Maryland State Police Sgt. Sheila Breck, at right, is overcome
by the carnage at this
wreck on Rt. 235.
Maryland State Troopers; Sgt. Gary Willis, Tfc. Kristile Shugart and....
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
St. Mary's Sheriff's Deputy Mike Peacher and Maryland State Trooper Mark
McLean hunt for a man with a gun outside the Lexington Park library.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
This trooper was honored for heroism last spring at the annual law
enforcement appreciation day.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
St. Mary's Sheriff's Cpl.
Harold Young with a suspect pulled
over in Lexington Park.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Road Rage at Great Mills
This scene on March 4, 2006 was the result of a bad case of road
rage on Rt. 5 in Great Mills.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
Road Rager left this getaway car at St. Mary's fairgrounds where
it was found by a State Trooper.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Some
crashes aren't too bad for STS bus system.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Charles County, Md. Sheriff Fred Davis
Davis served three terms, from 1994 to 2006, as Sheriff of Charles
County after retiring from the Maryland State Police.
Brass at Work
Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack Commander Lt. Brian
Cedar, right, along with Capt. Mike Spalding.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Chevy Chase Bank
Robbery at Giant Food in First Colony
Police have part of the parking lot taped off as they gather
evidence following the Nov. 11, 2004 robbery.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Home Baked Loot
Subway shops are not only a great place to dine, but local
hoodlums love to hold them up. This one at the Festival Center in
Waldorf was the target on this occasion.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
State Police and St. Mary's Sheriff's detectives
nab Tackle Box Burglars
Nearly two dozen guns were stolen from the Tackle Box and in
this
Jan. 2004, photo, detectives from the joint investigation team pose with
the recovered guns.
Trick or Treat with a
Gun
This Taco Bell at San Souci in
California was held up as shown in this 2004 photo. A series of
holdups including rapes of clerks at local stores was finally brought to
a halt, but only after the rapist had hit nearly a dozen stores.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Superintendent Col. Tim Hutchins
Appointed to be the commander of the Maryland State Police after
the debacle of Ed Norris, Tim Hutchins of Charles County, a retired
state trooper, left his post as a member of the House of Delegates to
take the post. He was never allowed to run the agency without
every action being approved by the political aides to Gov. Robert
Ehrlich. He was replaced by the appointment of Col. Terrance
Sheridan by Gov. Martin O'Malley.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Lt. Bonnie Morris, former commander of the Leonardtown Barrack of the
Maryland State Police
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Lt. Terri Wilkin, former commander of the Leonardtown Barrack
of the Maryland State Police.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Ticket Tape Parade
These St. Mary's
Sheriff's deputies help enforce safety laws on truck with serious
defects.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Wawa Wobbed Again!
Armed robbery at the Great Mills Road Wawa.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
A Life Too Short
A promising young Maryland State Police cadet died in an auto
crash on Rt. 5 while on his way home from duty at the state truck
scales. He was given full police honors, and as a volunteer with
the Mechanicsville Vol. Fire Dept., Neale Slater was also given a
fireman's burial.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by James Anton
Sheer Joy
This fellow led cops on a high speed chase before trying to hide
behind a house on St. Andrews Church Road. St. Mary's Deputy Mark
Smith, with the assistance of a uniformed officer, secures the prisoner.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
St. Mary's Sheriff's Swat Team
St. Mary's deputies on scene of a raid on a crackhouse located
on
Rt. 5 in Redgate.
Just another day at the crackhouse.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
St. Mary's Deputy Steve Myers
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Maryland State Troopers at the end of a high-speed
chase on Rt. 235 at Oraville.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
A Maryland State Police academy class in 2001.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Maryland State Trooper Luekesewitz escorts a pilot who ditched
his plane in the creek near St. Jerome's in 2003. Tfc.
Luekesewitz was injured when he was shot by an armed robber who had just
held up the 7-11 in Leonardtown and then took aim on the trooper who had
stopped his car on Rt. 5.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
The Maryland State Police began as a mounted motorcycle patrol,
as shown in this old photo at the MSP headquarters museum.
Also shown are Maryland Governors.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Newly Minted Officers for Talbot County
On December 18, 4 new Talbot
County Sheriff's Deputies graduated
from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy in Salisbury. The
graduation culminated a 6 month intensive training program that involved
academics, firearms, tactical training, and physical conditioning. Over
500 program objectives were met to qualify for graduation, and over
2,000 graded responses were a part of the total course curriculum. Each
Deputy participated in advanced community policing techniques, accident
and criminal investigation, and advanced first aid. Each was challenged
with a wide range of problem solving issues, and leadership roles.
These new Deputies were part of 19 graduates that represented 9 police
agencies from the mid-shore area in this class session. These Deputies
earned recognition among their class peers in regard to academic and
physical conditioning achievements. Each also earned qualifying college
credits that are part of their Criminal Justice degree programs.
Photo caption: L to R Talbot County Sheriff Dallas
Pope, Deputy Matthew Minton, Deputy
Marlene McCue, Deputy Cheyenne Chase, Deputy Brandon Buckius
Should Maryland Police Training
Commission Allow Agencies
to Hire Legal Aliens as Cops?
Due to some agencies in the state, notably
Montgomery County, the Maryland Police Training Commission is
considering letting counties hire cops who are not citizens, citing the
practice of the military allowing non-citizens to join the armed forces.
