DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
WMDT/Salisbury Safety
Good afternoon. In the event that you are not a WMDT news watcher, I would like to share the following video link with you.
As you well know, the incident took place right outside our station. Businesses like ours require our folks to come and go at all hours of the day and night and I am quite concerned about danger to our employees. As manager of one of the largest privately owned downtown businesses, it is a mystery to me how a known-to-be-problematic business can get and retain a license to do business while, it seems to me, the City doesn’t appear to be making every effort to work with a dedicated, high quality developers like the Gillis’s.
As I go through a periodic assessment of what is best for our station and employees, I like to know as much as I can about my options. Please advise how I can expect the City to react to this specific incident as well as any anticipated policy changes regarding growth and safety going forward.
In advance, thanks much for your time.
Kathleen McLain
General Manager
Publisher's Notes: Kathleen sent this message to the Mayor and City Council. She's 100% correct, (in my honest opinion). As you see from the statistic post below, there's a serious problem with crime in Salisbury. I do firmly believe our new police Chief is the right person for the job and I do support Barbara Duncan 100%. However, the Mayor and Council truly need to take not only crime far more seriously, they need to take DOWNTOWN Salisbury far more seriously and close down that under age club, period.
This is an extremely disturbing video and we cannot sweep this under the rug any longer. It's time to unite and demand our representatives stop cleaning up the streets the day before and the day of 3rd Friday and do something to make Salisbury a safer place to live and work on an EVERY day basis.
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30 comments:
There is no reason to go anywhere else for our news. These two articles said more to me then anything I've read anywhere else in months. I hope our mayor and council take this seriously.
I totally agree with the article and Anonymous 10:44. I would like to add the Council and Mayor should support this as one and not the usual 3-2 malarky. As a downtown property owner Joe, you should have said this long ago.
Brew river needs to cater to a different clientele every time I ride downtown at closing hours there are fights in the street. At what point do you lose your business license.
Looks like our public schools in Wicomico County everyday!
Ms. McClain:
Please don't try to tar the City Council with this episode -- it's the job of the administration, controlled by Mayor Jim-Beau, to manage the City.
And I'll bet you have criticized the Council for trying to "micromanage", right?
11:19 --
Brew River is a big Barrie Tilghman mistake.
anonymous 11:11, I have been exposing the Downtown issues for YEARS.
11:19 hit it on the head. These are kids. Does this pardon their behavior? No, but this happens in our schools everyday.
OK Joe, considering your close connection to the three council members, and your ownership of downtown property, why do they not support you, and/or the downtown area? From everything that I'm able to read on-line, you get more local support from the mayor overall? That's the same guy you seem to hammer relentlessly. My last question is regarding this statement from you:(in my honest opinion). And so what is your opposing, apparently unsaid, opinion? QUOTE: Kathleen sent this message to the Mayor and City Council. She's 100% correct?
I watched this video and at first, I really didn't have a comment.
But after a few minutes, I have realized how troubled I was by it and why.
There's this very large group and only ONE police car shows up?
How safe does that make anyone feel in Salisbury? It shouldn't make you feel safe at all!
What is one cop or even one cop car with two officers going to do in a crowd that size? They're going to get hurt.
This is totally ridiculous! People in Salisbury need to wake up and force your elected officials to do their job, starting with the Mayor.
Then the police chief needs to be looked at.
Where's the training for these officers so they would have been prepared to handle a situation like this?
Apparently, there's been no training since the one officer that showed up did nothing but put himself into the middle of a very dangerous situation.
I don't live in Salisbury, but I do work in the Salisbury area and I shop in Salisbury. So this does affect me but I have no power to do anything about it.
If you want the criminal element gone we have to make them uncomfortable being here.
anonymous 11:49, I do NOT ask for any special favors from anyone, including the Mayor.
Years ago I exposed the Graffiti all over Downtown and even offered to pay for the removal of such on every building that was hit Downtown. The MSM refused to cover it because it was just about everywhere. Once they realized how many people were actually coming to Salisbury News and my offer to pay to remove it all, it was taken care of at the City's expense, with the exception of my own building.
I complained about the trash cans for years, they replaced them. I complained about the brickwork and damage, they fixed it.
