baker was recognized as a Maryland Sheriff’s Association’s Deputy of the Year at a banquet held in Ocean City in October.

Det. Baker was honored in the crime prevention category for his role in reducing auto theft in Charles County by 35 percent and by implementing a bait car program.

In late 2004, Det. Baker proposed the idea of acquiring a bait car to help combat the auto theft problem in Charles County. Throughout 2005 and 2006, Det. Baker pursued this goal, conducting research, attending training, negotiating with insurance companies for the donation of a vehicle and researching the systems available. In June 2006, the bait vehicle was delivered. Det. Baker prepared and conducted the agency training necessary to implement the program.

“Det. Baker’s innovation and dedicated pursuit of implementing the bait car program reflects his commitment to ensuring the safety of the citizens of Charles County,” said Sheriff Rex Coffey. “Despite his tireless efforts during this project, he still managed to maintain his normal case load. Such dedication to public safety is truly commendable.”

Congratulations!

Sheriff's office official sworn in as president of state association
Melinda Grenier, who works for the Frederick County Sheriff’s
office, recently took office as president of the Maryland Criminal
Justice Association. She is shown here with George Kirk of the
Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, Frederick County Office.




Originally published November 05, 2007


By Sarah Fortney News-Post Staff




A statewide organization that fosters professionalism in criminal justice has a new president, and she works in Frederick County.
The Maryland Criminal Justice Association, a chapter of the American Correctional Association, held an induction ceremony Oct. 15 in Ocean City where Melinda Grenier stepped into her new position as president.
As assistant director of the Community Services Division at the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Grenier helps oversee several programs, including inmates work release, home detention and inmate labor. She has been with the sheriff's office for about 15 years.
Grenier has been involved with MCJA member for about five years, she said. For the last two years, she served as president elect.
About 10 other sheriff's office officials are MCJA members, Grenier said.
George Kirk, field supervisor at the local office of the state's Division of Parole and Probation, was elected MCJA secretary at the induction ceremony.
Because of Grenier's support of and service to the organization, statewide members -- almost 500 people -- chose her to serve the two-year term.
"It is an honor," she said.
As president, Grenier's duties will include scheduling board meetings, meeting with the organization's executive committee to prepare an annual budget and submitting an annual report to the ACA.
"It is a lot of work," Grenier said, but worth every minute.
Grenier said she believes in the organization's mission -- to provide training for correctional officers and promote professionalism in the field. And she said that professionalism has come a long way.

Officer's Dedicated To Service. Our Prayers Go With You.

(Chris Ammann/Examiner)
Gov. Martin O’Malley pins a medal on of
Staff Sgt. Christopher Demski, of Essex, at
the Parkville National Guard Armory.
Police prepare to go to war

BALTIMORE -

Minutes before boarding a bus on the first leg of a journey that will ultimately take him to the battlefronts of Iraq, 1st Sgt. James Saunders seemed more composed than some of his fellow soldiers — albeit slightly.
A Baltimore County police officer, Saunders puts his life on the line every day.
“It gives you an edge,” Saunders said. “When you’re on the street, you can sense when things are going bad. It makes you alert.”
Saunders was one of five Baltimore County officers and 130 members of the Maryland National Guard leaving Thursday for three months of combat training and a subsequent nine-month deployment to Iraq. The troops are from the 290th Military Police Company, based at the Parkville Armory, and part of the largest mobilization of Maryland guardsmen since World War II.
The group includes about 50 local police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers. Civilian soldiers attributed the overlap to similarities in combat training and crime fighting, such as the physical demands, familiarity with weapons and an affinity for law enforcement.
In addition to the five who left Thursday, a dozen Baltimore County officers are already deployed. Anne Arundel County’s sheriff’s office sent one deputy, and the county’s police department lost one officer Thursday — Staff Sgt. Brian Daughters, on his third deployment.
Howard County Police have lost three officers, and six of 14 state troopers currently deployed are in the Maryland National Guard, officials said. Baltimore City has 22 officers serving overseas.
Gov. Martin O’Malley attended a tearful deployment ceremony at the Parkville Armory, where volunteer Dorothy Healy knelt in a corner, clutching an American flag and weeping. Unlike many family members there to see loved ones off, she knew none of the departing soldiers.
Her daughter, a member of Maryland’s National Guard, arrived home safely after leaving for Iraq two years ago.
“I wasn’t able to see her off, and I regretted it all this time,” Healy said. “So I’m going to go every chance I can now, and by the looks of it, I’ll have opportunities for awhile longer.”

jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com

Examiner

Welcome To The Family of Law Enforcement!

The latest class of So. Md. Correctional Officers graduated on Friday, October 19, 2007.

WALDORF, Md.

(October 26, 2007)

-- The Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy celebrated the graduation of 15 new correctional officers at a ceremony held Friday, October 19, at North Point High School for Science, Technology and Industry.