With police agencies scrounging to find applicants, due to the immense
problem of drug use on one hand and the good job market for college
grads, over the past ten years, there have been fewer qualified
applicants to deal with for recruiters.
Your views on this matter are invited:
staff1@stmarystoday.com
Danny's Take:
Only American citizens should be allowed
to join any American police agency. If you are in our military
armed forces, you must swear an oath to protect and defend this
country.
Why would any law enforcement agency hire anyone who has not sworn
to uphold the laws of our county, state and country. It would not
hurt, if the political leaders of this country were reminded of that
oath.
I do not believe that any foreign national should be in our country,
armed and charged with arresting American citizens.
Further, to become an American citizen is not that difficult. We who
were born in this country often take it for granted, be thankful and
proud and don't ever forget what a lot of our fathers and
grandfathers sacrificed to make this country great .
Do not be afraid to tell some of these idiots, our country is not
for sale and we are not giving it away.
Citizens took action to stop looters after Hurricane Isabel by
setting up 'no looting zones'
The Robinson Barnes Valentines Day Murder
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Bar Murder in Ridge
This news archive photo of a younger
St. Mary's Sgt. Ted Belleavoine, along with Maryland State Trooper
Shelly Hollinger at
a murder scene at the old Robinson Barnes bar in Ridge. This
murder took place at a Valentines Day dance.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Not always a matter of crash and crunch for
local cops.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Watch This!
Maryland State Trooper First Class Mark McLean giving a motorist
a
field sobriety test.
Sick and tired of outlaw motorcycle gangs?
This motorist consults with the police to find out if it's OK to
run over an outlaw biker with the Hell's Angels.
Of course, its never a good idea to run down any motorcyclist.
A Ride to Leonardtown
St. Mary's Deputy John J. Kirkner arrests
Matthew Blankenship for DWI after he pulled out in front of a motorcycle
on Chancellors Run Road from Hickory Hills Road.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Omaha Mall Shooting
Comes Close to DC Sniper Death Toll
Those who were in the mall sent their video and photos from inside to a
local TV station
See them now
Courtesy of KETV
Omaha, Nebraska
Danny's Take:
State Police Status
When Chief David Mitchell was chosen to be Superintendent
of the Maryland State Police, both the Troopers and the citizens lucked
out. The ability of Chief Mitchell to lead the State Police and his
choice of staff were excellent . The relationship between Mitchell and
the Governor was a long and trusting relationship. This was a rare
situation and to our advantage, a win-win situation. The question now
is will the current Governor understand the police needs and give the
tax payers a fair shake.
It will cost the tax payers over $100,000 in training and equipment for
each new trooper that is hired. The Maryland State Police academy is 6
months long, a live-in academy. The trooper graduates and is assigned
to a barrack and requires uniforms, weapons, and other supplies. The
trooper is on the streets with a senior member for a couple of months,
and then after being cut loose is on the streets for another six months
being productive. It then takes another two years of experience before
any good patrol officer reaches full potential. The tax payers are
footing the bill for almost THREE YEARS before getting their moneys
worth. When you consider the high cost of hiring police officers and
developing a high quality of service, it is wise to make every effort to
keep the officers you hire within your agency.
Hopefully the new governor will approve the Superintendent’s working
operational budget in order to keep the Troopers we now have working for
us. There is no secret that a well trained, experienced officer can go
any where in this country and get a job. The grass is greener on the
other side, when the pay is better, the benefits are better and the
working conditions are better. I have heard nothing but good reports
about Superintendent Sheridan. I would hope that the relationship
between the Superintendent and the Governor is rock solid. This will
create another win-win situation for the Troopers and the citizens. What
other programs are more important than public safety.
Illegal Street Racing
Masked Bandits, an
illegal street racing club was nailed for high dollar tickets by
Maryland State Trooper Mark McLean when he stopped them while drag
racing on Rt. 235 at speeds of up to 100 mph at about 8:30 in the
evening on Jan. 14, 2005.
Masked Bandit racer
Robert Braddock cools his jets while the trooper fills his ticket book.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
Criminal Gangs from DC and PG
Police in the
Southern Maryland region not only have to ride herd on the local
criminal element but also must track and capture the gangs of gangsters
who steal cars in the District and Prince George's County and come down
the road to rob, burglarize or carjack a new ride. The van at rear
of this photo was trying to flee police, crossed the center line and hit
a car head-on which was operated by an Indian Head teacher on her way
home from La Plata. The gang had been burglarizing a home
near Waldorf when they were spotted. They killed the teacher and then
fled, some were captured. One is still at large.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photos
This is the vehicle
the teacher was driving when she was killed.
Her trip to the new Safeway for groceries was the last trip of her life.
St. Mary's Sheriff's
Deputies Andrew Holton, left, and Mark Smith, right.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
The Donaldson Murder
One of the region's
more notorious murders, veteran fire official Charles Donaldson was
stabbed to death in his Town Creek home, leaving his estate to the Bay
District Vol. Fire Department. Donaldson's killer, a young
Solomon's firefighter, finally
confessed nearly two years later after the January 1993 slaying.
Donaldson's will stipulated that Bay District spend the money on a new
ladder truck.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo
Out to Kill a Cop
The driver of the car
at right told family members he was going out to kill a cop, he almost
did in this 1997 photo taken at the intersection of Rt. 5 and Rt. 245 in
Leonardtown. The man ran into this Maryland State Police Trooper's
unmarked cruiser, left, head-on. Trooper Dave Koenig was forced to
retire as a result of his injuries.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
State Police
Suffering Under O'Malley Administration;
Morale Droops; No Promotions;
Dooms Day Budget Persists Despite Tax Hikes;
Super Said Ready to Throw in the Towel
Gov. Martin O'Malley, Col.
