Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Sunday, November 22, 2015

In a racially divided Maryland town, a new black police chief takes charge

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. — The new police chief walks into the Market Street Deli, a gathering spot in a town still scarred by months of racial turmoil.

Most of the diners are white. William “Bill” Harden Sr., who has been on the job for about a month, is black. He pauses at the door, wearing his black uniform with gold buttons and stars and a hat embroidered in gold with the city’s emblem and the word “Chief.”

Harden, 65, knows people in Pocomoke City are still getting to know him — and still getting over what led to him being hired.

More

64 comments:

Anonymous said...

The pocomoke thugs will still complain, a person should Not get a job just because they are black and was done because of a certain crowd was upset how many White chiefs more qualified where passed up hyst to appease?.

Anonymous said...

I hope there are a lot of comments tonight when I return to this site,and I hope those comments are well thought out vs hateful rhetoric.When government agencies must come in to clean up such a mess the damage has already been done.Harden is a good man for the job & should be accepted as a qualified police chief vs just an act of appeasement.But why did it have to come to this? Sewell was community minded, and the small town mentality could not understand the importance of reaching out beyond it's borders.What a shame there was no voice of reason when they needed it the most.

Anonymous said...

He has more baggage then BWI. I'm amazed he can still be in law enforcement.

Anonymous said...

He was going to charge savage for what George Nelson does every month. Crazy.

Anonymous said...

Good man for the job period. I see the Maryland State Police Alumni just keep getting Eastern Shore jobs. They are obviously way more qualified for these jobs then a graduate of the local police academy. You council members in these little towns keep hiring troopers I think it is great for morale and has proven it fixes all your law enforcement problems. lol

Gotta love the Eastern Shore. Ocean City P.D. has never hired a former Trooper and they seem to be doing fine. Just food for thought you mental midgets.

Anonymous said...

Another hire because of the color of his skin and not the content of his character. White liberals do this to "feel good" and appease the blacks, but it never works out. I'll give him two years.

Anonymous said...

I wish him the best of luck. Pocomoke needs to crawl out of the 1950s.

Anonymous said...

Pocomoke needs a new name -- Salisbury South!

Anonymous said...

There were some really qualified applicants passed over. What a mistake. Seems he really likes the shiny stuff on his uniform. Pocomoke should be renamed Pocomock or Pocomuck. SMH

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I hope there are a lot of comments tonight when I return to this site,and I hope those comments are well thought out vs hateful rhetoric.When government agencies must come in to clean up such a mess the damage has already been done.Harden is a good man for the job & should be accepted as a qualified police chief vs just an act of appeasement.But why did it have to come to this? Sewell was community minded, and the small town mentality could not understand the importance of reaching out beyond it's borders.What a shame there was no voice of reason when they needed it the most.

November 20, 2015 at 9:00 AM

He is not a good man. He is full of corruption and that was evident during his time in Wicomico County as an employee of the jail.

Anonymous said...

If you have to put "Chief" in big letters on your hat like that you shouldn't be the chief.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I wish him the best of luck. Pocomoke needs to crawl out of the 1950s.

November 20, 2015 at 11:10 AM

Why is Pocomoke in the 1950's? That doesn't make any sense.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
He was going to charge savage for what George Nelson does every month. Crazy.

November 20, 2015 at 9:57 AM

Who is George Nelson and what does he do?

Anonymous said...

“So you’re the new chief,” says Jim Butler, who thinks he is 87. He turns to his wife to confirm his age. Margaret Butler says she has stopped counting.

_____________

So the WAPO is getting some jabs in on Whitey! Making fun of an elderly white man because he can't remember his age. Trying to make a white man look like a dumb redneck hillbilly. Typical Liberal news media.

Anonymous said...

“Out of 82 people in my recruitment class,” he says, “me and another guy got orders to go to Vietnam.”

Aw, poor victim of racial discrimination.

Harden is dropping the race card. He always plays the victim.

Anonymous said...

“I know they are chickens, but they were my pets,” she says. “They had names. They came when I called them.” Lucas begins to cry, sitting at a table at Royal Farms gas station in Virginia, just outside Pocomoke City’s limits.


The crazy Chicken Lady. LMAO

Anonymous said...

