Good Luck Colonel

August 20, 2010
Baltimore police commander off to Athens for marathon
The Baltimore Police Department's chief of patrol, Col. John Skinner (left), has been selected to represent Baltimore in the 2010 Athens marathon in Greece. This years race marks the 2,500th anniversary of the Greek Battle of Marathan.
The Oct. 31 race "commemorates the legendary journey of Greek messenger Pheidippides in 490 BC from the Marathon Battlefield to the city of Athens, Greece," according to a statement from the city. Piraeus is the Port of Athens and Baltimore’s Sister City in Greece.
You can follow Colonel Skinner’s journey to Athens on the Baltimore-Piraeus blog at http://johnskinnerbaltimore.blogspot.com/. Upon his return, Colonel Skinner will speak at a school and other organizations about his experience in Greece.
Here is the rest of the statement from Baltimore City Hall:
“During the interview process, we were very impressed with John’s desire to be an example to every day Baltimoreans. He spoke about how this would be his first marathon. The Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee is excited to sponsor a runner in this historic event and link Baltimore and Greece. There are not many 2,500 year old events that are celebrated and still relevant in today's global culture like marathons,” said Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee Chair, Diane Homberg. Skinner was selected from a pool of applicants because of his longtime dedication to public safety and commitment to community service. He is a 17 year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department and has served in a variety of operational and supervisory capacities.
Currently he commands the agency’s Patrol Division and oversees all uniformed men and women of the Police Department. Over the last three years, Skinner has been credited with fostering better relations between police and the community through his dedication to transparency and developing cohesive partnerships with community groups.
“It’s a huge honor for me to represent the city of Baltimore in this historic race,” Skinner said after being selected to compete. His trip takes place from October 27 to November 3.
During the past few months, Skinner has also organized approximately 60 City police officers to take part in the 2010 Baltimore marathon.
“I want to thank the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee for their commitment to support fostering better relations between Baltimore and Greece,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “I know Col. Skinner will represent both the city and the police department well.”
“Colonel Skinner’s ascension through the ranks of the Baltimore Police Department is a testament to his intelligence, dedication and commitment to service,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld. “Most recently, he has embraced competitive running as not only a wellness tool, but also a way to build camaraderie and morale among the people he commands. The men and women of the Baltimore Police Department are very fortunate to have Colonel Skinner represent us and the city in this significant international running challenge.”
While in Greece, Colonel Skinner will have an opportunity to meet the Mayor of Piraeus and shadow a Piraeus, Greece police officer for the day.
About Baltimore Piraeus Sister City Committee:Founded in 1982, the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee motivates and empowers private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders to build long-term global interactions.
Posted by Peter Hermann

Baltimore Police Officers Respond to Criticism

I'm trying not to get to fired up over this new round of Baltimore city politicians blaming police officers over spikes in crime. But the fact still remains Bealefeld, that officers are over worked, under paid and have two much pressure on them to begin with.

So why don't you grow a pair. Try telling your friend the mayor and the city council to do something substantial like hiring another 150 officers and increasing the pay by 15% across the board. Then maybe the good, experienced officers you have now won't be making a lateral in two years.

And let's combine that with pressure on the prosecutors to stop cutting deals left & right; filing and following through with charges on the parents of minors out after curfew; more lock-up time for these kids involved with gangs; fines & reparations for parents whose children commit these crimes.

Let's try backing up our Police Officers as opposed to blaming them for what the public is guilty of.

Tom Greywolf

Reporting by Adam May BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―

Baltimore police officers fire back, outraged over recent criticism by Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.

Will A More Aggressive Approach To Crime Fighting Lead To A Safer Baltimore City?