Terrence Sheridan
Earlier
this year the Maryland State Police Superintendent told those who asked
him why he gave up the job as chief of Baltimore County Police to take
the post of Maryland State Police Superintendent that it was difficult
to say no to the Governor.
For
Col. Sheridan, who had a county government that loved him, an executive
that backed him up, was flush with funds for hiring and equipment and a
job which is do-able, the contrast with the post he has now is beginning
to wear.
There
are folks now who say that Sheridan, facing some health issues, is
getting fed up with the doomsday approach to the State Police, has
inherited an agency which was suffering from decreased morale, due to
the lackadaisical administration of Ed Norris and the politically
controlled from the State House era of Tim Hutchins.
In
short, look for Sheridan to bail out.
He
looks older than his years and the job doesn’t seem to be fun. Due to
his decision to dress in a business suit rather than the uniform of
Colonel, he fails to inspire the rank and file and wear the pride of his
agency on his sleeve like Dave Mitchell did.
The
contrast between Mitchell and Sheridan is impressive. Both came to the
post from stints as commanders of big-county police departments. But
that is where the similarity stops.
Mitchell came to the State Police, put on the uniform and assimilated
himself into the agency while he made his plans on how to remake the
department.
All the
while, there was no second-guessing his leadership from the
hyper-political henchmen of the Governor.
Perhaps
due to Mitchell having firmly established a relationship of trust and
respect with Parris Glendening, or perhaps simply knowing where the
bodies were buried, either way it worked.
Glendening didn’t interfere with Mitchell and Mitchell didn’t let the
boss down, he ran a good agency, inspired pride in the troopers and
reached out to the public at every opportunity.
Sheridan came to the job with all the right stuff but every step of the
way has, to many observers, been a political minefield.
The
future of the State Police was turned into a political football as
big-spending politicians plotted ways to use the funding of state police
barracks, funds for promotions and step increases as pawns to force tax
hikes.
Even
though the General Assembly passed all manner of tax increases, when
they simply needed to adjust spending to fit the decreased revenue flow
provided by the economy, no more money is forthcoming to properly fund
the state police.
That
could only mean that there are plans to once again use the State Police
as a bargaining chip for more tax hikes when the General Assembly
convenes in their regular session.
At this
point in his life, Sheridan might just walk. Why should he put up with
having all manner of promises made to him only to see himself suddenly
in command of a limp and listless agency, lacking decisive leadership,
seeing all promotions and step increases halt while troopers face
increased economic pressures in their own lives. The cost of
electricity has soared, due in no small measure to the actions of the
General Assembly and the last Governor.
Mitchell not only was a cop’s cop, he was a dedicated press enthusiast
who welcomed contact with the media, personally answering questions and
showed up in newsrooms around the state.
Sheridan has a remarkably different style. His secretary said today, in
response to a request to talk to him, that he doesn’t talk to the media.
Having
Mitchell making himself available in times of police-involved shootings
or calamities such as the tornado which ripped through Southern Maryland
in 2002 perhaps set up a good relationship between cops and media.
Mitchell, a college professor in his spare time, was always seen as much
at crime scenes as attending local events and dinners.
He
kicked off the cold plunges into the waters of Maryland in the winter to
raise money for sick children and when a serious event involved his
troopers, he was on the scene or on the phone to commanders, making sure
that they had the resources they needed for the job.
Norris
brought his little gang of neophytes with him to Pikesville, got rid of
everyone who knew their jobs and played cop boss while the clock ticked
to see him off to jail. The harm that Norris did the agency is hard to
measure as much of it was secret or known only to federal investigators.
Tim
Hutchins could have done the job; he was prepared, he was experienced
but he was kept on a short leash by political operatives and never
allowed to do his job.
Governor O’Malley made the right choice, now he can start on finding a
replacement. It’s unlikely he find another good man who will take it.
Any worthy police leader will size this situation up and keep on
looking.
---
Kenneth C. Rossignol
COPOLOGY
Col. David B. Mitchell at La Plata.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
This 2002 cartoon
lambasting armed robbers has unfortunately been pertinent to news
stories constantly since it was first published. The endless
supply of bandits and robbers coming out of the Washington area to prey
on residents in the area frequently is a matter of black on black crime,
which was the subject of one of the questions at the CNN Presidential
debate this week.
Maryland State
Troopers look over this scene near the Dunkirk market center on Rt. 4 .
This Jeep was going at speeds over 100 mph on Rt. 4 back to PG County
after the men inside attempted to rob a Wal-Mart in Prince Frederick of
a TV set. The bandits, thugs and robbers who either burglarize
homes in broad daylight or hold up stores at gunpoint, view Southern
Maryland as an easy target. The Dunkirk 7-11 has been robbed
several times lately, the Burchmart BP on Rt. 228 has been held up so
many times that they no longer stay open 24 hours and robbers went into
the ceiling of the convenience store and came out into the adjacent bank
and robbed it. The Wawas in Waldorf and Lexington Park have been
robbed so many times that the term Wawa Wobber is being worn out in ST.
MARY'S TODAY.