Royal Farms gas station in Virginia, just outside Pocomoke City’s limits. Across the street is a Dixie sign that says, “The South Starts Here.”


Again, the Washington Post is trying to make us look like redneck hillbillys. At least they said "Dixie sign" instead of Confederate flag. The idiots probably couldn't thing of the right term.

Anonymous said...

I see all the protesting got Sewell his job back. At least Pocomoke has a backbone.

Anonymous said...

If you think Pocomoke and Salisbury are comparable then you definitely don't live around here. Not even close.

Anonymous said...

Chief of AARP.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to inform Pocomoke of this but you have had the reputation of a crooked town for the last fifty years. I do not know why but that is what is said by neighboring communites. I happen to like the area and the people. So is the Dixie Mafia alive and well in Pocomoke. That is the rumor. Sad you need to clean your image up. Maybe you can hire Sweet Jimmy Ireton. He did an awesome job in Da Bury. Just think you could be call The Moke. lol

Good luck Bill you will need it. Hire a strong second to watch your back.

Anonymous said...

No one shot Michele Lucas chickens. She's a known liar. Always telling lies to try and get attention. She needs to be ashamed of herself and her kids too and not let their children around her as her lying ways will rub off. She's disgusting and ought to be crying over the compete waste of a life hers is because she made bad choices and now has nothing to show.

Anonymous said...

Ocean City never hires anyone that they didn't already decide on prior to advertising the job. EEO is a political joke there.

Anonymous said...

That is not true 2:03. The OC officials are too stupid to hire anyone and have to hire out a head hunting firm to narrow down applicants for them. It should give the voters a lot of confidence knowing who they elected hasn't their own confidence in their hiring abilities. But then again look who votes in OC-most are on welfare of some kind and the council reflects it.

Anonymous said...

I would marry the chief for his aarp benifits.

Anonymous said...

Get real 1:30. Only a handful of people led by that loser Billy Burke ever though PC was crooked. Yeah you know that Billy Burke who always wanted everyone to think he was some kind of big shot when in reality he was a peon and a loser. Always had been and always will be. He lost both his PC houses to foreclosure and has scammed people out of money trying to act like a big shot auctioneer in CA. He blamed all his trouble on PC when in fact his troubles are caused by himself because he is a pathological liar who wanted everyone to believe he was a big shot. A big shot of garbage is all he ever was and will continue to be.

Anonymous said...

I love how they quoted Lucas, giving all an insight into her white trash command of the English language. You know they were out schlepping for the bottom of the slop barrel interviewees to give the impression that Pocomoke is backwards and she, not being anywhere near an average IQ level fell right into their trap.

"I never seen a chief walk the community" she is quoted as saying.

BTW-------It's I ****have***** never seen

Anonymous said...

WICOMICO COUNTY DETENTION CENTER REJECT.

Anonymous said...

LMAO.

Anonymous said...

Wow you people are pretty petty,saying nasty things about people and calling them out by name.

Anonymous said...

Agree 100%.

Anonymous said...

If you are worried about Pocomoke being crooked you need to wake up. The entire country is crooked, genius.

Anonymous said...

Bill Harden is the most racist person I know. Ask the Troopers who worked with and for him. Troopers rolled their eyes and laughed when he was hired by Pocomoke. Of you aren't black, stand by. Just sit back and watch. One thing is for absolute sure, Bill Harden loves him some Bill Harden

Anonymous said...

Harden throw in the towel you old fart.

Anonymous said...

How many "govment" checks does this joker get each month?

Anonymous said...

Who would you rather see wall off Air force one,,,,
Trumps wife,
Hillary's wife ..bill.

Anonymous said...

Chief Harden is the best thing for Pocomoke!!

Anonymous said...

There were a lot of closed door meetings this week at the department. Chief wants everyone polygraphed to see if they are blogging. He is very worried the truth will come out.

Anonymous said...

Yup.

Anonymous said...

He will be gone in 18 months.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous much

Anonymous said...

Pretty stupid. Someone had pets, that doesn't make them "crazy".

Anonymous said...

There is no racism anymore.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Chief Harden is the best thing for Pocomoke!!

November 20, 2015 at 8:34 PM

Thanks for the comment Bill.

Anonymous said...