Baltimore police officers fire back, outraged over recent criticism by Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld. At issue is how to stop an alarming spike in violence, some aimed at innocent residents.Adam May has more on this growing controversy.A number of officers spoke off-camera Tuesday, critical of leadership at the police department and at City Hall. They say, don't blame them for weekend crimes.Baltimore City's reduction in murders and shootings over the last two years is now threatened by spikes of violence almost every weekend this summer. One reason, according to Bealefeld, is the performance of some patrol officers."We gotta make sure everybody is operating with the same degree of urgency and I'm just not convinced of that right now," Bealefeld said."Morale is at a tough point right now," said Bob Cherry, Fraternal Order of Police.The Baltimore Police Union is firing back. They recently put up a billboard critical of city leaders and are claiming that officers are underpaid and overworked."You can beat down these officers so much because you can only expect that many hours or that many arrests and efforts before you say enough is enough," Cherry said.Last weekend alone, three people were killed and 13 hurt in 10 separate shootings. And it's not all drug violence. Teenage gang members are suspected in a string of beatings and robberies in Fells Point."We can change how this community is acting right now. We can change the results of so much crime happening. The kids don't have a sense of a partnership, ownership, someone to talk to. We have to change that," said Larry Bell.Bell, who runs a program for at-risk youth, believes government leaders are missing the big picture."With the decrease of the PALS programs and the closing of parks, pools and rec centers, this is a high priority right now because these young people are really crying out for help right now and they need as much as they can get," Bell said.The police union agrees."We expect more from the current mayor and commissioner in terms of making sure it's not just the police you blame, it's everyone else," Cherry said.The police department has more than 100 vacancies right now. Most officers who quit the department just leave for higher paying jobs in other jurisdictions.The commissioner plans to add more foot patrols, improve gang intelligence and use more video surveillance to crack down on the violence.

Great Instincts Demonstrated By Anne Arundal County Officer!

Arundel Digest
Published 07/15/09

Officer shoots unruly husband in home

ARNOLD - A county police officer shot and wounded a man Sunday night after he allegedly threatened to strike another officer with a chair.
It was the fourth time this year officers have fired their weapons in the line of duty.
On Sunday, two officers arrived about 9 p.m. at a home in the 1000 block of Deep Creek Avenue at the request of Anne Arundel Medical Center. The man's wife left the emergency room without being treated for unspecified injuries earlier in the day.
The woman's husband told officer to leave. They tried to subdue the 51-year-old man with pepper spray and a Taser.
He then picked up a chair and raised it toward one of the officers, prompting Officer Dwayne Raiford, a four-year veteran, to shoot the man once, police said.
Michael Anthony Housley was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Both officers were treated at AAMC for minor injuries.
Housley was charged with second-degree assault, failing to obey a lawful order and resisting arrest.
Since April, police have shot and killed an armed man in a hostage situation in Hanover, wounded a 16-year-old boy who repeatedly backed an SUV into an officer's car near Maryland City and killed an man who pointed a rifle at police during a standoff.

BOUNTY HUNTED II - Police make 8th arrest in Bounty Hunters murder case

Another Excellent Job By Baltimore Homicide!


By Stephen Janis

Baltimore Police on Monday night arrested the eighth suspect in connection with the December 2008 slaying of a member of the powerful Bounty Hunters gang.

Dominique Boone, 18, was arrested near his home on the 1200 block of Northview Drive in northeast Baltimore and charged with first-degree murder. Police allege Boone was one of three members of the gang who beat Petro Taylor unconscious in room 312 of the Red Carpet Inn at 5810 Reisterstown Rd.

The arrest of Boone marks the end of an extensive investigation of the brutal slaying of Taylor, 20, who was allegedly lured to the motel room by other members of the Bounty Hunters – a powerful city gang with ties to the Bloods – after he failed to place money into a commissary account for another gang member incarcerated in Baltimore County.

Police allege that after the beating, the unconscious Taylor was placed in the trunk of a car and driven to a secluded area of Leakin Park, where he was stabbed more than 30 times, then doused with gasoline and set on fire.

The Medical Examiner’s office determined Taylor was alive when he was set on fire; leaves were found in his throat.

Last week police arrested Lawrence Walker, and charged him with first-degree murder.

Prior to Walker’s arrest, police charged Grechauna Rogers 16, Tanisha Lawson, 18, and Sierra Pyle, 19, for their alleged roles in Taylor's death. Police also charged Anthony Williams, Terrell Greg, and Devin Melton, an 18-year-old Edmondson High School student. All the suspects have been charged with first-degree murder.

sjanis@investigativevoice.com

Another Great Idea!

Considering All the water based activities in Maryland, This is a good Idea.

Police recruits learning swimming, rescue skills

By LISA BEISEL, Staff Writer

Published 03/23/09

Courtesy photo County police recruits need to learn water-rescue techniques because of the vast network of waterways in the area. Brian Arnold helps pretend victim Casey Hall get to the poolside safely.

