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Post by Same Deputy on May 15, 2007 22:27:31 GMT -4
Is it a good idea that the county commissioners form a county police force separate from the county sheriff's office? Do the pros outweigh the cons on this idea? I think it would benefit the county and its citizens to have the commissioners form a county police force. Whats your thoughts on this?
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Post by BlueMule on May 16, 2007 7:13:27 GMT -4
What's the process of getting a referendum on the next election's ballot? It should be a decision left up to the voting public.
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Post by Same Deputy on May 16, 2007 8:45:01 GMT -4
What's the process of getting a referendum on the next election's ballot? It should be a decision left up to the voting public. Sounds fair to me. Let the citizens decide. To the best of my knowledge in order to get a referendum there has to be a collection of signatures of the registered voters of Queen Anne's County. A certain percentage has to sign for it to go on the election ballot. If I'm wrong on this process, then please let me know.
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Post by Blue Knight on May 16, 2007 18:31:26 GMT -4
A county police force is the way to go. At least then, we would have our elected commissioners to turn too when the police chief is not addressing the issues of the citizens. Now all you get from the commissioners is sorry we have no control over the sheriff. The sheriff can do whatever he wants even though the commissioners foot the multi million dollar budget for them. Where is the accountability under the current system?
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Post by baycitydan on May 17, 2007 0:26:34 GMT -4
I noticed a State Trooper doing radar parked on Irene Dr facing Route 8. Where does the State guys jurisdiction end and the county police start? I thought that the State Police were only on 50?
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Post by kl on May 17, 2007 7:57:38 GMT -4
I think, though I may be wrong, but Maryland is the State Police's jurisdiction. I think they also help out in counties, and towns, where there may not be enough local police to handle it all.
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Post by Same Deputy on May 17, 2007 12:12:11 GMT -4
BayCityDan, The state police can enforce the motor vehicle laws anywhere in the state of Maryland. In General the troopers spend a vast majority of there time out on route 50 and route 301. Sometimes the troopers will work route 8 and 18 because there are a high number of drunk drivers that travel those roads. This usually happens most during night hours.
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Post by Mike on May 17, 2007 13:00:20 GMT -4
Same Deputy is correct as usual. But the State stays out of towns where they have a local police force. Of course this means that Troopers have jurisdiction over the entire county because there are no incorporated towns in QAC with their own police force.
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Post by shoreman on May 17, 2007 16:41:12 GMT -4
With the exception of Centreville that is (incorporated). And there has been talk in the past of doing away with the police department in Centreville. If you think of it, Cloverfields has more population than Centreville!
A lot of people don't realize that they can call the State Police for crimes also. Unfortunately, people seem to think they HAVE to call the Sheriff's Office as that is the only option but that is NOT the case. If you specifically request the State Police to handle your call, they will.
Now, the Sheriff and the State Police working together, that's a subject for another time.
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Post by misternuke on May 17, 2007 17:09:42 GMT -4
Please forgive my ignorance on this subject, but what exactly would be the benefit of creating a new and separate police force? Is it a chain of accountability issue or what?
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Post by shoreman on May 18, 2007 9:21:39 GMT -4
The biggest benefit is accountability. A multi-million dollar department, funded with County Tax Payer money on no accountability.
If you have a problem with the Sheriff, tough luck, wait for the next election and keep you fingers crossed.
You have a problem with the Chief of the County Police, the County Commissioners can demand answers and accountability or the Chief can be fired.
I don't think it's too much to ask for accountability for millions of our tax dollars do you?
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Post by Same Deputy on May 18, 2007 12:18:07 GMT -4
Please forgive my ignorance on this subject, but what exactly would be the benefit of creating a new and separate police force? Is it a chain of accountability issue or what? Working as the standard road officer there is not much of a difference between having a police dept or sheriff's office. The job would be the same. Lock up the criminals, enforce criminal law as well as traffic enforcement. The real benefit in my opinion to having a county police force is having 5 people overseeing how the dept is run. The police chief is appointed by the commissioners and works for the pleasure of them and can be terminated at any time. The police chief would then have to be accountable for his or her actions and the decisions they makes. If the citizens have an issue with the chief then they could turn to the county commissioners for relief. If you have an issue with the sheriff, sorry about your luck, wait for his term to be up and then don't vote for him. (Several years later after the fact). A sheriff does not answer to the commissioners and does not answer to anyone except himself. A sheriff can do what he wants, when he wants and how he wants and does not have to answer for his actions.
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Post by Guest on May 18, 2007 12:47:29 GMT -4
County police force is the best way to go. I am sick of the good old boy system on Kent island.
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Post by kl on May 18, 2007 13:39:51 GMT -4
Hear, hear guest. And that goes as well with the judges, Thomas Ross to be more exact, and lawyers. Christopher Drummond, Craig Sewell, and Daniel Rosendale, along with Lynn Knight, to be even more specific.
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Post by Blue Knight on May 18, 2007 14:16:33 GMT -4
The best was for this to happen is the citizens expressing there interest to the county commissioners. Attend the meetings, e-mail them or write a letter to them expressing your desire for a county police force. The cost to achieve this would be very minimum and in fact not much more that what already is in place. The police vehicles would already be owned by the county. The salary and benefits for the deputies would just transfer over and the county police. Deputies could just transfer over with no additional cost. The new building needed for the sheriff's office could be built for the county police force. Costs the same too the taxpayer no matter who occupies the new building. I think this will be a trend in the very near future for many counties. If I was going to pay someone 4 million plus dollars a year, I would like to have say on how the money is being spent and the daily operations of the business. Under the current system the commissioners are powerless and have no say over the sheriff's office. It's about checks and balances. At least with a county police force you have a group of people making decisions, not just one person who is the ruler and king.
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Post by shoreman on May 18, 2007 15:45:54 GMT -4
What blue knight said!
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Post by outlaw on May 18, 2007 22:07:41 GMT -4
They can't get away with it forever, kl. Every GOB has his day, and they suffer in a constant state of anxiety while they wait to be caught. I like to think of them as slimy, wiggling worms, whose own deeds got them stuck on a hook, just waiting to be GOBbled up. Now I feel warm and fuzzy!
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Post by guardian on May 19, 2007 5:08:02 GMT -4
The only way to go is with a county wide police force. There is no control over the Sheriff or his budget this way. The county is growing and so is crime. We need a proactive police force that is accountable to the citizens at all time and not just every four years. Contact your commissioners and let them know how you feel.
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Post by bchevy on May 20, 2007 19:09:52 GMT -4
I say we have TWO same deputy guests on here, at least. or maybe he's medicated for some of his recent posts?
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Post by shoreman on May 26, 2007 13:46:04 GMT -4
Was told that the other night several of our Commissioners were talking after a budget hearing that they are looking to go to a County Police Department within the next three years. Hopefully for all of us this will be the case.
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Post by Same Deputy on May 26, 2007 19:34:01 GMT -4
Shoreman, Which meeting did this take place. The first, second or third. How serious are the commissioners in forming a county police dept. Can you advise which and how many of the commissioners are for this idea. Sounds good to me. Many hope your right.
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Post by shoreman on May 27, 2007 11:20:53 GMT -4
This came from my neighbor who overheard this at one of last weeks meetings. From what she said it was several of them talking to a couple of people about this and that they were going to address it in a couple of years. Have to ask her what else she knows when I see her again.
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Post by Same Deputy on May 29, 2007 17:25:45 GMT -4
I too have heard these rumors about the commissioners talking of a county police force. I have yet been able to confirm if there is any truth to this, however I have not directly asked them. One ca
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