Let me start with this. In Cambridge this past weekend, two Gang Members were arrested. BOTH Members were from the Crips Gang from LA. One of them was wanted on a Federal Warrant for drug charges. It's been reported that they were trafficking drugs here on the Eastern Shore.
This is not good Folks! When you have a major Gang sending members to the Eastern Shore, clearly we have a serious problem. Well, it gets worse.
Chief Webster of the Salisbury Police Department has shut down and dis banned his Drug Unit due to the lack on manpower. He has moved these Officers to the criminal division instead.
IMO, shutting down the Drug Unit, (or Task Force) especially during these times of such high drug arrests and criminal activity, we're in trouble! I have sent a message to the Mayor as he had to have known this decision was being made and quite frankly I'm very disturbed by such a decision and move.
Right now the SPD is down EIGHT Officers and only has TWO Officers in the Academy right now. Even at Full Staff the SPD is well under what they should be. Perhaps there's some logic to this move I'm not aware of but I can't see it.
Mr. Ireton, I sure hope you know what you're doing because this is a serious problem.
53 comments:
Very serious. The crime in Salisbury has escalated and morale among officers has been depleted under Webster's supervision. Citizens have been berated and neighborhoods thrown away. If help is here, please get someone competent to lead our force.
If we don't take care of this problem, there will be more and more people out there getting high and doing what ever they want with their lives. It is sad.
I don't know what this new mayor is doing, but he ain't doing much to curb crime in Salisbury. A week ago an infant was about to be murdered while alseep, I have no idea, what the heck he's thinking, but we didn't vote for him to do nothing. from all acounts he ain't doing much more than barrie.
9:30am-It's sad that you put it that way, but drug dealers and those who buy from them are breaking the law, and if SPD doesn't keep the task force, then the problem will get worse. It's not people are doing whatever they want with their lives that concern us or that is the not problem per se, it's the fact that they lie, cheat, steal, kill and intimidate to get the drugs they want.
cambridge and salisbury arent in the same spatial location are they? sounds like county and state issue. not a city issue.
these crimes are crossing city borders. there needs to be a state/county/city task force for all the law enforcement groups on the shore. cant just blame salisbury police. come up with a solution for once.
So the SPD is treating the problem AFTER it gets here rather than before it gets here.
I think the real question is, why do we have a society that causes so many to try to run away from it with drugs, and anything they can get. What are they running from? What are they running to? Answers: they are running from life and running to death.(WHY???).
Listen, its a fact of life. Salisbury is way under paid and they are going to have a hard time filling positions.
How is it that a person from Salisbury PD and a person from Ocean City Police can graduate the same exact time, have the same amount of experience yet the OC Cop will make 20-30k more each year?
I know this for a fact. I have a friend in SPD that has been there 3.5 years and a friend that works for OCPD and has been there for 4 years. My OCPD friend made 68k last year and my SPD buddy only made 43k.
Im not saying that OCPD dont deal with their share of crime, but they arent getting shot at and dealing with shootings on a daily basis.
The city seriously has to step up to the plate and start paying these guys. They are a great group of police officers and deserve to be paid. The city needs to apply for funding through the economic stimulus to fund special overtime details and start hitting these drug dealers in the pocket. They need to start putting more guys on the street. SPD is way under staffed. Joe, I think you will agree with me that the more cops we can put on the street, the quicker we can take back our streets. Its only going to get worst, before its going to get better with the way the economy is.
Pot should be legal, save the drug inforcement and tax the hell out of it.
Ask a cop if they ever had a fight with someone on pot. Then ask if they ever did with someone on alcohol.
The Mayor may some pre-oocupation with his education responsibilities, however he should still be able to discuss the merits of a consolidated crime task force or any other ideas to deal with crime for that matter.
The silence is deadening. Some are beginning to wonder if a teacher's background and experience will be sufficient to deal with real world problems, such as those facing our city.
This goes to show you we should have a county police period. Combine city and county personnel and go from there. Webster is a waste of time and these guys/gals in his department are going to continue to leave for better pay/benefits and more competent supervision. Ireton you better speak up and wake up and do something before it's way way to late. You need to start making some turnaround in this city NOW.
The war on drugs is a joke to begin with. It's fighting a losing battle. Sad but true.