They stood in two straight lines by the side of the pool. Then, one by one, they jumped in and tried to remember the instructor's directions.

But these students at the Arundel Olympic Swim Center on Riva Road weren't guppies, minnows or sharks. They were 27 police recruits training with the county Police Department.

In addition to other training, police recruits go through a 10-week course in water safety and rescue. Each Wednesday they spend about 2 1/2 hours in the Annapolis pool.

Sgt. Todd Powell, one of the supervisors at the training academy, said the swimming instruction has been part of recruit training for the past 18 years.

The county has 540 miles of tidal shoreline, more than most counties in the entire country, Powell said.

"At some point in their career, almost every officer has some involvement" with the water, he explained, whether bytaking part in a rescue or while in pursuit of someone who has jumped into a river or creek in an attempt to evade arrest.

It's important to get the recruits comfortable in the water and with their own swimming abilities, he said.

Last week, the students, four of whom are training to join the Bowie Police Department, practiced different towing techniques. On one side of the pool a "victim" jumped in, and a recruit rescuer jumped in on the other side. The rescuer swam the width of the pool, got the victim and guided him or her back to safety.

By the end of one rotation, the rescuers were clearly tired from swimming with the extra weight. Instructors would yell tips and advice to them as they completed their laps.

Standing by the side of the pool, Carl Doby cheered some recruits on and practiced techniques with others.

Doby, a recruit from Washington, D.C., is an experienced swimmer. He has been swimming since he was 7 and has coached others.

For him, the swimming lessons are fun; he enjoys learning the new techniques, and he likes helping the other recruits when he can.

"Everyone helps everyone. We're one family here, we're one team," he said.

While the county Fire Department handles most water-rescue calls, the police are often the first to get to the scene. When time is of the essence, officers must act fast.

"A lot of times (the officers) don't have the time to wait for the Fire Department to get there," Powell said. "They need to take some kind of action."

The Maryland Training Commission requires that officers know some water rescue techniques, including those for swift-moving water rescues and ones involving ice. But the county training goes above and beyond those requirements, Powell said.

Besides learning basic swimming skills and towing techniques, recruits also learn how to use flotation devices, and how to safely use watercraft such as canoes and rowboats.

"It helps them help themselves, and potentially help someone else," Powell said.

But "there's only so much we can teach, because every situation is different and dynamic," Powell said.

Getting recruits to be confident in the water is one of the most important things, because it gets them over any initial fear they may have.

The future officers come into the water training with varying levels of experience. Some are marginal swimmers.

"Some of them are very scared in the beginning," he said.

For Erick Gonzalez, swimming was a foreign concept. Before he hit the pool with his classmates two weeks ago, it had been years since he'd dipped a toe in the water.

"It's new. I've never had formal swimming lessons before," the 23-year-old Lanham resident said. He dreaded the weekly classes in the beginning, but now feels a bit more comfortable in the water.

"You never know when you actually might need it," he said, noting that water rescue techniques could come in handy at home or on the job.

How Stupid Do You Have To Be!?

This guy has got to be the dumbest yet. Did he honestly think that he wouldn't get caught. Kudos to the Montgomery County officer who caught this moron.

Man Held In Slippery Roadway SabotagePaint, Oil Linked To Rockville Crashes
By Aaron C. DavisWashington Post Staff WriterSunday, March 15, 2009