The students completed a 10-week training program, which began August 13. Seven of the graduating officers are from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, three are from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and five are from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.

At the ceremony, Academy instructors presented awards to students who excelled in two categories. Correctional Officer Christopher A. Marseglia of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office received the physical fitness award and Correctional Officer Richard M. Dean of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received the scholastic achievement award.

The class achieved a 93.67 final class academic average. Their class motto, chosen by the students at the beginning of the training program, was “Integrity Above All.”

Director Pamela Dottellis of the Charles County Detention Center served as keynote speaker for the ceremony. Ed Schauf of the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) legal studies department spoke about the articulation agreement between the Academy and CSM, which provides each graduate with six college credit hours for completion of Academy courses. Charles County Sheriff Rex Coffey, St. Mary’s County Sheriff Timothy Cameron and Capt. Thomas Reese, who represented Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans, each shared remarks with the graduates.

The new correctional officers are: Charles County Sheriff’s Office: Christopher Clemons, Richard Dean, Antonio Evans, Thomas Greer, Stephen Harris, William Isenberg and Amber McAlwee. Calvert County Sheriff’s Office: Robert Lee, Breann Nagel and Robert Scott. St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office: Jennifer Guy, Amanda Holton, Christopher Marseglia, Jonathan Rosado and Austin Schultz.

This is a Good Thing. We Should Honor All of Our Fallen in this Way.

Fred and Janet Wheeler, the parents of
Cpl. Scott Wheeler, the Howard County
police officer who died June 18, hold a
replica of a highway sign that will be
erected on Route 32.

Portion of Route 32 dedicated to fallen officer

10/25/07

By MIKe Santa Rita

Email this story to a friend

For Cpl. Scott Wheeler's family, the four months following his death have understandably not been easy.
"It's been tough," Tracy Wheeler, his widow, said Oct. 23 in a community meeting room at the Howard County Police Department headquarters in Ellicott City. "We have our good days and our bad days."
Scott Wheeler, 31, a 6-1/2-year veteran of the department, was working with two other officers on a speed enforcement detail on Route 32 near Savage on June 16 when he was struck attempting to flag down a speeding Nissan, police said.
Wheeler, of Millersville, died of his injuries two days later.
On Oct. 23, Tracy Wheeler, along with Scott's parents, Fred and Janet Wheeler, joined County Executive Kenneth Ulman and police Chief William McMahon in unveiling a new sign to honor the officer that will be erected on the stretch of Route 32 where Wheeler was killed.
Also present was Larry Blickman, a private citizen who organized a petition drive that led to this portion of the road being dedicated to Wheeler.
Following the ceremony at the Howard County Police Department, Tracy Wheeler said her husband would have been proud.
"I don't think Scott would believe this," she said. "He loved his job and this is a great honor," she added. Wheeler's parents Fred and Janet Wheeler were also at the ceremony.
Dedication was sought
Blickman, former candidate for the register of wills and current vice chairman of the River Hill Community Association, sent an application July 30 to the Maryland Transportation Commission along with letters of support from Ulman and McMahon to dedicate the portion of Route 32 to Wheeler.
The commission recommended to Transportation Secretary John Porcari that the sign be erected and Porcari approved the sign Sept. 5, said Chuck Gischlar, a spokesman for the State Highway Administration.
The 17-member Maryland Transportation Commission is appointed by the governor to serve a three-year term advising the secretary of transportation on issues affecting transportation in the state.
The sign which reads "Dedicated to Cpl. Scott A. Wheeler Howard County Police Department," will be erected by the State Highway Administration by Oct. 26, Gischlar said.
Practice was ended
In response to Wheeler's death, McMahon ordered that police stop using the ''stop team" practice on roads that have a speed limit of 35 miles an hour or higher. The Maryland State Police and the Anne Arundel County police also suspended the practice in response to Wheeler's death.
Howard County police are still investigating the incident and no charges had been filed as of Oct. 23, said Sherry Llewellyn, a police spokeswoman.
McMahon said Oct. 23 that he hoped the new sign that would stand on the median of Route 32 between Route 1 and Route 95 would remind people to slow down on the stretch of road where Wheeler was killed.
"It's more than ironic that Scott lost his life trying to save other lives," McMahon said.
Ulman meanwhile said that he was pleased with the sign, which will be flanked by cherry trees on either side.
"This is an important tribute to Scott's legacy," he said.
Meanwhile Tracy Wheeler said she continues to struggle without her husband.
"I miss Scott, very much so," she said.
She added that she hoped that the sign in her husband's memory would serve as a precaution to other motorists.
"I hope that when people do ride down Route 32 they see this and think of what happened that day," she said.

CONGRADULATIONS CHIEF!

