While I was somewhat disappointed there wasn't more people in attendance, I felt from the beginning 5:00 was just too early to pull something like this off as many people just get off work at 5:00 PM. Nevertheless, many attended while Mark McIver gave out crime stats and flat out asked for Chief Webster's resignation.
The rally was peaceful as well as educational. I took the opportunity to fill everyone in on the emergency meeting that was supposed to last 1/2 hour tat went on for more than an hour and a half.
Gary Comegys simply made a fool out of himself by not looking at the budget first and recognizing there were plenty of funds available to finance the project he slipped to the Press before he provided it to the Mayor.
Mayor Ireton clearly stated that the ONLY Press that was being forced to provide their questions 24 hours in advance was the Daily Times. Everyone else could contact his Office any time they wanted but the games are over.
Ireton was calling out Joe Carmean of the Daily Times for playing childish games by laughing at the Mayor at least 11 times by having information BEFORE the Mayor even knew something was going on.
Comegys and Smith were clearly leaking information to the Times in the hopes of embarrassing Ireton and Carmean would simply laugh at Ireton. It locks like the Mayor has the last laugh because the Daily Times will be left two days in the dust by the rest of the Press.
More importantly, many suggestions were given last night, many of which I personally firmly agree with. Here's how I see it Folks. ECI is releasing prisoners to Salisbury. Many of these prisoners come from the Baltimore area and should be shipped back to where they came from, no matter where that is.
Because they're brought to Salisbury, crime has risen to critical levels. No, I'm not a Police Chief but my God, it doesn't take a Rocket Scientists to break things down and figure the most critical parts of our problems out.
The second major issue is our children. We must create programs for our youth. Businesses should get involved and help support such programs and I'm talking about the younger kids, like 10 to 12 years old. Kids of Honor is probably one of the best mentoring programs available in the Salisbury area. I'm confident there's many more but we must get a hold of these children while they're young and show them there's more to life than Gangs and crime.
Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars TEACHING ECI prisoners, (after they are released) to train for jobs is complete and utter BS. If the City of Salisbury has to sue ECI for releasing prisoners to this area, do it. Then take good money and put it after good money by investing into our youth.
Look, (business wise) businesses are going to pay the ultimate price if they don't get involved. They can either work to better the community or they can start, (like many already have) closing their doors at 4:00 PM and lose all that additional revenue. By working with our youth, it's a win/win situation.
Since many of you were not at the meeting last night, allow me to share with you one thing that happened that I was involved with. Before the rally started, Chief Webster stood in front of the Council arrogant. He stated he'd leave when he decided it was time for him to leave. He went on to say that he loved Salisbury. He loves the residence and everything it has to offer. Once he was finished, Louise Smith asked the public to speak so I raised my hand, walked up to the podium and stated, If Chief Webster loves Salisbury so much and Salisbury is such a great place to live, why the hell doesn't he live here. Why doesn't he have to be subjected to the crime the citizens of Salisbury have to live with. The applause was deafening!
The Citizens were heard loud and clear last night. I'm confident the Mayor and Council was floored with the volume in attendance as I have never seen so many people pack the Council Chambers for ANY event as much as they did last night and I've been going to these meetings for the past 7 years.
Mayor Ireton will make his final decision and announcement tonight as to what he will do with Chief Webster but my odds say that he will ask Chief Webster for his resignation as enough is enough. NOTHING has changed and Webster cannot fight the factual figures that crime is out of control and has been ever since he came on board.
30 comments:
Go to the sex offender website too and see that many of them live here and their crimes were in other counties....a ton from over near Baltimore and Delaware. Aint that lovely?
I believe that after this, if Ireton does not demand the resignation of the Chief, he stands no chance in hell of getting re-elected.
Hope you do the right thing Jim!
It would be a wonderful idea to instead of helping the officers that protect the city, to have county and state come in and do the exact thing that spd officers do while making a whole lot more money and other benefits that spd does not get and it does not look like anyone in council or mayor want to help to get for spd officers.
makes a lot of sense. What fools, try improving the welfare of salisbury police officers that bust thier ass everyday and then just get critized and can barely make a living.