Be careful driving toward the Maryland State Police barracks in Rockville. If the radar gun doesn't get you, the oil slick might.
State police said yesterday that a Rockville man's apparent vendetta against law enforcement might have caused several accidents in Montgomery County, including two involving police cruisers. An officer spotted the man Friday -- for the second time -- dumping oil on a hairpin highway exit ramp off Interstate 270, less than a mile from the barracks, police said.
In recent months, accidents have followed sudden appearances of oil and paint on the loop-shaped offramp from northbound I-270 toward westbound Montrose Road, police said. The ramp leads to the state police barracks, a county police station and the county's jail.
State police said they suspect that behind it all was Jonathan Crane, 34, a Rockville information technology consultant and former mechanic who found himself on the receiving end of a series of traffic tickets and a drunken driving charge last year.
"This, well, it's strange," said Lt. Clifford Hughes, commander of the Rockville state police barracks. "He's way above retaliation."
In October, after Crane had been ticketed six times in the preceding six months, he was charged with spreading oil on the ramp -- the exact spot where he received a $130 ticket in August for failing to control his speed.
At about 12:40 a.m. Friday, he was walking along the ramp with a container of chain oil when a Montgomery County officer drove by.
According to state police, the officer found a second container of chain oil farther down the ramp. Officers found Crane's 1989 Mercedes parked in the bushes. On the bumper, they said, was a splash of green paint that resembled a concrete sealer recently found on the ramp.
Samples were sent to the state police forensics lab, and Crane was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and dumping a hazardous substance on a highway.
Yesterday, he remained in the county jail awaiting a bond hearing tomorrow.
Crane's attorney, David Grover, declined to comment on the latest round of charges, saying he had not spoken with his client. Grover described Crane as a "very intelligent person." Of the repeat charge of dumping oil on a highway, Grover said, "it's different."
Crane, who owns a $400,000 condominium in the 600 block of Ivy League Lane, accepted a deal last month to settle charges stemming from the Oct. 1 incident. He pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and was placed on probation for two years. Prosecutors dropped charges of dumping a hazardous material that could endanger others and maliciously destroying property.
According to state police, the dumping contributed to several accidents, one of which involved a Montgomery police cruiser.
More than a month after that crash, a state police cruiser crashed in the same spot, and investigators found an oily substance on the road, Hughes said. After that incident, state police sent a memo to all law enforcement agencies in the area warning them that oil had been appearing on the ramp, he said.
Crane's October arrest on the ramp came less than a month after he was charged with driving while impaired and driving under the influence after a single-vehicle accident early Sept. 6. He was acquitted at trial.
Crane was fined $100 in April for having an expired registration; $90 in May for failing to obey a traffic control device; and $130 on Aug. 29 for failing to control vehicle speed to avoid a collision on the westbound Montrose exit ramp.
"Obviously, he likes that ramp," Hughes said.
Staff researcher Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.

Thanks for Finally saying it Peter Hermann!

Cops in Baltimore having been buying their supplies for years. Supplies that should have been paid for by the city. It's only gotten worse since Sheila Dixon became Mayor.

Hats Off to All of you Dedicated BCPD Officers going that extra mile,

Thank You!

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/balmd.hermann12dec12,0,419700.columnbaltimoresun.com

To get job done, police dig into their own pockets

Peter Hermann - Baltimore Crime Beat

December 12, 2008

The cops got a 3 percent raise.The mayor got a 2 1/2 percent raise.Seems fair.I don't mind an extra $3,700 in Sheila Dixon's pocket, or the raises for the comptroller, the City Council president and other lawmakers. And I won't even discuss how they hid their vote using arcane job classification codes.

What is astounding is that they gave themselves raises while ordering millions of dollars in budget cuts from the Police Department, including slashing overtime, even as a spate of killings made November the deadliest month of the year. Yesterday, in a public relations epiphany, and only after her slightly more astute colleagues had already done so, the mayor jumped on the bandwagon and agreed to donate her raise to charity.

As Dixon tries to recover from her act of political malpractice, city police officers in the robbery unit are digging into their own pockets to pay for an Internet site to showcase suspects wanted in holdups. The cops spend $115 a year to license the site and put up video clips from surveillance cameras to help track down armed thugs and close some of the roughly 3,500 armed robberies in the city each year.And that's just the beginning.Some detectives bring their own color computer printers to work so they can have mug shots for lineups. Many use their own laptops and cell phones.

The department provides uniforms, but officers have to clean them. And simply throwing them into the washing machine won't do unless you want to stand out at inspection."Try to wash your pants and they end up looking really nasty," said Officer Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman who did her time on the street. "For some reason, the stripe that goes down the side shrinks but the pants don't. So they don't hang right and they start to fade and they don't have that sharp look to them. It's best that you send them to the dry cleaner."

And writing reports in a car is nearly impossible without a clipboard, another item that isn't standard issue."It's unprofessional of me to hand you something that's all crumpled up," said Monroe, who read off a list of items she bought from Staples, including index-card-size spiral notebooks, when she was in patrol.

