"Okay, I am glad Tilghman is out of office, this has been a long time coming for someone who sold the City out. Now what? My concern is this, The City Police have been promised and shafted and promised again for better pay and equipment.Now we have a new Mayor, and already, Tilghman has stuck it to the City Police again by not submitting even as much as a cost of living increase for the next year. We have been patient the entire time, waiting for the counsel to come through, even after they promised us the "Two year pay increase". Then they lied and said they came through for us. How, oh, they gave Cpl's and above a nice increase, but forgot about the officer out there on the street. Now in this time of economic crisis, here we are again, no one in our corner, being forced to accept with the statement "just be glad you have a job". When does anyone look out for the little guy.
We're the one out there at 4:30 am patrolling while everyone sleeps safely under our watch. We're the one in the rain guiding traffic, when the traffic lights are out so everyone can get to work safely. We're the one coming to your house trying to provide some sense of stability in your life when someone has taken something from you. Yet, where is the city for us?
People always complain about the level of work that they are getting from the police. Well, consider this, the police have been neglected so much for the past ten years by Tilghman, what would you expect. Try this tomorrow, kick someone in the gut for the period of a week, talk down to them, blame them for all that is wrong, take money from them, and lie to them about how you are GOING to take care of them in the future. Then try to bring yourself to the point and ask for the best work of them and see what you get. We voted for Jim, now we are asking for his help to put this thing back together."
I will tell you this: if there is any way possible, Mayor Ireton will see to it that the police and the firefighters get what is due to them. He is a man of integrity. I know it is difficult to wait, but it might take some time to get it done. Look at Tilghman's budget even further and you will see it is a true disgrace. The mayor has very little power over this budget if the council does not change it. But next year will be Mayor Ireton's first budget--let's see what he can do then when his hands are not tied.
ReplyDeleteI hear you bro. Let's hope that Mr. Ireton fires the damn chief. Nothing will improve, even if you get pay, until his sorry a-- is gone. He has NOT gone to bat for the rank and file.
ReplyDeleteI remember years ago that SPD was THE PLACE to be. Of course Tilghman ruined that by firing the innovative, proactive, aggressive chief and despite Ed Guthrie's qualifications and support from the officers, brought in a bald-headed douche bag who only cares about what time he gets off each day. The citizens support you but unless the chief is gone, nothing Mr. Ireton does is going to help with your monetary situation (or benefits).
I agree 100%..he cant change thing overnite but I am sure he is working on it...just like the meeting last night...he got what he wanted!
ReplyDeleteSPD, ewww third floor needs to go!
ReplyDeleteThat's BS. You guys are always getting beat down from many levels. Give them the raise that they deserve. When times are tough, don't penalize the officers who are out there day in and day out. The police officers should receive a raise. I wouldn't want to do their job. We keep losing good officers because they are being treated like crap. Good luck to you. Stay safe out there.
ReplyDeleteIf you do not like your job, because your not getting rich at it. quit...
ReplyDeletesomeone else would love to have it ...
To the officer who wrote this...The people of this town are behind you and support you!! You have been screwed for way to long and deserve to be treated much better. Change begins at the top and that starts with getting rid of the scum that occupies the office upstairs who cannot apparently bring himself to wear a uniform. Yes Webster, I am reffering to you!! You are by far the worst example of a police chief I have ever seen. It is my hope and prayer that there is a way to get you out of office. You wonder why your officers leave for other agencies? Look in the mirror!! The reason is staring you right in the face. Your girlfriend is no longer mayor and soon it will be your tail out of a job!! It is only after Webster is gone and a TRUE cops cop is running the SPD, that the morale of the dept can change. I salute the officers that have hung in there despite low pay and bad management at the top. You are the ones that truly care about this city and for that I say thank you.
ReplyDeleteMr Ireton, the citizens of this town deserve change!! We elected you because we are disgusted with business as usual. Business as usual at the SPD needs to change too. I urge you not to overlook the fine officers in that dept that work under the "leadership" of a jerk. They deserve sooooo much better. Granted, change does not happen overnight, but I hope it starts at the SPD soon.
For you, officers of the SPD, you are prayed for everynight. God bless you for the job that you do here. I pray that change will come soon and you also get the pay you so rightfully deserve along with the leadership that dept so desperatly needs.
