"Hi Mr. Albero...
I witnessed this accident around 8am. The man who identified himself as a Fire Marshall later to me, was speeding very fast without lights or siren and appeared to be in the middle of a two way lane...Instead of hitting others he swerved hard to the rite and hit several trees, dirt and rocks hit my car. The truck did not move
until around 11:am, after several police and investigators worked the site.
One thing I would appreciate you mentioning is a Corp. Brown from the Fruitland Police Dept, who became very frustrated at me because I did not know the name of the road the accident happened upon but I gave him a very good description... He told me, "Theres no accident with a fire truck out here, are you sure you don't mean a car"...To which I responded that I was an adult and knew exactly what a fire truck looks like...He then hung up on me. I called him back exclaiming that people might need help and why did he hang up on me to which he responded, "I don't like the way you're speaking to me"...I asked him who he reported to to which he responded, "who do you report to mam" and he hung up AGAIN...This all pursued while I was driving back home and in 20 minutes at least I past the fire truck again and still that officer had not responded.
I was treated with zero respect or kindness, I was also not taken seriously when I called to report an accident.
Thanks for all you do Joe because it's a lot, and means a lot."
Kim.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
45 comments:
Kim,
File a complaint with the chief if you feel the officer's conduct was less than professional.
Will some one remind me who pays his salary???????
I'm a 26 year career firefighter in A.A. County so trust me what you may think is speeding very fast may just look that way. Based on what I read (I wasn't there) I don't see how the driver could possibly be speeding very fast as you see. In that distance I don't see how thats possible in a tanker.
That would be Cpl. Matt Brown.
He answers to the taxpayers, through his boss, Chief Mike Phillips.
I'm sure Chief Phillips will be on top of this-- you can count on it.
It just seems rather disrespectful to the lady to hang up on her, maybe an apology is all thats needed. People have good days and bad days, policemen are no differant I quess. When some one could be hurt it does bring it to a new level however.
hold your breath, they won't do anything about it...
Give them the oppurtunity before you judge.
Every day there is a new reason to get rid of all these small town pd yah hoos and consolidate.
The officer isn't required to listen to her attitude or take s!@# from her. He did the right thing, hung up and didn't say anything unprofessional. I'm sure she had a lot more to say then what she is writing in her letter.
Kim, Why is it that the car you are driving is tagged in PA and not Maryland. Apparently; you are not a taxpayer then or are you an illegal alien in Maryland. Or maybe you just borrowed the car from someone visiting at your home. Also this is a county jurisdiction not Fruitland.
LOCAL INS
anonymous 1:52, Now that sounds like Police Harassment right there. You may be anonymous but only the Police would know who "Kim" is. You guys better stop this crap before it comes back to bite you.
I would march right in the FPD and ask to speak with this officer and Chief Phillips and/or Capt. Bradley. I'm sure this is something that can be discussed rationally and be resolved. Mike Phillips and Sandy Bradley are very reasonable people. I don't know the officer in question but I'm sure he can be reasonable.
1:52 how terribly, terribly unprofessional - gives credence to folks wanting to consolidate law enforcement. Your badgering and intimidation tactic shows you are low-class scum who gives all of your brotherhood a bad name. If this is how you operate, you need to consider a NEW profession (not working with the public).
Thank you Joe for your comment too.
To whoever Kim is, thank you for sharing - management can't fix what they realize is broken and this officer definitely needs some counseling and a Dale-Carnegie class.
OBVIOUSLY the people defending Brown (ESPECIALLY 1:36 PM) are either his friends, families or co-workers. Having a bad day does not justify his rudeness, ignorance & disrespectful towards the caller. If this actually did occur, he should be reprimanded immediately.
1:52 who the heck cares where her car is tagged might not even be her car. I drove around for years in Salisbury with a jersey tags on my car, and I sure as hell was paying Maryland taxes. The car was bought for me as a college graduation gift and the lien and title remained in my dads name until it was paid off, while I paid car insurance on it for the state of Maryland because that is where i reside. So before you start making assumptions as to why her car is tagged in PA get your facts straight!!!
"Kim, Why is it that the car you are driving is tagged in PA and not Maryland. Apparently; you are not a taxpayer then or are you an illegal alien in Maryland. Or maybe you just borrowed the car from someone visiting at your home. Also this is a county jurisdiction not Fruitland."