Thanks for this post, Joe. Fine job as usual.
I guess by now I shouldn't be surprised at Webster's arrogance, but his "performance" last night still amazes me. That a Chief of Police would stand before the citizens he supposedly serves and inform them straight up he'll leave when HE decides it's time is a new high point in arrogance.
Mr. Webster, you're not only a poor police chief, you're a lousy student of history. Just keep letting Salisbury's crime problem fester and worsen while you make an idiot of yourself. Let enough taxpayers die at the hands of gangs and thugs and the citizens just might decide to take to the streets and demand justice, as well as your termination as Chief. There's nothing like frustrated people who have lost hope and are fed up. Look at the Watts riots, to name just one example from history.
Wake up, Chief, get off your butt, get off your soapbox, stand up and be a man and representative of law and order. Help us take back our city and we'll stand beside you. Keep showing how ignorant you can be, and we'll oust you.
Also a word to members of City Council: At least have the decency to answer your email from citizens. I've written to 3 Council members in less than a week and have not had the common courtesy of a reply from any of them.
Joe I got the feeling last night the Mayor has had enough of the games,and the lack of leadership and respect from the Chief. The Mayor listed around ten differnt Reasons of why a Superviser could be terminated. And Chief Webster Qualfied for about eight. I hope we know in 24hr
I's movin back two Baltmore, dis town not safe enuff.
Put this man back in uniform,put this man on the streets with the citizens,put gag orders on the dept heads,put a stop on driving to Crisfield when off duty.After he refuses thie fire his ass.
The prisoner release issue - If you are dropped off in the middle of a town/city that you are not from, how will you survive? You won't, you will get in contact with your family friends etc to come get you. The prisoners being dropped off in Salisbury already have contacts from the other Salisbury people in jail, to set up the gang and criminal structure. So that issue of having them dropped off somewhere else will not have the effect that you think it will be.
Chief - will all fairness to both sides of this. Yes the chief did ask for more officers almost every year and was denied by Tilghman. Now the other side, he doesn't "care" about Salisbury. It doesn't matter what the work, the pay, the tough job, you can still make morale better by being a leader and by being someone who cares. This Chief is not the Chief we needed; he spent the last 10 years of his career in internal affairs, thus being removed from “normal” police officers and you lose touch of the road and what officers/detectives need. His management style does not work here and will never work here, you need a hands on manager, on that does not drive away and to his home somewhere else.
Mayor firing him, the chief negotiated his employment with Tilghman to be fired by due cause, that is much harder then the terms he was hired on. That what happens when you have blackmail on Tilghman. IF the Chief really cared about Salisbury he would resign because that is what the city wants, he only looks out for himself.
Care about Salisbury, that is a laugh, lets sue the city and the mayor and cost all involved money and stress. Lets find the waaaaammmmmbulance to come pick poor chiefy up and drive him back to Baltimore County where they hated him and were glad he was gone.
Ireton has shown himself to be immature , petulant and lacking in real leadership.He is as big a problem as you all seem to think Webster is.
The politicians last night simply did more fo the same...childish infighting rather than demonstrating leadership and taking proactive steps.Shanie Shields was the notable exception.
We need some new young blood 'with new ideas.The type of person That takes pride in what they do .and earns the respect of the people that work for them and the respect of the citisens
I would have loved to have attended this rally, but as a business owner, I was still at work. Maybe next time start a little later.
Joe, please no disrespect I swear ... but this is what makes you a non-journalist.
The Press doesn't organize rallies against government, let alone address a crowd at one.
The Press watches, asks questions, and reports.
The Press can and does editorialize, but its reporters never aim to participate in or make the news.
But you do.
So I don't think you're really a member of the Press. You're a guy who opines using a website and now TV. I hope people see the difference. Again, no disrespeect, just offering MY opinion on what you do.