In the old days, treating some one like this, say a "spouse" of the female variety was called domestic abuse-emotional abuse if it was your children...just wrong is what it is...ANYmouse
ReplyDeleteThe people that told you you're lucky to have a job were correct. Let me say it again: You're lucky to have a job. And if you don't like the job you have, with the shift work and all that responsibility, maybe it's time to find a new line of work. From the quality of your writing, I'd say you should be happy receiving what you are presently getting as compensation.
ReplyDeleteTo whoever wrote this:
ReplyDeleteMy only complaint is that we don't have enough police in Salisbury, in part because of the salary and working conditions/leadership. But the opening of substations at this time would be counterproductive until there are adequate sworn personnel.
A Competant Police Chief would be a good start!
ReplyDeleteIreton is completely behind the Police and Firefighters. You need to remember, the budget that was already submitted is Tilghman's budget. Ireton can't force the council to make any changes, without a LOT of help from the public. Ask Ireton to find cuts to fund what the police and firefighters need. Then have all the police, firefighters and public turn out and dare the 3 evil ones to say no. It worked for Urban Salisbury. You should try it, what do you have to lose?
ReplyDeleteI dont he has a choice. If this man sticks to his word he will do all he can. One has to remember it took 12 years to screw it up this bad. Give the man a chance. I am not a city resident, but followed this guy close during the election. I think his heart and mand are in the right place. Now the reallity sets in and he will have to do a gut check to take the steps needed to clean up the B.S.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck to the men and women of S.P.D.
Remember there are those watching that will exspose this man if he does not keep his word. I dont think you have that to worry about. Rome was not built in a day.
First of all, I know the public cares, even the ones that hate Police; when they need your help. It is a thankless job. You will never get paid as professionals, although you deserve it. You do everything that is expected of Doctors, Lawyers & other professionals in things as Certification, Continuing Ed., In Service training, & all mandated by the State or Feds. But yet you are paid as hourly employees. To be paid what you should be, would violate the US Constitution some would argue in that it would create a National Police force. I'm OK with a National Police Standard & I think Police should be paid the same no matter where they work, State, Sheriff, City, Town, or Transportation. The public believes that bumper sticker; Troopers are their best protection. Nothing against Troopers, They just don't know that they carry the same (MPTC) Maryland Police Training Center, card the Sheriff, City, & Town Cops do. MD Police have to meet the same Training objectives to be MD Certified as Troopers. The entire standard for Police is mandated by MPTC. You have to educate the public first about this. MD State Police spend more time learning how to fill out STATE POLICE mandated reports correctly in addition to the certification requirements. Thats what makes their job even harder. They have to ask permission to fart & fill out the proper " ass usage" report. Talk to them, they will tell you. The largest difference is their live in academy. Can't mess with that. MD should require all Police to attend one. Builds good discipline. However, Bigger is not always better. Bottom line, you have to educate the public about such matters and then use it as a platform to address your needs.
ReplyDeleteOcean City police do twice the work of Salisbury cops ... and they approved their own pay freeze! Suck on that SPD whiners.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that these officers need a raise, however If you started after the Webster and BPT regime you should have gotten a clue really quick and left like most of us did. For those senior officers who had significant time on prior to these A**holes I dont blame you for staying. Starting over was hard, however I'm three times higher in pay and rank than I was in half the time I spent at SPD. To anon 11:00 what are you trying to start. I've worked for OCPD and SPD. OCPD is busy in the summer with mostly small crimes and tourist bs. SPD is busy year around with crazy crime. No way is OCPD busier for the total year than SPD. Besides the full time OCPD guys dont do crap in the summer. Trust me I was one of you so I know!!!
ReplyDeleteOcean City PD do twice the work? What, taking care of drunken tourons for 3 months out of the year?
ReplyDeleteMayor please help the Salisbury Police Department Mayor Tilghman pushed Dykes out of office. Mayor Tilghman also took the chair from Chief Dykes office. If Mayor Tilghman pushed Dykes out "Why" is Chief Webster still there. Not only did Mayor Tilghman get all new department head she wrote some policies to keep them in office after she is gone. Crime rate is high morale is low. Chief Webster and the whole 3rd floor should be removed. Chief Webster will go after anybody who doesnt do what he wants. Livingston doesnt even wear the uniform. He is worthless. Captain Meinschein lies bad. Help Salisbury Police Department my relative works there and he/she is not happy.