Cleveland Barnes Is Named Chief of Police


James T. Hill, MPA, vice president for administration and finance at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), announced the appointment of Cleveland Barnes, MSc, as director of public safety and chief of police. Barnes is a veteran of the University Police Force and previously held the position in an "acting" capacity.
"Cleveland Barnes is a very knowledgeable and seasoned police officer, long familiar with UMB," said Hill. "His performance over the years has been superb, especially during the past 14 months. His leadership as director of public safety and chief of police will enhance the University Police Force's excellent tradition of providing quality professional services to the campus community. I am delighted that Chief Barnes is a member of our management team."
Barnes was pleased as well.
"I feel honored to be selected as chief of police for such a quality organization," said Barnes. "I'm extremely appreciative of the vote of confidence of Vice President Hill and the campus community who collaborate with us, especially these days when emergency preparedness is a major topic," he added. "I also have faith in my personnel-highly trained and skilled officers who will continue to maintain the quality and excellence of this agency."
Barnes joined UMB in 1971, after completing an enlistment in the Marine Corps that included 13 months in Vietnam.
After joining the University Police Force, he served as a patrol officer responsible for patrolling and protecting the campus community until he was promoted to sergeant and assigned as a shift supervisor in April 1974. He became lieutenant in April 1978 with responsibility for coordinating and directing the University Police Force's Support Services Section.
Barnes was promoted to colonel, assistant director of public safety, in May 2003 and was promoted in September 2007 to director of public safety and chief of police.
Barnes served in an acting capacity for 14 months, during which time he successfully managed the University Police Force's reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Barnes earned a Master of Science in management from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education from Coppin State University.
He graduated from the Maryland Military Academy, Commissioned Officers' Candidate School of the U.S. Army National Guard, and the Baltimore City College High School.

This Is Funny! Way To Go Sheriff!

Fugitives seek tax refunds, get handcuffs instead
Luke Broadwater, The Examiner2007-10-23

BALTIMORE -

In an effort to reduce a backlog of 12,000 outstanding warrants, Ron Bateman thought of an unusual idea for a sheriff: He started lying.
With the help of Comptroller Peter Franchot, Bateman, the Anne Arundel county sheriff, arranged for the state of Maryland to send 500 fictional letters to people wanted on criminal warrants.
The letters told the fugitives Franchot had conducted an audit and found they were owed a tax return of $572.26. The wanted men were told to report to the Treasury Building on Saturday to receive their refund check.
But when the fugitives arrived, there was no money waiting.
“You mean there’s no check?” one asked while being arrested.
“I knew this was a setup,” another lamented, “but the rent was due.”
Yet another complained: “I sat in traffic for an hour just to get locked up?”
In all, 40 wanted people were arrested — clearing 54 warrants, according to a statement Bateman released recounting some fugitives’ responses when they learned they had been tricked.
There were no serious violent criminals in the group, but two people were arrested for felony warrants, according to the sheriff.
“It ended up being very successful,” Bateman said. “We got a good number of warrants served. In eight hours of work, we served what would have taken 40 hours.”
How does he feel about resorting to lying to help clear the backlog?
“It’s approved by the Supreme Court,” Bateman said.
The sheriff said he’s made it his mission to reduce the number of outstanding warrants in the county and has been successful.
Unserved warrants in Anne Arundel County now number 10,000 — down from 12,000 a year ago.
Each of the wanted people was arrested Saturday without incident.
Warren Hansen, a spokesman for Franchot, said he wouldn’t exactly call the fake letters “lying.”
“Let’s put it this way,” he said. “They didn’t leave with a check.”

lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
Examiner

The Police Officer's Right to Sue

I got this from the The Maryland Coalition of Police and Deputy Sheriffs and found it to be both informative and an excellent read. Something that ALL those working in the Law Enforcement profession should know to protect their own rights.

The Police Officer's Right to Sue
By Charles Friend

Law enforcement personnel have always been, and always will be, exposed to physical risk in the line of duty. There is an irreducible minimum amount of danger associated with the profession, and those who choose a career in law enforcement do so with the knowledge that the possibility of physical injury or death will always be present.
In the late 1960's and during the 1970's the incidence of line-of-duty injuries rose sharply. In particular, deliberate attacks upon officers increased at an alarming rate. Between 1965 and 1980 the total number of reported felonious assaults on city, county and state police officers increased from 20,523 in 1965 to 57,847 in 1980. The number of officers killed by felons increased from 53 in 1965 to 104 in 1980, an increase of almost 100 percent. Assaults which resulted in serious injuries rose from 6,836 in 1965 to 21,516 in 1980, an increase of almost 300 percent. Although these trends have moderated somewhat in the 1980's and 1990's, the fact remains that today the risk of assault, injury or death still continues to be very much a part of the law enforcement profession.
Less widely publicized, but perhaps equally disturbing, is the remarkable rise in the number of verbal attacks on police officers in this country. While it is difficult to obtain exact figures, it is apparent that within the past few years American police officers (and police organizations) have been subjected to a rapidly escalating barrage of malicious and unfounded public accusations, including both false official complaints and defamatory statements published through the news media. While attacks of this nature cause no direct physical injury to the officer concerned, the damage to the officer's reputation and career, and the protracted legal entanglements which may result from false charges, are often extremely detrimental to the mental, financial, and even physical health of the accused officers and their families.
In spite of the number of assaults, physical and verbal, which have been inflicted upon them, American law enforcement personnel have not generally attempted to utilize the civil courts as a source or redress for the wrongs done to them. While a certain number of civil suits have been brought over the years by police officers for job related injuries, the number of actions filed is microscopic in comparison with the number of injuries being suffered. The civil remedy simply has not been the tradition response of the American police officer to line-of-duty injuries.
There are several clearly identifiable reasons for this non-user of the civil courts, and an examination of these reasons is essential to anyone who may be called upon to advise an injured officer about civil remedies.