You guys are too quick to jump on the mayor. It takes time to take back our communities and streets. It's not like he can just go in there and flick a magic switch and life is better in Salisbury again. He needs to fire Chief Webster, increase the salaries of the existing staff, and work with Sheriff Mike Lewis asking for his assistance with the drug issue. The other problem is that as a citizen if you see this crap going down in your neighborhood, then why do you put up with it? Call the police when there is suspicious activity. If you start sending a very strong message that you aren't going to tolerate the drugs in your neighborhood they will move elsewhere. I'm not saying run out in the street and talk to these losers, just pick up the phone and call the cops. If the mayor was smart, he would start asking for assistance from MD State Police, and Wicomico County Sheriff's office. The message will start getting out if everytime something illegal is going on in your neighborhood, the police are called, do you think they are going to stay there? It takes all of us, not just one man or one police force. These guys are vigilent and there will be some resistence; however, once it is made clear that Salisbury will not tolerate drugs in their neighborhoods, they will move on. Get them out now before it gets much worse. We don't want an LA type town here. Been there, hated it, wouldn't go back. Needed a gun just to drive down the street. So think about it.
With Obama as a role model our children will connect the dots and say look where hard drug usage got Obama. got Obama!
Took SPD 20 minutes to respond to a break in in my neighborhood .
Anon 10:12
Please this city doesn't need appologetics. The situation in Salisbury is pretty damned bad, and if the new mayor has time for touchy feely PR all over the place, which is fine by me, as long as the REAL issues are being addressed and effectively.
OMG, it's Webster that's the problem not Ireton.
If those plants were properly trimmed they would be full of BUDDS not leaves.
Anon1012 -
"You guys are too quick to jump on the mayor. It takes time to take back our communities and streets"
Using Joe's theory on the President, no.... he doesn't get that time! Fix the problemS now Ireton!
2 way street Joe. Deal with it.
Find the money somewhere and just pay Webster to leave, cut your loses and move on. How much is it gonna take Webster?
Are you sure the Mayor knew what Webster did or found out about it after the fact? Webster can only be fire "for cause" with the majority of the Council's approval. Those 3 majority members will do whatever they can to block the Mayor and make him look ineffective, this will include refusing funding for more cops or better salaries. You should really be jumping on the council to assist the Mayor in getting rid of Webster.
Royal Farms on South Division and Dykes was robbed last night. Helicopters and dogs all in the neighborhood looking for the suspects.....does anyone know if they were caught??
As a Compton PD (Compton, Ca) Officer (now, thankfully retired) I fought these punks on a daily basis. They have no regard for life. Not theirs or anyone else s. I arrested one for homicide and asked him why he shot the other guy.. He just wanted to see if the gun worked. That's how they think.
For more insight on the Crips, and other maggots like the Crips, go to comptonpolicegangs.com
Don't play with these guys... they belong behind bars or 6 feet under.
Who wants to work at SPD with a moron for a chiefy?
Oh yes, crime is a problem. Please fix it immediately......and oh yes by the way, my taxes are too high, please cut my taxes while you're at it.....idiotic.
10:29 How would you recommend that we fix the city right this minute? What exactly do you think that can be done right this minute that is going to help? What would you recommend? I'm just curious.
Insted of spending millions of dollars on downtown revitalization why not spend the money on the police force so we can all live safely. We have already spent too much money trying to beat that dead horse (the plaza). Get over it. We need to hire someone like Mike Lewis, a guy in uniform, who knows how to be a leader and take our streets back.
"I know this for a fact. I have a friend in SPD that has been there 3.5 years and a friend that works for OCPD and has been there for 4 years. My OCPD friend made 68k last year and my SPD buddy only made 43k."
Your SPD buddy must be to stupid to be an Ocean City cop.
Stop getting a pat on the back when arresting low level nobody's and go after the bigger fish. Drugs and crime will not get better when the ones behind the effort are more concerned with looking good than being effective. Task force or not the way things are handled in general are wrong.
County Police Department under Mike Lewis!
spotcrime.com
good info on crime.
did you hear on ch 47 the royla farms was robbed. it was robbed last june 30, 2008 and now
june 8 2009
Is Mark Thames a city cop?
instead of sitting here reading some blog, why don't some of you go out there and be more present in the communities where crimes happen. call the cops when you something going on. be proactive and quit crying about E V E R Y thing that aint perfect
There is a couple who live in Fruitland. They have "bars" around their house and property. It looks like they are in jail. House, property and all. This lady DID call the police in Fruitland about drugs/dealers/etc and get this the police in Fruitland came and arrested her for calling them. She was handcuffed and taken to naylor mill road jail. She saw the commissioner who ask what was going on??? She is scheduled for court. If I were the Fruitland Police I would be totally ashamed that an older couple would have to build a jail around their house for portection. They have neighbors let their dogs pee on their "bars" so they will rust. She cant call the police any more or they will come arrest her again. I think our police have gone off the deep end. The police have nothing about the complaints!