I'll make 3 points about this:
1. The car must be tagged (and insured) in the state it is "garaged" regardless of the owner's residence.
2. Unfortunately, most people in MD are illegal aliens.
3. Why does MD feel the need to have so MANY police departments? There are too many Government people in MD doing the same job.
Go have a beer with Obama and Biden.
There are always two sides to every story. Typically when people are hung up on it is because they are not speaking in a respectful manner. Before anyone judges it is good to have all the facts.
Anonymous said...
Kim, Why is it that the car you are driving is tagged in PA and not Maryland. Apparently; you are not a taxpayer then or are you an illegal alien in Maryland. Or maybe you just borrowed the car from someone visiting at your home. Also this is a county jurisdiction not Fruitland.
LOCAL INS
1:52 PM
This is a clear indication that this person is someone from the Fruitland Police Department as he/she knows way to much on who "Kim" is. Joe said it best this is police harassment and this person needs to be terminated from the Fruitland Police Department. He is obviously to stupid to keep his investigative skills to himself so his ignorance will blow any good case in court. Chief Phillips I know you read this blog so as soon as you read this please take care of this issue.
Everyone thinks the people employed by the county, state, or any other government entity should have to take the rude, disrespectful, arrogant, blaming, and non human treatment day in and day out. Say what you want, this woman yelled and screamed and then comes on the blog and writes like she is some little "do gooder." The police are always the one's that gotta take the crap of all of you. No I am not a co worker, officer, or friend. Get the whole story before you start screaming for a town hanging.
ANONYMOUS 2:16...Maybe Kim is just visiting the area, recently moved here & is in the process of getting MD tags, works here and is a resident of PA, etc.
Regardless, the issue here is Brown's ignorance & unresponsiveness to an URGENT matter...who the hell cares what state's tags are on her vehicle!?
Also, this incident has nothing to do with Obama whatsoever & your "Go have a beer with Obama and Biden" comment makes no sense at all...
This doesn't surprise me about Matt (Brown). Isn't the first time he's been rude, won't be the last time. I know lot's of Fruitland City people read this. I hope you will ask this man why he's hot headed at times.
2:16.
If you're in the state as a student you are required to register with the MVA as an out of state student residing in Maryland. I'm sure that's what the poster was referring to.
who cares about the tags on her car?? she's not the one who hit a tree!!! maryland taxes our pay, our property, our everyday purchases... yadda yadda yadda. We all pay out our you-know-whats, so find something else to harp on. Like I said, she's not the one in the wrong here!
Joe, why would it have to be a police officer to know who "Kim" is? She signed her post.
anonymous 3:07, this has to be JT because I do not believe the rest of our readers are that stupid.
You see Jonathan, when you ONLY have a name, "Kim" she never stated she has a vehicle with PA tags.
Only a Police Officer who took one of these calls would know her full name and her personal vehicle.
No READER here would have known who she was.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?
Point Joe .. Keep up the good work. No one should have to put up with dumb ass people all up in the mustard and cant get the facts straight...
1:36, 1:52
Clearly these comments came from someone in the FPD. Who cares about the tags on the car she was driving which you also state thats been in her driveway. Obviously your very familiar with who Kim is. Kim states she called Brown. Each FPD employee has a cellphone. If she called him on his cellphone she knows who he is also. I for one hope this isn't a case of police harrasement. I also hope it's not a case of someone having an issue with the FPD. Either way, I'm sure Chief Phillips will get to the bottom of it. Will we ever know who's in the wrong?
if your house was on fire would you want the fire trucks to be speeding??????????????? Put your self in homeowners shoes
There are alot of people that live here but do not tag their vehicles here to avoid the registration and tag fees. I also believe (i may be wrong) that you also have to pay the sales tax when transferring a vehicle to MD. This does take away from taxes for roads that are generated by these dollars. (even though the state kept this money) Every person that does fail to do this, is keeping money from the county for road maintenance since part of the formula is based on the number of registered vehicles in each county. Regardless, the officer shouldn't have talked to her like that but then again, there are 2 sides to every story.
Next time DIAL 911.How would you now off hand the fruitland police #.Everybody calls 911.Must be a repeat caller to that station.