The Availability of Worker's Compensation
A major factor in the lack of use of the civil courts by injured officers has been the availability of worker's compensation plans. Virtually every police officer in the country is covered through his or her department or agency by some form of plan whereby the officer is, in the event of injury, provided with medical care and protected against loss of income. These plans vary greatly in nature and scope of coverage, and many provide only minimal protection, but most officers who suffer a line-of-duty injury can expect to have direct medical expenses provided for, and to continue to receive salary and other benefits during at least some part of the period of disability.
Furthermore, this form of injury compensation is relatively easily obtained; such plans are generally administered directly through the departments themselves or their governmental bodies, and little or no action is normally required by the individual police officer to initiate a claim and to obtain whatever benefits are provided. Furthermore, when medical bills are covered and no income is being lost, the officer may quite reasonably conclude that he or she has been satisfactorily compensated for the injury and feel no need to pursue the matter in a civil court.

Lack of Awareness of the Availability of Civil Remedies
While this is less of a factor today than it was a few years ago, there is some evidence that until relatively recently many police officers were not fully aware of the variety of civil remedies available or the extent of the compensation obtainable through tort action. For example, while virtually every officer know that a civil right action exists for battery, until recently few would have been aware that the system provides for them in some instances with a right of recovery for mental distress unaccompanied by any physical injury. Again, while most officers would be aware that a tort action can be brought to recover the direct expenses such as medical bills of an injury, some might be unaware of the availability of additional damages, e.g., punitive damages, or an award for pain and suffering.
This lack of knowledge has not been entirely confined to the officers involved. All too often, the attorneys consulted by these officers have failed to perceive possible avenues of recovery through lack of understanding of the lesser known tort remedies.
Unfamiliarity of both officers and attorneys with the scope and extent of civil remedies has therefore played at least some small part in the non-user of the civil court system by injured officers.

Official and/or Public Discouragement of Civil Suits by Police
Even if the injured officer is aware of the availability of civil remedies and is inclined to pursue them, the officer may be discouraged from doing so by official or public antipathy toward the use of civil remedies by police officers. Law enforcement agencies may, as a matter of policy, attempt to dissuade their personnel from filing civil suits based upon incidents arising in the line of duty. While this intra-departmental opposition may not be expressed openly, or even admitted publicly, it can be brought to the attention of the officer informally but with great force.In addition, the officer and the officer's department may be affected by opposition from segments of the public outside of the department itself. Civil rights groups, for example, tend to oppose the use of civil suits by police officers, and this opposition may result in pressure being brought to bear upon political leaders to discourage officers from resorting to civil actions.

The Difficulty of Obtaining Legal Representation
The officer considering a civil suit may also encounter difficulty finding an attorney who is willing to bring the action. As noted above, many attorneys are not fully aware of the possibilities open to police plaintiffs in a civil court.
In addition, the cost of good legal representation can be substantial, and the officer may not be willing to pay the fees required by the attorney., or the other costs associated with the civil litigation. In most localities, of course, plaintiffs' attorneys habitually accept cases on a contingent fee basis whereby an attorney will be paid an agreed upon percentage of the eventual recovery, if any. Unfortunately, for reasons described below, attorneys are often reluctant to accept police plaintiff cases because they fear that even if a favorable verdict is obtained in court, they will be unable to collect the judgement, so that the net recovery - and the resulting attorney's contingent fee - will be nil.

The Difficulty of Obtaining a Judgment
An additional deterrent to civil action is the difficulty of obtaining a favorable judgement under the existing legal system. American tort law has, in some areas at least, developed a definite anti-police bias, which serves to block recoveries in many instances in which a wrong has unquestionable been done to the plaintiff officer. Thus, for example, the police officer may be confronted with complex legal defenses which deny to the officer the rights of the civilian citizen, or protect certain privileged defendants from the consequences of their wrongful acts. Because of these discriminatory rules, certain types of civil actions may see to the injured officer to present such difficulty as to become, if not impossible, at least unprofitable to pursue.