Calvert Sheriff Mike Evans says he "believes in chasing them, we can't
let them get away, we will do it safely but we are going to get them." Danny's
Take:
COPOLOGY expert Dan Morris has this take: "We have to have the criminals
know that they are going to be pursued," said Morris. "The police
did their job right, no one was hurt except those who took it upon
themselves to break the law and then run from the law, they are entirely
responsible for the consequences themselves and the only ones who are
going to lose any sleep tonight or anyone who could care about them
would be their own families,
and they can wonder why their family member was out stealing things and
running from the cops."
Where's the door?
Police officers
in the area often respond to calls such as this car which turned
Tri-County Glass in Lexington Park into a drive-in operation.
ST. MARYS' TODAY
photos
Ditto
Raley's Furniture in Lexington Park was also given a drive in window by
the operator of this car.
No License, No Papers, Got
Beer!
The problem of drunk
driving and illegal immigrants combined in this wreck on Rt. 4 this year
where St. Mary's deputies examine a crash caused by a drunk illegal
immigrant who fled the scene but was captured by two citizens and held
for police.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
St. Mary's Deputy First Class
Wayne Milam
on Felony Traffic Stop
These two turkeys had pointed a gun out their car window at other drivers on Rt. 235, who
then reported the scary actions to 911. After Deputy Milam got the
twits out of their car, the police found that the gun was a squirt gun.
All gunplay gets a strong reaction and these two guys likely needed a
fresh change of pants after this scene.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
What is the COPOLOGY take on
the Turkey Day Drug Raids staged by St. Mary’s Narcotics Cops?
Danny's
Take:
COPOLOGY expert, retired homicide detective from
PG County and retired investigator for the St. Mary’s States Attorney,
Dan Morris
says that the
commitment on the part of the police leadership must be long term in
order to have an effect.
“In stopping the drugs coming into any community The Cops must go after
the Kingpins, the bad guys who deal in pounds and kilos of illegal
drugs,” says Morris. “The investigation will take months, maybe years.
The Police agency must be willing to put the money and the manpower into
the effort. Most Sheriffs and Chiefs are not that committed and want to
see immediate results. The street level dealers are easy to catch, but
in the big picture they are also easy to replace. The Kingpins are a lot
smarter and require a lot more work. The intelligence that is collected
in the ongoing lengthy drug investigation will also close many other
criminal cases, such as robberies and break-ins of homes and commercial
buildings.”
“It is well known to law officers that illegal drug trafficking goes
hand in hand with higher overall crime rates,” said Morris. “A Sheriff
that is committed to the effort will in the long run make the county a
safer place. A lot of people do not understand Cops. The grunt on the
street is dedicated to the job and the community, they just get
frustrated like everyone else.”
Charles County Decision to Send Cops Out in Small Cruisers
in Order to Save Money a Bad Idea
These dinky little police cars would be better
suited in the big city. Just wait until the Charles County cops
have to chase the Dukes of Hazard or the other rednecks and drug dealers
of the area who put nitro in their cars and trucks. Save these things
for the meter maids and the desk jockeys. Charles County is also
using more 'slick tops' which is shown at right, a marked unit with no
light bar on top, to get better mileage. There are still plenty of
lights on the vehicle.
More on police vehicle
lights and the dangers they pose.
Dodge aims to be the top police car
in a market where
Ford dominates with 80% of
sales
UPDATE (Nov. 27, 2007
12:28 am) Charles County Sheriff Rex Coffey has made many changes
in the past year, some of them good, some bad, but he is now making the
change with the most possible impact, pardon the pun, that could mean
the lives of officers, that of putting cops into Chevy Impalas, which
are a small car instead of the full size police vehicle, the Ford Crown
Victoria.
Of course there are plenty of detectives and desk jockey cops who could
use the smaller cars without any danger to themselves as they seldom
have to undertake a life and death response to a call the way that road
grunts do. To put officers in a small car to save what Sheriff
Coffey calls "$3,000" is outrageous. Sheriff Coffey points out
that these small Chevy's will save on gas too.
To save a few hundred dollars a year while putting the life of the
officer at risk is foolhardy. Over the years, the full size
police car which is demolished in unexpected crashes due to deer, other
vehicles, losing control on wet roads, etc. has protected the officers
well in Southern Maryland.
The fatal crashes which have taken place have involved police
motorcycles or large vehicles striking the police cruiser. This
job is dangerous enough, without making the cops more susceptible to
injury or death.
--- That is an
editorial opinion from COPOLGOY BLOG.
Your views on this
matter can be sent to
staff1@stmarystoday.com in order to be shared with our readers.
Good civil discourse on the issue doesn't require a proper name in our
online blog in order to protect those who are on the job in Charles
County and don't want to be in the position of criticizing the boss.
Our COPOLOGY BLOG expert, Danny Morris, will be asked to weigh in on
this issue with his take. As a retired cop he can sound off
without fear of retribution. Anyone else's views are invited, with
or without a name. Just keep it civil.
Top Secret Houston Police Demo
of UAV
Houston Police put on
a secret test of an unmanned drone aircraft, the same type of drones
developed at Webster Field by the Navy for use overseas, which have been
used in Iraq an Afghanistan. Media was not allowed at the big
secret demonstration by the police in Houston, so a Houston tv station
KPRC Local 2
simply covered the event
from outside the secret location and from the sky. The media was
invited to a demonstrations and exhibits of the Navy drones at Webster
Field this past summer. Here are some of the UAV's which were on
display. UAV's, called the weed whackers in the sky by local
farmers, have been commonplace around Southern Maryland as the noisy
little varmints have flown over the area. Houston police, as well as
elsewhere will likely be sold on adding these aircraft for use to track
drug dealers, speeders and even political opponents of the incumbent
sheriff. Is this a great country or what?