First, the disclaimer: I am not a friend/coworker/any way beholden to Cpl. Matt Brown.......Now then. I have had several dealings with Cpl. Brown, and always found him to be professional and even- tempered. Maybe, just MAYBE, this woman WAS abusive toward him, yelling and refusing to be civil and Cpl. Brown invoked his right as a person to NOT continue a coversation. Two people know the real story, and we need to reserve judgement until hearing both sides. I wonder why this woman chose to "run tell it" on the blog instead of speaking to Fruitland's Chief of Police. that is telling in it's self................B**ch knows she is wrong, that is why.
If she had a complaint she should have gone to the Chief. If no reponse then go to the council and then post it on the blog. I'm sure there is two sides to every story like this one certainly has.
anon 2:27 you say that you are not a friend of the officer yet you supposedly know what happened explain that and may i borrow your crystal ball MORON
moron 1:36 you have no idea what the woman said to the officer but you are quick to condemm her ,and tou also said that the officer did the right thing and acted proffessinal once again how do you know that ? it must be such a burden living with the gift of all knowing
Well here we go with another incident of "vigilantism by blog." Apparently, all we have is the hysteria of some person without being the beneficiaries of the entirety of the conversation. We have no real evidence of Cpl. Brown's actual response or how the situation was presented to him, yet we are presented with a rush to judgement by many of the commenters.
Perhaps the general public could benefit by listening to police radio transmissions for a period of time to gain an understanding of how the law enforcement community is overwhelmed by spurious calls and complaints along with just the same kind of vague information as it appears that your complainant describes in her message.
I will admit to being a resident of Fruitland and have come to know Cpl Brown over his years with the Department. His behavior has always been exemplary and his devotion to maintaining law, order and and a quality of life for the citizens of this town that goes beyond reproach. The complainant has no comprehension how many times Cpl. Brown has put himself in harms way, how many drug dealers and other thugs he has arrested over the years and other actions he has peformed for the citizens of this town during his career.
Cpl. Brown has been a police officer for at least 10 years in Fruitland, and this is the first negative comment I have heard about him. I have heard many positive comments about his involvement in the community, though. Either he had a bad day (first one in 10 years), or this woman is a lying/embellishing skank.
I don't understand why the witness did not call "911" and report the accident. The dispatcher would then call the appropriate agency. The photos reveal that the accident occurred in Wicomico County, outside Fruitland's police response area, although in Fruitland's fire district. Normally, the Sheriff's Dept. or MSP would respond to such accidents. Sounds like Kim is too familiar with the FPD if she had their phone number.
In response to 6:04-I "Assure you.."'s response...you are either VERY naive or one of Brown's family members, co-workers or a member of his "Best Friends Forever" (BFF)" Fan Club dude!
What I see are a TON of NEGATIVE comments which greatly outweigh the positive ones...
6:00 & 6:04 I guess u forgot the George days.
Anon 6:00 PM,
exemplary behavior and complainant is terminology often used in public safety, specifically police agencies. Sounds like Damage Control at work again.
I go with your second reason 6:04
I am not sure why so many people are questioning why this woman knew FPD's phone number. I am a Fruitland resident and I have FPD number listed on my refrigerator with all the other important numbers...doctors, poison control, etc. Why is such a strang thing to know your local police depatments direct number rather than calling 911. Some people need to worry about the real "problem" in this letter and not why she called that number or what her tag number was?! What does that have to do with ANYTHING!!
I believe there is more to this entire story... By "Kims" own admission she got a snappy with him on the phone with her "I am an adult comment"... but that being said, I think it's a little inappropriate to hang up on a person regardless of what they say to you in a situation like this or any situation involving a police officer. Its childish at best and dereliction of duty at worse. I certainly hope we get the Paul Harvey version of this one like we did on the Sherwood incident...
I have to say on Cpl. Brown's behalf that he is one of the best police officer's I have ever known. Cpl. Brown has done a great service to the city of Fruitland for many, many years and should be recognized for all he has done. It is unfortunate that Cpl. Brown had to end the conversation the way that he did; however, I know the only reason he would have done such a thing is if the person on the other end of the phone was being extremely uncooperative. Please keep in mind that while police officers are held up to a higher standard, they're still humans too and capable of making mistakes.
I'm a Fruitland resident. I have FPD's office number along with FVFD number. I got these number's at National Night Out from the members. Will you all attack me if I use these numbers?
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