ReplyDeletetake it from an spd officer. The only reason we stay is because we care about our citizens and want to make this town the way it use to be...beautiful and safe. Eventually things change and we have to start looking at the perspective of taking care of our families, because apparently our family at spd does not care very much about taking care of us. That's why we leave, that's why we stop being motivated to get in the 4 am foot chases with a drug dealer, or why we seem have a stand offish attitude when we speak. Take care of your officers trust me they are the ones that take care of you, WHEN YOU NEED THEM, whether you want their help or not. Chief give those officers the tools they need...THE TOOLS THEY ASK FOR to fight crime.
ReplyDeleteChief keeping your men from doing what they need to do to solve crime. Pay increases, better equipment, hell NEW equipment. Police work is ever evolving and changing, let them change to solve the crime. Give them tools to keep them safe
ReplyDelete10:32 Let's be honest and admit the MPTC training criteria isn't that difficult. The percentage of people in a police academy failing out because of academic performance is very small. The difference between agencies is the caliber of people they hire. You can tell by looking at the officers which departments maintain a high hiring standard and which ones don't.
ReplyDeleteI would like to say, that Tilghman not only screwed the police department, but everyother department in Salisbury. For instance, last year, she gave no raises in July, but took 2% of the city employees paychecks. I am in all agreement, that police need pay raises, and better equipment, but what about other departments, that keep the city up and running? Without the street department, the city would be full of nasty garbage all over. And, the public works department, without them, the city has no water and sewer. Without the firemen, there would be alot more tragedy hit to alot of families. It seems to me, that no one has ever thought of the little people that keep that town going. Its amazing, everyone loves clean water, and having a place for there waster to go, so what about the other city people?
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to think that one woman has brought down such a great town. She has sat in her ivory tower, while the working class has suffered. I even thought that last year I heard her say “Let them eat cake.” I hope Jim can bring this city back to where it once was. Tilghman was a sell out to the special interests in this city from day one. While her and her fat cat husband were getting rich off of all the real-estate deals they were making, the rest of the city suffered. You can say that Tilghman sold the city out from under its people.
ReplyDeletethese comments about being lucky to have a job are true in a sense. but any professional, regardless of career type, does not go into that line of work expecting to make the same or close to the same salary as the year they started. and any officer that has been with the SPD any length of time surely knows that they are being called on to do more and more every year. and comparing Salisbury crimes to Ocean City crime is nonsense. Unfortunately Salisbury has many more incidents of violent crime then OC does. and as far as OC officers taking a pay freeze, any officer there with fewer years experience then an officer with SPD is making ten to fifteen thousand dollars a year more in just base pay. if you think that is not true, do some research. i know i did. and whether you like the police or not, any reasonable person who knows these facts would surely understand why these officers are complaining.
ReplyDeleteThe city is already falling apart, public works will just have to make do with the lions share of the budget as it is. If you can't do the job, I'm sure there are plenty of people lining up for city jobs if you don't like yours.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a strain on Public Works but there are some citizens that have been trying to hammer the fact that our infrasrtucture has been neglected for 15 years. If you couldn't speak up then I don't want to hear it now.
Talk to the hand, the face don't want to hear it no more! FIRST we tackle crime!
7:35 I'm curious, do you honestly consider police officers as being true professionals when the minimum educational requirement is a high school education? A professional in my humble opinion is a doctor, lawyer, engineer etc.
ReplyDelete10:35
ReplyDeleteyes i do. if it makes you feel any better, consider us on the low end of the professional scale.
It use to be that drug money seized from drug dealers went back to fighting drug crimes and crime in general. THEN IT CHANGED. Now all the money disappears into the city defecit and the men and women that help seize the money never see it again. When the officers ask for new equipement they are told we don't have the money. Why do you think i left. TACKLING CRIME is not the focus. On the low end it is, on the upper end it's the IGM theory....I GOT MINE
ReplyDeletePut seized drug dealer money to good use...back into fighting crime
ReplyDeleteAsk the Chief about his top secret Chief's Bank Account. This is an amount of money that he can use for anything he wants. NOBODY knows how much is in this account. Someone please look into this.
ReplyDelete10:48 I think I will, like professional truck drivers, janitors, plumbers, electricians, house painters, brick layers etc.
ReplyDeleteI would just like to say, that everyone likes having crime free streets, which is very important, but it seems like no one everyone here does not like having fresh water and a place other that in your yard for poop. It is amazing, that crime is important, but so is water and sewer. Go figure, you all have all you eggs in one basket waiting for them to hatch, when you should spread them out!!
ReplyDelete