Attention Houston Media: Don't let the Houston PD catch you
looking at this photo.
You have been warned!
Some of the many UAV's which were on display at this public event last
summer at Webster Field, St. Inigoes, St. Mary's County, Md., put on by
the Navy as competing manufacturers showed their stuff. Some were
big, some were small.
Unlike the Houston Police, the US Navy invited the media to take
pictures and
watch the demonstrations of flight by unmanned aircraft. This all
goes to prove that if you provide free donuts and coffee the press will
show up to anything.
These not so secret
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos by Tom Stachowitz
Peaceful end to high speed
chase on stolen motorcycle
This motorcycle was
stolen in Dunkirk and the trip ended where the culprit could actually
walk to jail in Prince Frederick when he was captured by Calvert cops.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by Matthew
Ivancie
Driver charged with DWI after
leaving Buffalo Wings and Beer in Leonardtown and on his way to Green
Door in Park Hall
GREAT MILLS --- Wayne K.
Behm, 24, was arrested while operating a white Mitsubishi Eclipse
on Rt. 5 after he was stopped by Deputy Joe Labrack. Behm failed a field
sobriety test and was placed under arrest. He told the deputies that he
was traveling south from BWB in Leonardtown headed to the Green Door. He
also informed the deputies that the vehicle he was traveling in was a
rental car. Behm possessed a Nebraska license but currently
resides in St. Mary’s County.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo by Matthew Ivancie
Always only a step away from
life and death decisions.
Police officers never
know when they will have to resort to the use of deadly force and that
decision is subject to endless review while they only get seconds, if
that, to decide to implement the use of force. Here St. Mary's
Detective Bill Raddatz tries to stop a drunk driver from gunning his car
in reverse in an attempt to get it out of a ditch at
Rt. 5 and Fairgrounds Road.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Maryland State
Trooper Tony Malaspina had the driver out and under arrest.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Why do Pedestrians Die Crossing
to the Other Side?
To get to the liquor store!
Lt. Dan Alioto talks
to the young driver of this car who was not charged with the death of
the guy who darted out onto the dark roadway, not at a crosswalk, to get
from Hills Trailer Park to the liquor store across the street.
Usually in dark clothing, these pedestrians, many times already drunk,
are an extra danger to motorists as they can not only make for a
traumatic experience for the person driving but make a hellava impact on
one's vehicle.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
A Bomb Maker's Booty
Maryland State Police
Sgt. William Rosado and another detective look over
bomb making material obtained with a search warrant from a local
lunatic.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
SS Good Old Boy Under Fire
St. Mary's Sheriff
Wayne Pettit was one of the Good Old Boys. Elected to 3 terms,
beginning in 1982, he brought increased professionalism to the agency
but in his third term he took up golf and let Laurel and Hardy (Voorhaar
and Cooper) run the agency, an act for which fans of ST. MARY'S TODAY
cartoons will be forever grateful. During Pettit's third term, the
FBI began a probe which resulted in a parade of witnesses going to
Baltimore for a grand jury investigation. Pettit decided not
to run again.
Sgt. Andrew Cusick
with two unidentified deputies responding to a call for a man with a
gun. The man took his own life just prior to the arrival of officers.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
St. Mary's Sheriff's
Cpl. Andrew Holton, left, with unidentified deputy at right.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
It happened this way!
St. Mary's Sgt.
Andrew Cusick explains how a driver ran a red light at the Rt. 6 / Rt. 5
intersection at New Market and caused a 10-50.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
A gang of local
redneck idiots decided to burn down an entire subdivision of homes near
Indian Head, 28 in all, which was the largest arson case in Maryland
history.
Hunters Brooke Arson Fire
Consumes Neighborhood
This extraordinary
photo taken by ST. MARY'S TODAY photographer
Terrance Greenhow ran on the front pages of newspapers across
America and overseas.
The first fire trucks on the scene attempt to spray this house with
water, most of these homes were destroyed, in a crime tinged with racial
tones.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photos by Terrance Greenhow
Hunters Brooke arson
fire conspirator Aaron Speed told WUSA TV 9 news that he was innocent.
Then he confessed and went to prison.
Armed Robber Captured
Deputies lock up this
man for armed robbery in September of 2005.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Gunplay
The barricade by
Thomas Franklin Hill at Burke's trailer park brought a response which
included this St. Mary's Deputy taking up a position behind a car.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Man shot, St. Mary's
deputies investigate.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Calvert Sheriff's
Deputy First Class Denton takes up position outside a barricade
situation in Dunkirk.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by Matthew
Ivancie
SDFC Darryl
Somerville, right, arrests Jeffrey Hyde for DWI as
Cpl. Christopher Morley looks on, the 2nd DWI for this guy in 60 days.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos by Matthew
Ivancie
Brass Backup
St. Mary's Cpl. Frank
Fowler deals with a suspect at a Callaway townhouse parking lot with
added support of Sheriff Tim Cameron.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Ready to Sniff Out Drugs
St. Mary's Dfc Todd
Fleenor with his K-9 dog.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by Matthew
Ivancie
Deputy Shawn Moses
and Dfc. Robert Merritt with a suspect with drugs and money.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by Matthew
Ivancie
Bailout Time
They didn't stick
around to close their doors or take their car keys in the
Night in the Big City of Lexington Park.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by Matthew
Ivancie
The Hell-Hole Bars
Things have been
quiet in the last year at the Hell Hole bars which account for many of
the area's murders, with the Buffalo Wings and Beer in Lexington Park
now closed up and things much quieter at the Brass Rail, above, in Great
Mills...even the Ape Hangers in Charles is chilling and Monks Inn hasn't
had a murder this year. Watch for the Fusion in San Souci,
which has been adding in live bands on weekends, to be the next
happening joint to find that it's hard to make money off of crowds which
may not be walking through metal detectors to get inside.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo Reader
defends Monks Inn killer
The infamous Loot Scandal of
the St. Mary's Sheriff's Department which forced then Sheriff Richard
Voorhaar to take a pass on another term as Sheriff, saw him demote Capt.