The Difficulty of Collecting a Judgment
Even if the Officer Wins the Case As noted in the discussion of the problems of obtaining legal representation, many attorneys shy away from the police-plaintiff cases because they believe that, while the officer has a strong legal case and will obtain a favorable verdict in court, they will be unable to collect anything from the defendant after the judgment is rendered.
In certain types of cases, at least, this is a significant consideration, as for example, in actions for battery. Unfortunately, those most likely to commit battery on police officer are also those least likely to have substantial pecuniary assets with which to satisfy a judgment even if one is obtained. Consequently, both the officer and the attorney may consider it a waste of time to bring an action when it seems likely that any resulting judgement will be a hollow victory, with no money ever actually being collected from the indigent defendant. In some instances, of course, the officer may wish to bring the suit as a matter of principle, or to obtain personal vindication; but these suits are relatively few, and in such instances the attorney will probably require payment by the officer of a flat fee in advance.

The Attitude of the Individual Officer
Although the difficulties discussed above are formidable, one of the most significant causes underlying the traditional lack of use of the civil courts by injured officers is the attitude of the officers themselves.
While individual officers are different, and therefore view the issues differently, certain common patterns of thought can be discerned. In the first place, as noted above, there is often an inherent distrust of the court system in general and of lawyers in particular. This leads to a feeling that there is no point in wasting time attempting to use a system which is basically hostile to the police officer, or which will place the officer's fortunes in the hands of lawyers, of which the police officer has not usually received a very favorable impression.
Secondly, there has quite commonly been a feeling among police officers that physical injury, or at least the risk of it, is just "part of the job," an occupational hazard which should be accepted without complaint. Most officers take pride in being members of the law enforcement fraternity, but this is unfortunately often accompanied by a feeling of isolation from the civilian world. This strong sense of in-group identity in turn oftenleads to the feeling that it is not proper to complain to persons or institutions outside it, or even to the department when an injury is received. Fear of loss of face or even open ridicule by brother officers may play a part here also, particularly where the injury is minor or of a strictly technical nature. In short, no one wants to appear to be a "crybaby."
This complex combination of pride and antipathy has historically discouraged many officers from filing civil suits; but, as will be noted later, this attitude seems to be changing rapidly today, especially where the case involves something other than the most minor physical or technical injury.

Trends in Civil Litigation by Police
Despite the difficulties described above, and the historical lack of use of civil remedies by law enforcement personnel, it appears that the trend is now toward increasing use of the civil courts by police plaintiffs. This trend has manifested itself in several ways. First, there is a distinct increase in the number of cases reaching both the trial and appellate courts in which police officers are the complainants. Secondly, law enforcement relate publications are taking an increased interest in the subject. Even the news media have taken note of the development. There are several factors which have contributed to this, and, again, an understanding of these is important to anyone involved in this are of the law.

Increased Police Awareness of Civil Remedies
The past few years have brought about changes in the law enforcement personnel themselves. Today's officers have a greater awareness of social issues in general and of their own rights in particular. This increased awareness is evident in the internal relationships between officers and their departments as well as in the officers' increased use of civil remedies against persons outside of their agencies.

Increase in the Number of Injuries
being Suffered by OfficersOne very obvious cause of the increase in civil actions by police plaintiffs is the increase, as discussed earlier, in the number of injuries (physical and verbal) being inflicted annually upon officers. A greater number of injured officers mean a greater number of tort claims by injured officers.

Attitude of Officers Toward Certain Types of Injury
Another factor, perhaps not quite so obvious, seems to be operating here also. It appears that while the average officer has been reluctant to bring a civil action for a physical assault (particularly where the actual injury is minor), a different attitude may be adopted when it is the officer's reputation which has been damaged. Although precise statistics are lacking, it appears that a large percentage of the civil actions being filed by police plaintiffs are for injuries related to reputation, libel, slander, etc., rather than for injuries to the body. Clearly, many police officers do not regard unjustified verbal attacks upon their professional or personal reputations as being "just part of the job," and they are more ready to seek vindication in court for injuries of this type.
This attitude is of particular significance when one considers that, although both physical and verbal attacks upon police officers are increasing in frequency, the increase in verbal assaults seems to be proportionately greater. The emergence of the false complaint as a deliberate tactic to harass the police has caused a disproportionate increase in this type of attack. This trend, coupled with the difference in attitude being exhibited by officers towards verbal assaults, has undoubtedly accounted for much of the overall increase in police plaintiff suits.