This guy, chef Harden , would do better at burger king or mickey d's.
He has a reputation that I don't care for.

Anonymous said...

The second the tired old race claim surfaces, you know immediately that it is NOT about race.

Anonymous said...

Ask Mike Gordy how "trustworthy" Bill Harden is

Anonymous said...

First, it is Pocomoke so who really cares?
Ultimately, you will see if he does a good job or not.
Just give it some time rather than complaining beforehand.
All the racist comments just firm up the stereotype of Somerset Co.

Anonymous said...


Bill Harden said...

Good man for the job period. I see the Maryland State Police Alumni just keep getting Eastern Shore jobs. They are obviously way more qualified for these jobs then a graduate of the local police academy. You council members in these little towns keep hiring troopers I think it is great for morale and has proven it fixes all your law enforcement problems. lol

Gotta love the Eastern Shore. Ocean City P.D. has never hired a former Trooper and they seem to be doing fine. Just food for thought you mental midgets.

November 20, 2015 at 10:07 AM

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Another hire because of the color of his skin and not the content of his character. White liberals do this to "feel good" and appease the blacks, but it never works out. I'll give him two years.

November 20, 2015 at 10:30 AM

BINGO!! And Bruce Morrison is a registered Democrat. One of those White Liberals.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
There were some really qualified applicants passed over. What a mistake. Seems he really likes the shiny stuff on his uniform. Pocomoke should be renamed Pocomock or Pocomuck. SMH

November 20, 2015 at 12:02 PM

Who were they?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Chief of AARP.

November 20, 2015 at 1:19 PM

It's not even funny you idiot. I don't like Bill Harden, but I bet he can whoop your ass. Hell I might just do it for him. Meet me at the Walmart in Pocomoke today.

Anonymous said...

Michele Lucas Voight has criminal charges all over the state. Heck even Mel Snyder from Record and Tape World on the corner of Snow Hill Rd. and Main Street brought charges against her for passing bad checks.

She has a lot of experience sleeping around with ghetto trash and now they are stalking her from Jail.

Yep, very well played Washington Post, very well played.

You might try to make up look like Hickville, but you can't take our State of Maryland Field Hockey Championship title away from us.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
How many "govment" checks does this joker get each month?

November 20, 2015 at 7:47 PM

It shouldn't matter to you, he earned them. One thing for sure is, he is smarter than you. LMAO.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Chief Harden is the best thing for Pocomoke!!

November 20, 2015 at 8:34 PM

He doesn't like white people unless he is putting another notch on his bed post.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Ask Mike Gordy how "trustworthy" Bill Harden is

November 21, 2015 at 8:33 AM

Is there a story here?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
First, it is Pocomoke so who really cares?
Ultimately, you will see if he does a good job or not.
Just give it some time rather than complaining beforehand.
All the racist comments just firm up the stereotype of Somerset Co.

November 21, 2015 at 1:44 PM

I love when intelligent people speak. It just proves they are really not so intelligent. By the way Einstein, what part of Somerset County is Pocomoke in!!

Anonymous said...

You need a geography tutorial,Pocomoke is NOT in Somerset County.One should have to pass an IQ test before they comment on these pages.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely. Ask around and post your findings

Anonymous said...

There would be no comments then.

Anonymous said...

OP never said Pocomoke was in Somerset county. Said racist comments coming from Somerset county. IMO, there isn't a whole lot of difference between all 4 lower counties.

Anonymous said...

I don't know this guy but I hear he is badnews. And yes somerset county is a joke.

Anonymous said...

What is the story about Mike Gordy and Bill ???? I have heard good and bad about this guy. He can be no worse then what they have had in the past. Give the man a chance see what happens. He is just an older version of Little E.

Anonymous said...

He passed me on Saturday, in Salisbury, lights and siren blaring headed to Pocomoke. I'm assuming it was related to the found body of the female. My question is, what was the emergency? Why did it require lights and siren? There were already people on the scene and the lady was dead. She wasn't going anywhere. Let me guess, to preserve the crime scene. Well, the chief doesn't preserve the crime scene. He already had people on scene doing that. Even MSP crime lab techs don't run lights and siren to process a scene. They don't even have lights and sirens installed on their vehicles because they are civilian employees. There was NO need to run lights and siren.