You can argue that all these items are not absolutely necessary and that tax dollars for clipboards can be better spent elsewhere. Workers at nearly every job spend their own money on things to make their days a little easier and a little more comfortable, be it a favorite pen or a spiffy briefcase. Teachers routinely buy supplies that their cash-strapped schools can't afford.

Sam Walters, a retired officer who runs the Cop Shop, a police supply store in Baltimore, said most extras that officers buy are items that "no agency is going to fund" and that his customers understand the city has no money to buy extra pairs of pants and shoes.

Yes, the mayor is right when, in initially defending her raise, said she works hard, supports a family, has a daughter in college and sacrifices a lot for this city. But so have other civil servants, such as the cops who care enough to buy their own clipboards to make their reports presentable, pay for their own dry cleaning so their pants don't wrinkle, and fund their own Web site so armed robbers can be caught.

Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun

BEST COMISSIONER IN THE HISTORY OF THE BALTIMORE POLICE DEPT.

Edward Norris

Training In Action, Good Shooting Officer!

Man shot after firing at officer in traffic stop
April 22, 2008


A routine traffic stop in Brooklyn Park last night suddenly burst into an exchange of gunfire between a motorist who pulled a gun and an Anne Arundel County police officer, authorities said.
The motorist was shot, but the officer was not hit.
Shortly before 11 p.m., a Northern District police officer stopped a car on Franklin Avenue near Alley No. 7 for a traffic violation and was out of his patrol car when the motorist, who also was out of his car, pulled a handgun and fired at least one shot at the officer, police said.
The officer, whose name was not released, pulled out his semiautomatic handgun and fired at the man, hitting him at least once in the upper body, police said.
Battalion Chief Matthew Tobia, a spokesman for the county Fire Department, said the wounded man, believed to be in his mid-20s, was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. His condition was not available, Tobia said.
[Richard Irwin
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun

Many Thanks to the Charles County Sheriff´s Dept. & The MSP!

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: On March 22 at 1:22 a.m.

Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to Legends of Waldorf located at 1290 Smallwood Drive West in Waldorf for the report of a fight in the parking lot. Upon arrival, officers observed a group of people fighting. The officers ordered them to stop but when the group refused to comply, one of the officers deployed pepper spray.
After approximately 20 officers and the Maryland State Police had responded to control and disperse the crowd, seven people were arrested including: --
Charles Giovonne Shanks, 23, of Suitland for disorderly conduct --
Julius Jovan Ford, 24, of Charlotte Hall for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace --
Ebony Tamathy Green, 21, of La Plata for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace --
Tarsheona Anedra Gaines, 23, of Nanjemoy for second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest --
Jarell Francis Curtis, 23, of Temple Hills for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace --
Marcus Lorenzo Proctor, 26, of Indian Head for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace --
Margaret Elizabeth Meredith, 22, of Mechanicsville for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.

The arrested individuals were transported by the Sheriff’s Office’s paddy-wagon to the Charles County Detention Center, where they were being held pending appearances before a district court commissioner.

Sheriff’s Officers Kimble and D. Major investigated.

Good Eye For Detail Cpl. Kirk Henneberry

Impersonator identified, charged!

The Frederick Police Department charged a Frederick man on Monday with two counts of impersonating a police officer.
Cpl. Kirk Henneberry has applied for charging documents for David Alonso Bohorquez-Amado, 22, of the 1100 block of Wilson Place, police said.
About 11:45 p.m. Thursday, a black Chevrolet Impala with no emergency lights flashed its high beams to get a man to pull over, police said. A white man in his 30s without a uniform told the man he had been speeding. The impersonator then asked for the man's license and registration.
When the driver asked the "officer" for identification, the impersonator said another officer was on the way, got into the Impala and left, police said. There were no traffic stops at that time in that location by a sheriff's deputy, state trooper or city police officer.
About 8 a.m. Monday, Henneberry got a call from a man who had heard about the impersonator and had a similar encounter with him about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday on Wilson Place, police said. The impersonator had identified himself as a police officer but left after being questioned about his badge number.
Several hours after the tip, Sgt. Wayne Trapp found an Impala that matched the description of the impersonator's vehicle, police said. Bohorquez-Amado owned the vehicle and matched the description of the impersonator.
Bohorquez-Amado had heard of the impersonator on Lee and Wilson places and acknowledged confronting the victims, police said.

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.”