Increase in Litigation against Police Officers
In the past two decades there has been an astronomical increase in litigation against police officers. In certain urban areas of the country, suing the police has become so commonplace that virtually every contact between police officer and civilian carries with it the threat of civil action against the individual officer, his supervisors, the department as a whole, and the city itself. Police civil liability has become a topic of such importance that instruction in the subject is routinely given in police training programs, independent organizations, such as Americans for Effective Law Enforcement Inc., conduct regular workshops for police supervisors to prepare them to deal with the problem, and some departments, e.g. Los Angeles, have even established special divisions or task forces to investigate civil complaints against them.
This increase in litigation against police has, in addition to making law enforcement personnel more aware of the civil side of our legal system, caused many officers to decide to stop being legal sitting ducks and fight back against this "sue-the-cop" trend by utilizing the very same weapons that are being employed against them - lawyers and lawsuits, injunctions and money damages. The reasoning is simply that "if they can do it, why can't I?"

Encouragement of Police Plaintiffs by Law Enforcement Organizations
Injured officers are not being openly encouraged by interested organizations to bring civil actions. Police associations have been particularly active in this regard. For example, police associations in New York, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania are reported to be openly and actively promoting the filing of civil actions by their members or, in some cases, filing the actions themselves. In some instances, this encouragement has been accompanied by a policy of making legal counsel available to officers interested in filing civil actions. This encouragement has not been confined to local police associations. The International Union of Police Associations openly advocates the use of the civil courts by injured officers, and have provided interested officers with information and guidance towards that end.
Each of these factors has contributed to the increase in litigation by police. The list is not necessarily complete, of course. There are other factors which operate in individual cases to encourage the bringing of civil suits. The point is that, whatever the reasons, the civil action is beyond doubt being increasingly used by American law enforcement officers.

Justification for the Use of Civil Actions by Law Enforcement Personnel
This increasing willingness of law enforcement officers use civil actions is not being regarded with approval by all segments of our society. In fact, as will be noted subsequently, there is substantial opposition to the trend from such varied sources as civil rights groups, the news media, and even law enforcement agencies themselves. A quick examination of the justifications being offered for the increased use of the civil suit by police plaintiffs is therefore necessary.

Compensation of the Injured Officer
The first and foremost obvious justification for the filing of any civil suit is the compensation of the injured plaintiff. This is the purpose of our system of tort law - to compensate those who have been injured by the wrongful acts of others. An elaborate system has been developed over a period of several centuries to accomplish that goal, and, with certain exceptions, the system does not distinguish between police officers and plaintiffs engaged in other occupations.
It is true, of course, that police officers are normally covered by some form of employee compensation plan applicable in cases of line-of-duty injuries. As previously noted, however, these plans normally provide only for direct medical expenses and continuation of income, and even these benefits may be subject to severe limitations as to duration and amount of coverage. In addition, they are applicable only in cases of illness or physical injury; injuries to reputation, for example, are beyond their scope.
By contrast, tort law provides remedies for injuries of all types, whether to the body, the mind, the reputation, the career, or just the technical rights of the officer. Further, even in a physical injury case, the damages obtainable in a civil action in a court of law are far broader in scope that those provided by even the most liberal worker's compensation plan, and jury awards may reach figures unheard of in administrative compensation hearings.
In addition, although the acceptance of worker's compensation benefits usually precludes any further recovery from the employer, it does not normally prevent the bringing of civil suit against a third party. Therefore, the officer may often collect benefits from the employing agency under an employees' compensation plan and, in addition, file a civil suit against any third person or persons who actually inflicted the injury. Thus, the officer may often be entitled to obtain compensation through both channels.Although sometimes condemned, this double compensation is perfectly lawful and is justifiable upon at least two grounds. First of all, it is entirely consistent with a long-established tort doctrine know as the "collateral source" rule, which holds that a wrongdoer is obligated to pay for the full consequences of the wrong done, and is not entitled to escape any portion of that obligation by virtue of any benefits paid to the plaintiff by others. Secondly, in the event that an officer who has received benefits from an employee compensation plan should recover a civil judgement against a third party wrongdoer, the officer will, in many instances at least, be required to reimburse the city or other governmental agency for any benefits received from the employee compensation plan. This relieves the burden on the taxpayers, who would ultimately have borne the cost of the injured officer's compensation under the employee benefit plan; prevents the officer from receiving the "double compensation" which some find so objectionable; and places the financial burden where it belongs - on the wrongdoer who caused the injury to begin with.