Fence was built to keep her away from neighbors, is more like it.
The mayor has his priorities mixed up. Urban Salisbury, health insurance for idiots, and do you see him on weekend at open air parties? He has not dug it on any thing. How soon he forgot his campaign promises!
2:18 These older people feel threatened. When you get older and the only way you can protect yourself is to build a fence then you will know how they feel. Its people like you with that assinine attitude who are a big part of the problem. Walk a mile or two in their shoes!
Anon 1:43 - you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. That woman is as crazy as you are for believing that nonsense.
I can guarentee you that cambridge does not have more money that salisbury so that is not a excuse.
and whats it too ya! 2:52
I have know these people also for 35 years. She may seem "crazy" but they have the right to live in a home they have bought and paid for without being harrased by "sane" people like you? This man served in Vietnam to give you the privilage to say what you think and do. Have respect.
anon 12:10
The big fish are in the CIA. They will hurt you. For heaven's sake, don't go after the big fish. Try this: just lock up all the poor kids who we all know are GOING TO USE DRUGS. We know who they are - we can see it in their faces. They are poor. Send them to prison. Then there won't be anyone to sell the drugs to.
This is something I've never been able to figure out. Maryland in particular is "cop rich" because of all the overlapping police departments. Salisbury residents (just like Annapolis residents) pay City, County, and State taxes all of which have their own police force. If Salisbury is short handed, why can't they ask for additional coverage from both the County and the State?
It seems that they all compete for the same traffic enforcement revenue on Route 50 while areas in which citizens need more assistance go unmanned. It's kind of funny in a way.
The gang problem on the Eastern Shore stems from ECI. We send these people to jail for a couple years, where initiation into a gang is easy. Then they're back out on the streets with a new agenda to fulfill. Something needs to be done with this spread of gang-violence and the jail system or it's going to get worse and worse.
Down 8 officers? Since when? Who are they?
Joe, this is one time I wish I DID live Salisbury. Know why? You've got all these people bashing Ireton who hasn't been in office two months while they've elected jackasses like Comegys, Smith and Shields.
I'm not even an Ireton fan, but he's he's a damn sight better than that idiot Comegys.
Ireton could have documented cause and be ready tomorrow to fire Webster who is directly responsible for lousy response to crime.
But it's gotta get approved by the council, and you people have only two brains on that council. I don't agree with those two ladies on everything, but I would never dispute that they are smart.
When you people are ready to get off your asses and picket in front of your town hall and tell the three asses on council to support Ireton firing Webster, then you can whine on here. When Comegys goes, uh, oh, it's me or him (Webster), then buh-bye Chief.
Until then, enjoy your crime.
That's right down 8 officers. 2 in the academy now, looking to put 6-7 in the next academy if they can find enough people who want to do the work.
Officers not happy at all, # of officers down, crime up....who to blame?? I know....FIRE BALDY!!!
Chiefy I know for a fact you read this, your a liar, you know it, the community knows it, and most importantly your people know it.
Gee,don't these gansters realize that theres alot of rednecks packing guns on the Shore?Better ooze back on up to the cities they crawled out of.
If the police force is understaffed the easiest way to increase the police force is by keeping the public informed on the crime that does occur. You will quadruple the police force with a well informed public that is on the lookout for crime. The police cant be everywhere but the public is, inform them and things will change. But instead of having a teamwork attitude its the cover everything up attitude so we can continue the lie about this place. How can one place do so many things so incredibly backwards?
now us drug dealers can make some real cash around here as soon as the cartels quit killing each other
The gang problem on the Eastern Shore stems from ECI. We send these people to jail for a couple years, where initiation into a gang is easy. Then they're back out on the streets with a new agenda to fulfill. Something needs to be done with this spread of gang-violence and the jail system or it's going to get worse and worse.
ECI has no control where the inmates are released. DOC headquarters makes the rules and the rule is they are released where ever they call home. If they say salisbury is home and they provide a legal address, that is where they can go.
ECI has no control where the inmates are released. DOC headquarters makes the rules and the rule is they are released where ever they call home. If they say salisbury is home and they provide a legal address, that is where they can go.
...I'm not saying I know how to fix it, just giving my speculation on the increase in gangs here on the Eastern Shore. I don't necessarily think people who are eligible for parole should be housed/associated with big-time offenders and those running the gangs on the inside. It's a huge problem...maybe we should just execute them all.
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