Steve Doolan and put him on desk duty from which the State Prosecutor
could pry away his secrets which finally resulted in his quitting just
days before the next Sheriff finally mustered up his courage to fire
him...all caused lots of good young cops to quit and find work elsewhere
or not even apply to the beleaguered agency. With last year's
election, much has been done to turn the agency around by new Sheriff
Tim Cameron but some of the old guard of the Keystone Cops crowd is
still in place and cherry-picking opportunities to foul up the efforts
of the best sheriff the county has seen in a long time. Check out
this
story of corruption from Officer.com on
the part of one of the largest Sheriff's Departments in the nation, in
Orange County, California.
Sheriff Dave Defeated
The hapless Sheriff
Dave Zylak, defeated for reelection in 2006, due mainly to failing to
fire anyone responsible for the theft of a tractor-trailer load of
building supplies from property held, even though the State Prosecutor
presented him with all the facts; and due to his letting his wife be the
Assistant Sheriff. Zylak, in this photo, talks at press
conference at the Leonardtown High School lockdown and panic over a
non-existent gun. An old lady called police to say that she
thought she may have seen a gun in a car at a store close to the school.
That was it, Zylak had multiple Swat Teams brought in and the day
belonged to the ages, lost forever to any chance of education taking
place. According to police professionals, Zylak did
everything wrong. When Republicans were losing races
everywhere across the nation, Democrat Zylak was soundly defeated.
His Democrat pals on the commissioner board gave him a $ big job making
a 100 g's a year as 911 director for the county as a booby prize.
But he still has to go home to the rolling pin every night.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo
Dave Zylak spared no expense
when traveling
Where is the Loot?
Cops handcuffed 9-year-old
child during search warrant of Ford's house.
Swarming Cops at St. Mary's
College
No, not another riot
at the college such as took place at Labor Day weekend in 1998, but this
time a suspicious device was found and thought to be a bomb by college
officials who pushed the panic button. It turned out to be an
electric light fixture left behind by workmen. Of course, this was
a great way for some 3 or 4 dozen cops to get together and meet and
greet.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo
Lone Star Murder
The murder of the
manager of the Lone Star inside the restaurant located on Rt. 235 in
Lexington Park on March 29, 2006, was solved when detectives put out a
lookout for a worker at the place who was captured as he fled to
Virginia.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Double Dose of Death
A man shot and killed
his wife and then himself at his estranged wife's home in the Westbury
neighborhood of Lexington Park last year. Most area homicides are
between friends and relatives. How many unsolved
murders are there in the area? Enough to make your hair stand on
end. Watch for discussions of famous homicide cases in the past
and how they were solved as well as new information on old murders which
are still solvable, such as the Burrell murder, the young man who was
shot in the head during a sleigh riding party at Leonardtown Elementary
School in 1980. Learn about the Mousetrap murder and more of the
area's dangerous biker gangs.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Three Sheriffs
Charles County Lt.
Patrick Murphy's service as police academy commander is recognized by
the then-sheriffs of the three counties, in 1997, which jointly run the
Southern Maryland training effort: Calvert Sheriff Vonzell Ward, Charles
Sheriff Fred Davis and St. Mary's Sheriff Dick Voorhaar. All have
since left office.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Charles County Sheriff Rex
Coffey
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
A Tiger in his Tank
This DWI driver was
nabbed by St. Mary's Sheriff Tim Cameron who showed that he is still a
road cop at heart.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
One Legged Test for One Legged
Man
Maryland State
Trooper Andrew Rossignol gives the one-legged test to Ralph Thomas, as
part of a field sobriety test. Thomas, who lost one leg in a DWI
crash which killed his girlfriend was arrested in this case for DWI
after failing the field sobriety test.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Sheriff Tim Cameron
with Sen. Roy Dyson preparing to speak at law officer's recognition.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo
These officers were
honored for their service at last year's Law Enforcement Appreciation
Day in Leonardtown.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
These St. Mary's
Deputies attempt to sort out what makes area drivers so lacking in
talent at yet another crash scene.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Biker Bozos
The Hells Angels
showed up at North Beach for threatened confrontation with another gang
of mental midgets and were met instead by a group of area Swat Team
officers.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
For the most part,
after a drive by shooting left one person dead at Happy Harbor in Deale,
biker gang violence has cooled in the region...Behind bars, dead of
overdoses and unkind aging leave many of these twits unable to continue
their hellion lifestyles..
Did they go to school
for a gang brawl in the cafeteria?