Prevention of Similar Attacks in the Future
Advocates of the use of civil remedies by police personnel have emphasized the potential value of such suits as a deterrent to similar attacks on other officers. This reasoning has been responsible in large part for the encouragement of civil suits by police associations, which view this as a means of countering the growing flood of physical and verbal attacks and unfounded litigation against police officers. For example, following the filing of a $2,000,000 lawsuit against the Progressive Labor Party for injuries to nine policemen during a "demonstration," Mr. Jerry D. Trent, a director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), was quoted as saying that one of the reasons for the filing of the suit was "to let groups like the Party know that unprovoked attacks on our police officers simply will not be tolerated." Mr. George Franscell, attorney for the LAPPL, stated flatly that "what we are trying to do is make people understand they can't go along killing and maiming police and get away with it." Similar statements havebeen made by officers or attorneys of the Dallas, TX, Nassau and Suffolk counties, NY, and Delaware county, PA police associations.
It is questionable whether the increased use of civil litigation by police officers or associations will have any effect on "heat-of-passion" physical attacks on police officers by individuals. Such attacks are, of course, already punishable under criminal laws, who sanctions are far more severe than mere money judgements. On the other hand, many advocates feel that criminal law is now so heavily weighted in favor of the accused that it no longer represents a significant deterrent to any type of crime. If that is indeed the case, the certainty of civil action might be of some value in causing at least some potential assailants to have second thoughts, especially in the case of groups which advocate violence as a matter of policy.
The deterrent effect may be most noticeable in other types of cases, however. As previously noted, a major problem confronting law enforcement today is the increase in false complaints and unfounded civil litigation against officers and their agencies. Unlike most physical assaults, these verbal attacks are usually carefully premeditated, and are often launched only after legal counsel has been obtained by the complainant. The knowledge on the part of the prospective complainants (and their counsel) that civil penalties will be invoked for the filing of unfounded charges or legal actions may at least serve to discourage those persons - and their numbers appear to be substantial - who make complaints or file suits against the police with full knowledge that the charges have no basis in fact or law.
Much of the opposition to the use of civil suits by police officers centers about this latter point. Many feel that to encourage - indeed, even to permit all police officers to bring lawsuits against citizens will have a "chilling effect" upon people who have legitimate complaints against the police.
This argument does not impress advocates of increased use of the civil courts by police. They point out that, in the first place, those with legitimate complaints have no reason to fear civil action by the officer concerned, since only unjustified charges are wrongful under tort law, and that statistics indicate that the vast majority of official complaints and lawsuits filed against law enforcement officers are later proven to be unfounded and, in many instances, malicious.
There is one additional and very persuasive argument made by those who favor the right of police officers to bring civil action; they point out that police officers are citizens too. Why, is it argued, should the police officer who is shot, or stabbed, or beaten, or defames, have fewer civil rights that any other person? Police officers suffer pain, and bleed, and die, like everyone else. They leave behind families who grieve and suffer financial hardship, just like everyone else. Why then, should they be denied the rights to protection and compensation that our legal system accords to every other citizen? The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the law enforcement officer's right to sue. Many feel that the right should be exercised.

This position has been summarized very nicely by Col. Adam G. Reiss, Superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol: Law enforcement officers have the same rights as private citizens. Where any officers are injured civilly in the performance of their duties, they have the right, and even a moral obligation, to file suit.

All rights Reserved

Ten Fatal Errors That Have Killed Experienced Lawmen

1. YOUR ATTITUDE If you fail to keep your mind on the job while on patrol or you carry problems from home into the field, you will start to make errors. It can cost you or other fellow officers their lives. Are you wearing your bullet resistant armor? It could save your life.

2. TOMBSTONE COURAGE No one doubts that you are courageous. But in any situation where time allows wait for the backup. There are few instances where alone, unaided you should try and make a dangerous apprehension.

3. NOT ENOUGH REST To do your job you must be alert. Being sleepy or asleep on the job is not only against regulations but you endanger yourself, the community and all your fellow officers.

4. TAKING A BAD POSITION Never let anyone you are questioning or about to stop get in a better position than you and your vehicle. There is no such thing as a routine call or stop. They are all "unknown risk" calls or stops.

5. DANGER SIGNS As a lawman you will get to recognize danger signs . Movements, strange cars, warnings that should alert you to watch your step and approach with caution. Know your beat, your community and watch for what is out of place.

6. FAILURE TO WATCH HANDS OF A SUSPECT Is he or she reaching for a weapon or getting ready to strike you? Where else can a potential killer strike but from his or her hands?

7. RELAXING TOO SOON The rut of false alarms that are accidentally set off. Walking in and asking if the place is being held up. Observe the activity. Never take any call as routine, or just another false alarm. Its your life on the line.

8. IMPROPER USE OR NO HANDCUFFS Once you have made an arrest handcuff the prisoner and do it properly. See that the hands that can kill are safely cuffed.

9. NO SEARCH OR POOR SEARCH There are so many places to hide weapons that your failure to search is a crime against fellow officers. Many criminals carry several weapons and are able and prepared to use them against you.

10. DIRTY OR INOPERATIVE WEAPON Is your firearm clean? Will it fire? How about the ammo? When did you last fire so that you can hit a target in combat conditions? What's the sense of carrying any firearm that may not work?