11:08 Anon
Ok, Joe has said before, he's not a reporter, he is a blogger.
I can tell you this though. This site is where I go if I want to know what's going on locally.
I do not subscribe to the Daily Times (canceled that years ago), I do not even read the Daily Times because the last few times I did, it was old news or stuff I had no interest in.
So go ahead and throw the punches at Joe but remember this....MANY of us support this site because Joe delivers the TRUTH!
11:08 Joe is the press and the only one with the balls to tell it like it is.He dont lie like the daly rag and the others I've been fallowing this blog for some years now and what the man says is what it is he don't hold punches. And he backs up his ststments with facts.Thats a lot more then any other news sourse.
11:08...your point is well taken but do you think Joe is much different than the national media?? News crossed the line between reporting versus creating decades ago and it's just getting worse.
I attended the meeting last night, and was shocked that the MSM chose to focus on the dissention in the council and with the Mayor rather that the REAL issue, which was how ineffective the law enforcement in Salisbury is. I would not have recognized that they were reporting on the meeting that I attended. No surprise there. It's been an unspoken and unwritten policy to approach our community crime spree by denying that it exists by MSM.
As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that workin' for you?" Not very well, according to FBI statistics. Which are, by the way, UNDENIABLE.
10:43 Shanie Shields was the exception, she just didn't think of anything to say. You are right though, it is not professional. I do think the Mayor needs to be more of a lead by example and not so dramatic.
Anon 11:08 "no disrespect"
Go back to watching MSNBC and CNN for your stories.
Journalism is more about getting down to the truth. These politicians just hope to be asked the questions like MSNBC and CNN entertain. When Fox News comes to play, they get all afriad and won't give America the truth.
The MSM is a wash...that politicians just hide behind. The organizations like Joe's blog and Fox News are what is making these politicians keep on their toes and no longer able to hide things from the public.
Keep up the good work Joe. I bet half the audience in attendance last night were only there because they heard about the event on your blog.
Make it someplace bigger to hold all the people who did not want to come and not have a place to be. Starting later is a good idea.
What an ARROGANT ASS !!!!!!!!
Several blogger's have made reference to ECI ex-inmates being dropped off in Salisbiury/Wicomico County. Who has the data as to # of individuals, frequency of, etc. This is the 1st I've heard of this process.
If the Chief has requested resources and has not been able to get them, then he should not resign. If the Chief asked for additional resources, and did not get them, where was the crowd of people pushing that these resources be provided.
... it's always someone else's fault. Always someone to bury. other than ones self, first.
4:41 the chief still could have so much more with what he has, and yes he does need more, but the cops still hate him
The "chief" needs to learn to lead by example....He has no pryor "chief" or leadership skills domonstraited by his latest snub of the request of the people. As a leader of the Internal Affairs divison,all he did was lay blame off on someone else.....does this sound familar? Its always someone elses fault....The chief needs to stop being a half-asses pencil pusher and start being a stand up leader. The Salisbury Police officers I have spoken to, have no respect for him, because he has no respect for the Them, the city, or the citizens in-which he was hired to "serve and protect". I challange the "chief" to produce one thing that he has done for the betterment of the City of Salisbury in the 10 years that he has been in service.
ECI don't release them to this area..the DOC does. It starts at the top and rolls down hill.
The only time ECI release a prisoner locally is if he is from this area. If not he is shipped to MCAC and released to the Baltimore area or somewhere closer to his home of record. Better check your info before you say things like that.
4:41, the person here who said the chief was just a pencil pusher is very right. Chief asks for resources, gets told no, shrugs shoulder and says okay.
Heard enough of those meetings. He just go through motions.
7:05...thanks for some facts....like ECI is really the issue with what's going on now...absurd assertion.This town has plenty of home grown criminals.Drive around town and take a good hard look before you start blaming ECI , Baltimore, Delaware etc. A community with our crime levels has far issues that go beyond the police chief.
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