Residents of a small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore vented their frustrations and concerns about the ouster of the town's first black police chief at a City Council meeting Monday that devolved into angry shouting.
Two local pastors, representing a group called Citizens for a Better Pocomoke, called on the mayor and council members to work with them to reinstate former Pocomoke City police Chief Kelvin Sewell.
"The integrity and reputation of our community is our utmost concern, and we feel has been greatly compromised, ... " the Rev. Ronnie White of the House of Love Christian Center said. "This act has destabilized our community and now brought about division."
Mayor Bruce Morrison said he was willing to work with the group to help heal the predominantly black town, which has been torn by racial tension, but Sewell would not likely get his job back.
"I don't see that happening, bringing Chief Sewell back," Morrison said.
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16 comments:
Why is it instantly racial?
Tell us why he was let go - provide some transparency!
If the council told him to do something that was against his will and under his authority - maybe there's a problem with the council.....
If the council told him to do something that was within their span of control - they should have done it themselves - be your own bad guy!
This is why many are afraid to "take a chance" with a black person. If they don't perform well, discharge can be a real problem because it's not politically correct even if it's lawful to can them.
good Lord, can't arrest them, can't talk back to them, can't fire them. HAVE to hire them regardless of their qualifications...
Comments thus far do not appear to have originated from citizens of Pocomoke.Until one has seen the transformation of that town/city first hand one has no idea how much things improved after Sewell took office.
Council doesn't tell the police chief to do anything. The police chief works for the mayor.
9:28 AM, And...that's why Salisbury has such a lousy police chief!
"Anonymous said.... Comments thus far do not appear to have originated from citizens of Pocomoke.Until one has seen the transformation of that town/city first hand one has no idea how much things improved after Sewell took office.
August 4, 2015 at 9:04 AM"
Excuse me? Ah didn't nearly 20 drug dealers just get arrested? How come PCPD wasn't involved when many local agencies were, several divisions within the MD State Police AND Homeland Security 9:04?
If you think for one second the town was transformed under Sewell then I have no other thought then to think you are delusional.
Drugs were being sold en masse right under Sewell's nose! And he did nothing!
9:04 You are correct in that, I am not from Pocomoke.
With that in mind, I am more than qualified to offer up my opinion, and my opinion is, it appears that some in Pocomoke aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack, to put it nicely.
There was the above mentioned large drug bust recently, so it's crazy to say a transformation had occurred under the former chief. It was business as usual in Pocomoke.
The other point that needs to be brought to the forefront is how come some are continuing with the same old boring narrative that the termination was race based when the EEOC hasn't even made that determination yet. It's premature for anyone to be jumping on the race bandwagon at this stage of the game. Not only it is unwise it's extremely uncivilized. An intelligent person waits until they have all the facts from both sides they can gather in hand and then makes a determination.
9:28 your wrong if the Police Chief worked for the Mayor why can't the Mayor fire him? because he doesn't work for him he reports directly to the Town Manager and 9:33 if you look at the list of people that were arrested during that drug bust you will see they are repeat offenders and easy catches because that's all they know and its hard to get a job with a criminal record so they just proceed with selling drugs. That drug bust was perfectly timed to make the Chief look bad, when in fact those agencies you listed did nothing. Sewell did alot for our town and his leadership proved that in many different ways. So excuse me but your the one really delusional...LOL
I am so tired of hearing this. Move on people, Sewell isn't coming back. The Mayor is not at liberty to discuss the firing of Sewell, eventually the truth will come to light. For now, stop jumping on the racial bandwagon and let this situation play out.
If the mayor and council were to release the reasons for the firing, it would be a violation of State law and the city charter regarding personnel issues. The lawsuits that would follow would devastate the city's treasury and bring even more disgrace upon Pocomoke.
The current disgrace is enough, but certain people who don't know the issue from the inside are going to keep pushing with their dual agenda, race and "look at me!" To them I say, what you're doing isn't leadership, it's self-serving muckraking and inciting.
The longer these clowns keep riling the people without a clear understanding of the case, the deeper the wound the wound will be, the longer it will take to heal, and the larger the scar.
10:47 You make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
People were dealing drugs on the streets of Pocomoke right under the nose of the former chief-it doesn't matter who they were, the timing of the bust or anything other than Pocomoke City right under the nose of Sewell, was a hotbed of drug activity-PERIOD END OF STORY!
To say that the timing of the bust was done to make the former chief look bad is just absolute ignorance. Absolute utter and sheer ignorance! Those people were selling drug to kids, getting them addicted so then they go out and rob and steal. That drug bust could have possibly prevented a death.
Anytime a drug dealer is arrested and shut down even if just temporary it's a good thing regardless of the "timing."
What would you have rather seen these dealers continue to sell their poison until this matter w/the former chief was resolved???
I'm telling you not only are you delusional but some of you are just plain simple!
There are some really good people in Pocomoke City and for anyone to classify the whole town as classless or uneducated is really unfair! We had some poor, not to mention selfish and self serving leadership for 40 years but let's move on from that now. The Town Manager's position is not one that is elected and we never had enough council member votes to get him out but now that HE IS let's make our town one to be proud of. The articles I've read on the Washington Post and New York Times and now on ABCnews.com are not very flattering as a matter of fact they are rather disappointing and sad. Let's put this all behind us work together and make our town much stronger and better than it has been in the last 40 years. Sewell will not be coming back so let that play out in the courts while we in the community work together to be strong now that the council knows were paying close attention and all eyes are on them...let's make it a place to be proud of to live in.
I have grown up in Pocomoke for 20+ years. There is no more racial divide there then at any other city in the entire US. I am willing to bet there is less racial divide. It is a joke the way the town is portrayed in the media. I am just sad for the citizens who are unable to do anything about it. They make us sound like rednecks who hate black people, which is not the truth at all. Come visit the town, see how much "unrest" there is around the city.
Clark ave. is a great place or the 3 stores in town. Awesome.
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