Lodge 15 Bull and Shrimp Roast

Maryland Troopers Association Lodge XV Bull and Shrimp Roast on the 27th of October from 5pm till midnight. It will be held at the Ed Walls Center in Fair Hill MD just north of Elkton. The menu is as follows:
Pit Beef, Pit Ham, Pit TurkeySweet Italian Sausage w/peppers and onionsWingsShrimpVarious side dishesBeer – 6 taps runningSodasGames of chance as well as a silent auction and Chinese auction. The tickets are $35 a piece and there is a DJ for music and dancing all night long. Tickets can be purchased by contacting a lodge officer, calling 410-392-9265 or email the lodge at mtalodge15@yahoo.com
Maryland Troopers AssociationLodge XVP.O. Box 2232Elkton, MD 21922-2232

Thank You,

To Veterans Administration Police Officer Joshua Starleper for his contribution of

the V.A. Police badge.

As a U.S.Army veteran I appreciate everything they do to keep us all safe at the V.A.M.C.

Baltimore on Greene Street and at Ft. Howard, Maryland.

Keep Up The Good Work!

Way To Go Deputies! Good Job!

LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Oct. 9, 2007) -

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Department today released the following incident and arrest reports.

DRUGS:

On 10/08/07 DFC Brain Connelly responded to a check the welfare call in at the Sheetz Store, Great Mills, Maryland. DFC Connelly located the suspect, identified a Ryan Michael Page 22, of Leonardtown, Maryland in his vehicle. While talking to the suspect, DFC Connelly observed drug paraphernalia on the floorboard of the suspect's vehicle. The suspect was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with possession of CDS, Not Marijuana and Possession of CDS Paraphernalia. He was transported to the Detention Center pending hearing before the District Court Commissioner.

COUNTERFEIT NARCOTICS:

On 10/07/07 Deputy Campbell responded to the area of riverside drive to investigate a violation an alleged violation of an ex parte. While investigating this complaint Deputy Campbell was advised someone in the area was attempting to sell cocaine. The suspect was identified as a 17 year old juvenile. This investigation revealed the suspect attempted to sell fake cocaine to another juvenile in the area. The suspect was placed under arrest and charged with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Counterfeit Narcotics and Distribution of Counterfeit Narcotics and released to the custody of their parents.

GOOD JOB!

Great Work Trooper 5, Natural Resources K9 and the Allegany Sheriff's Deputies.
Thank You for another job Well Done!

Man charged in home invasions
From Staff ReportsCumberland Times-News

— CUMBERLAND -

A Potomac Park resident threatened in his own home by a man with a knife demanding money, was able to defend himself Saturday afternoon and flee to a neighbor's home.The suspect then tried to enter another home but again was fought off by the resident. He finally barricaded himself into a third, but unoccupied, home. A search, which involved numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Maryland State Police Medevac helicopter, finally brought the incident to an end about 1:36 p.m.Michael Ray Albright, no age given, of the 13900 block of Black Valley Road, Flintstone, was charged by C3I with several felony charges including first-degree burglary, first-degree assault, armed robbery and theft.The Maryland State Police at LaVale said Albright apparently was in a Pansy Street home in Potomac Park initially when the homeowner returned.Police said Albright, wearing a bandana, allegedly pointed a knife at the man and wanted money. After a fight, the victim went to a neighbor's house and call 911.As troopers were on the way, another victim called and said a man was at his home saying his car was broken down and he needed to use the phone. He then allegedly tried to force his way into the house but ran when he heard police sirens.Trooper 5, along with the state police, the Department of Natural Resources K-9 unit, Allegany County Sheriff's Office and C3I, searched the area, eventually learning Albright allegedly had broken into an unoccupied home.Police said they surrounded the house and later entered it where they arrested Albright.Albright was being held late Sunday in the Allegany County Detention Center on $250,000 bond.

Copyright © 1999-2006 cnhi, inc.

Officials Crack Down On Illegal Handicapped Tags

Officials Crack Down On Illegal Handicapped Tags

Mike Schuh Reporting

(WJZ) BALTIMORE
Many of the people who park in Baltimore's handicapped parking spots have no business being there.Mike Schuh reports a team of enforcement officers from the city and state are cracking down on illegal parkers.Of all the parking spaces at local stores and businesses, you need permission from the state to park in the ones closest to the door.MVA inspector Sidney Hyatt and other teams checked out 15 parking lots Wednesday, and some drivers were shocked that the parking privilege given to their relatives doesn't extend to them.
There were attempts to avoid getting a citation, and officers say that's because it's an expensive citation to get.Drivers could be found using parents', siblings', and spouses' tags. On average, those violators were given a $202 ticket and the tags were taken.Officials raked in many tags that were being used illegally, and if not picked up, they'll be shredded."They feel it's only for a few minutes, so they feel they won't bother anyone. But someone very needy of the space can't have it," said Hyatt."I'm glad someone's starting to clean it up because it's gotten ridiculous. You see very healthy people walking in and out of stores," said Ron Roberts who has a handicapped tag.
The MVA says there are well over 200,000 handicapped tags and license plates being used in Maryland.