This kid at left, with either
a mother or a school official t his left, gets an escort
from St. Mary's Sheriff's SDFC. Randall Wood after the big fight at Great Mills. At right, the youth
in the fashionable pink shirt, expensive shoes and
braids is escorted by Dfc. Michael Worrey to a waiting police cruiser. The heathen in the white tee shirt at rear is
also brought out of the front door of Great Mills High
School under arrest by Dep. Michael George. At least 6 heathens were
taken off to jail by police. Shaquetta Nelson, age
18, and 13 heathen juveniles were arrested. Nelson
went to jail pending an appearance before a district
court commissioner.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
14 heathens were arrested for fighting on Nov. 5, 2007 at Great Mills
High School, 3 of them by these deputies of the St. Mary's
Sheriff's Dept.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
A cop who was afraid of a dog
One of the most
outrageous actions for a local law officer came this past year when a
Charles County deputy came onto the property of this man near Benedict
and shot his dog seven times when the dog, which was tied up, took a nip
out of his rear end. Sheriff Rex Coffey apologized but said
the shooting was justified. There was no indication that the dog
had returned fire at the deputy.
LAPDblog:
Detective only wounded a pit bull who attacked him, shot the dog in the
leg and the dog was still able to run off into the woods never to be
seen again...another unarmed dog...and proof that this Fearless Fosdick
needs more time on the range.
Tim Cameron:
Leadership at Work
Its been one year
since these officers of the St. Mary's Sheriff's Department were sworn
in by St. Mary's Sheriff Tim Cameron. How have they been doing,
how has the command staff done in following the new leadership chosen by
the voters? Watch for an interview soon with Sheriff Cameron to review
his first year in office.
ST. MARY'S
TODAY photo
The former three-term
Sheriff of Charles County retired as a Maryland State Trooper commander.
Fred Davis, now out of office a year, is relaxing and getting caught up
on his rest and odd jobs around the house. Watch for an
interview soon with Davis for his take on law enforcement issues facing
the nation.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Closing the public street for a
bar
Calvert Deputies and
Maryland State Troopers monitor the crowd at the opening of the Tiki Bar
at Solomon's Island. Calvert Sheriff Mike Evans has ended the
practice of closing down the street for this bar and maintains the
traffic flow as part of his crack down on the public drunkenness.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Forget the donuts, they have a
drive-in window for Gators
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
Rope-a-Dope
This new Copologyblog
wouldn't be complete without this photo from a couple of years ago of
Sgt. Bill Rosado with this Rope-a-Dope, a suspect who fought five
troopers before being hogtied for a trip to the Hotel St. Mary's. ST. MARY'S TODAY photos
This man fought 5 troopers at a
party in Essex South and had to be hog tied after he was sprayed with
pepper spray. The substance across his face is snot. He awaits a
paddy wagon to carry him to jail as he tried to kick out the windows of
the police car. Some party!
This cool cat
robbed three youths who were sitting around on the back of their pickup
truck eating sandwiches they bought at a nearby Wawa in Mechanicsville.
He threatened to kill the kids with his baseball bat which he held over
them unless they coughed up their money. These St. Mary's
deputies, using a K-9 dog, tracked this bozo down to a nearby gas
station where he put up a fight. He lost the fight.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo by Matthew
Ivancie
Some have been
local, most are from DC and PG where they have been wearing out the
stores and banks for cash. Burglary gangs have hit Charles hard, armed
robbers like Dunkirk. One bank robber was caught when doing
another job in Montgomery. The Maryland Bank & Trust robber
was caught when he hit the same bank twice in 6 weeks and then took a
cab back to Calvert and was caught by
Top Cop Capt.
John Horne, who happened to be in the right place at the
right time.
This brazen bank robber got the same
bank again on Halloween in what
could have been a horrific result
had he set fire to the tellers.
Left Gantt is being led into the
Sheriff's headquarters for
questioning by St. Mary's Deputy
First Class Stephen Myers and Dfc.
Patrick Handy. ST. MARY'S
TODAY photo; right is the bank photo
of Antonio Gantt, as he posed for
the cameras in the bank making one
wonder if he just wanted to get back
to prison for "three hots and a
cot".
St. Mary's Sheriff Tim
Cameron
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
St.
Mary's Sheriff’s Narcotics Arrests of
White Dealers Good Start in Right Direction
For far
too many years all we have seen is political blunder and bluster from a
succession of St. Mary’s Sheriff’s who spent too much time writing
themselves up as legends in law enforcement while the Keystone Cops
reigned supreme practicing a racist application of drug laws.
For the
stupid and greedy blacks working the street corners, sticking out like a
sore thumb, the cops had easy prey. Time after time, black street
corner crack dealers were filmed by undercover cops going for the easy
bust so they could get back to their headquarters, order pizza, put in
plenty of overtime and then head down to the FOP bar to drink themselves
into oblivion.
Meanwhile the white drug dealers were making donations to political
campaigns, financing drug deals and living the high road in the region
while their customers were snorting, shooting up and otherwise ingesting
all manner of substances until they and their families ran out of money
and the opportunities to steal more cash had run out.
For too
long a time, St. Mary’s County as well as Calvert and Charles, has seen
too much of the local economy damaged by drug trafficking. As good as
the economy has been, can anyone imagine what it could have been had the
money being spent on drugs each week was being used to pay for college
educations, buying consumer products such as new vehicles and appliances
or even being saved for a rainy day. No, this money was not being used
effectively for the future but instead has been channeled back to the
drug cartels which send the heroin, cocaine and other drugs across the
Mexican border or flown in to the southeast.
How
many of the drug dealers around the area bother to pay their child
support or take care of their children? Few of them do, they just live
the high-life.
The
family courts of the area are littered with the remnants of the sixties
and seventies drug culture and the incompetence of the law enforcement
agencies. The “system” works for those who work in the system and for
no one else. The Judges, the clerks and staff, the cops and their
staff, the attorneys and their staff, the public defenders and their
staff, all of them are the “system”. For them the system works.
For the
mothers needing their child support, the system hasn’t worked too well,
perhaps we all expect too much out of the system. At some point, the
blame has to be placed on the druggie culture and those who participate
in the recreational drug culture, popping all manner of pills, putting
getting high ahead of being healthy and otherwise becoming nothing but a
vast wasteland of redneck deadheads.
Finally, we have a new Sheriff in St. Mary’s County who not only ‘gets
it’ but has put resources into the effort to interfere with the local
drug trade. Let’s no longer call it a war on drugs as the Bush
Administration has proven what complete twits they are when they fail to
enforce our borders against either drug dealers or terrorists.
The
Republicans have mis-used the term ‘war on drugs’ for about 30 years and
if this has been a war then the GOP should be lined up and shot as
traitors. But the trouble with doing that is that the Democrats have
been just as bad and all we would have left after the firing squads got
through would be the Libertarians and they can be pretty goofy too.
The
issue of illegal narcotics is pretty simple. No one truly cares if some
jerk goes out back of his house and grows a plant which he then smokes
while he watches MTV. If it all were that simple, there wouldn’t be a
problem in this country. But it isn’t. The drug business is about
white drug dealers who have imported cocaine to the next level and made
it cheap for blacks who bought their own slavery by choice at $10 a
pop. They can’t blame honky for this new slavery, they bought it, they
smoked it. But our laws have only served to imprison these crack heads
while the fat cat whites who arranged the whole affair have bought
condos and sit around passing out big checks to politicians, never
fearing that their drug trafficking will ever land them in jail.
But
there is a new Sheriff in town and this straight arrow will be providing
some surprises for the white drug traffickers and in the process, the
stupid and greedy black street corner dealers will have the opportunity
to meet the Mr. Big’s who helped put them in business. Lets hope they
have a good time in prison.
--- Editorial from ST. MARY'S TODAY Nov. 25,
2007
John Edward Colleary III, 53, one of the local white guys
locked up by St. Mary's Sheriff's Narco squad detectives in a week-long
round up of drug dealers.
Maryland State
Trooper Jeff Linger at fatal crash involving an older driver at entrance
to the Bean Medical Center. Older drivers leaving the center
underestimate the speed of southbound traffic on Rt. 235 as they attempt
to cross over and go north on the highway. This is but one of
several open intersections where up to 16 legal maneuvers are available
to drivers.
ST. MARY'S TODAY
photo
Crackdown on trucks in Talbot
County finds
1/3 of commercial vehicles have safety violations
and 59% are overloaded
Talbot County Sheriff Dallas Pope
Commercial vehicle
traffic, and related traffic safety issues have continued to receive the
emphasis of enforcement efforts in Talbot County. Since an accident
involving students from the Easton High School occurred on Glebe Road, a
systematic review of commercial vehicle traffic and roadway use has been
conducted. The accident on Glebe Road involved a large truck that
forced a vehicle from the roadway and into a ditch. That commercial
vehicle was later located and cited with a number of traffic violations,
one of which was being in excess of the gross weight permitted on that
portion of Glebe Road.
The Talbot County Sheriff's Office coordinated the response of the
Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division to conduct
random, and roving patrols on Talbot roadways in an effort to locate
violations concerning commercial vehicles. This enforcement effort was
conducted over a period of months, with efforts directed to specific
problem areas, and random roads in the county. Deputies from the Talbot
County Sheriff's Office supported these efforts, and provided both
patrol support and accident and traffic complaint data to identify
problem areas.
The roving patrols from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division
conducted 139 formal commercial vehicle inspections. Of those vehicles
inspected, 43, or 31% were placed out of service at the traffic stop
location due to equipment or safety violations. The drivers of 2 of
these vehicles were not permitted to drive on due to licensing issues,
or medical requirements associated with their Commercial Driver's
Licenses. As part of the inspection process, 29 vehicles suspected of
being overweight were weighed on the roadside. Of those, 17 or 59% were
found to be overweight. 4 of these overweight vehicles were also
required to off load 5,000 lbs. or more of their weight before being
permitted to drive on. Of the vehicles inspected and weighed, 107
citations and 63 warnings were issued in regard to driver, vehicle,
equipment, safety, or load violations.
The Talbot County Sheriff's Office continues to work in partnership
with the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division
to address commercial vehicle issues, and to reduce accidents and
promote traffic safety. Citizens with specific complaints or issues
concerning commercial vehicles are encouraged to contact the Talbot
County Sheriff's Office (410-822-1020), or the Maryland State Police
(410-822-3101). LEXINGTON
PARK (Nov. 24, 2007) --- St. Mary's Dfc. Robert Russell helps this
holiday reveler off to the Hotel St. Mary's after he consumed too much
joy juice at a party at a home on Rue Woods Road on Friday night and
began attacking his friends who then threw him out of the house where he
then beset his besotted self on the doors and windows, huffing and
puffing and staggering his way around the yard. When Deputies
Megan Guy and Russell appeared he fell down, nearly wiping out a
mailbox. He was finally arrested for his own protection.
ST. MARY'S TODAY photo
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