At this point we are expressing our opinions, (this time it includes WMDT) and with YOUR help the under age club will be shut down for good. More importantly, as we see crime so high in Salisbury, together we can get better coverage in the Downtown area.
It's not just about businesses, many of which close their doors at 5 PM. It's about the residents who pay top dollar to live in the Downtown area. We are taxed like there is no tomorrow, yet we get NO trash service, very little police protection and again the area only gets cleaned up for 3rd Friday.
Every single day, Kathleen and myself walk the front and back of the Downtown Plaza picking up trash, because we care. She takes care of the parking lot, I take care of the Plaza.
I cannot ask the Council OR the Mayor to do me any special favors. And remember, two months ago I complained about the homeless hanging out and sleeping on the Plaza and the Mayor stated they had a constitutional right to be there.
If you ever want to see a POWERFUL Council Meeting, come or watch Monday night because the fireworks are about to blast off and you can take that to the bank!
"the City doesn’t appear to be making every effort to work with a dedicated, high quality developers like the Gillis’s."
Nothing more than a veiled hit piece on Cohen, Campbell and Spies.
11:50, you're right about the need for a lot more police presence at that scene. However, and correct me if I'm wrong, when there is an incident and the police are called, isn't it usual for just one car to show up and then, if it's obvious that more are needed, they call for backup? I don't think you have a bunch of cars show up at the beginning. It must have taken a while for all those brawlers to assemble.
And, 11:24, how is this Mr. Ireton's fault? (Please give him his due respect and not call him "Jim-beau"). Some of you have referred to fights in the schools. I was a teacher for over 30 years at the high school level. We didn't blame the superintendent or the principal for the fights. The fault lies with all of those thugs, many of whom probably were juiced up with alcohol, and got out of control.
For years and years wboc and wmdt have hid the truth...time and time again. Now they witness a cpl kids fighting and their up in arms! Hiding the truth is deceit and deceit is the same as lieing!
You should be in jail with the rest of the thugs!
11:50, I have the answer to your question. Rather than calling 911 and asking for the Police, tell them you want the Fire department instead. We all know they'll send out every single truck they have to a fender bender.
12:21, You raise an interesting point. ALthough a little less guilty of political pandering in the past, WMDT wasn't on the forefront of exposing the gang problems in Salisbury and certainly wasn't there when Dunn, Comegys, Shields, and Cathcart cut promised ploice raises and underfunded the police department at every turn. Additionally, it is the Mayor's responsibility to see that the laws are enforced. He has been quite ineffective on that front. Thank goodness we have a great police chief now who inspires her officers adn is working hard for a safer Slaisbury.
OH 12:06 YOU ARE SO RIGHT! did anyone look lately and see that salisbury is the 4th most dangerous city per capita again?
Let's just say some of you are right about WMDT. Does this make this crime RIGHT?
Some times things like this have to hit home or even close to home before you realize just how bad things are.
We have all made mistakes.
Yep 12:21, this concern shown by them now is nothing more than a way to get a dig in regarding the council majority.
Nothing good ever occurs after midnight is what my mother and father always told me. I viewed the video and am quite disturbed as I'm sure many people are and YES the city should do something about what happened on the plaza...BUT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO! The people and club owners involved should take the responsibility and be good human beings. This should have never happened. The owner of the club should shut it down. There's no good coming from that business. And as for the Kids/young adults involved...They have no idea...probably stemming from many things.
I say this because WE ALL should hold ourselves to higher standards and WE ALL have the RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING. (broken homes, broken politics, broken whatever)...Lets point the finger at ourselves. Look yourself in the mirror, eye to eye and ask yourself if you've done the right thing...done your best...done your duty to God, Country & Community...have I kept myself physically, mentally & morally straight?(without looking away). We all should live and lead our own INDIVIDUAL lives but lead it with these core values...
Trustworthiness
Loyalty
Helpfulness
Friendliness
Courteousness
Kindness
Obedience
Cheerfulness
Thriftiness
Bravery
Cleanliness
Reverence
Yes this may sound familiar to some of you...but it works. Most importantly though, as a society we've lost our core values. If respect and responsibility were imbedded in these kids this would have never happened...because they would have been too embarassed or even hurt their parents would find out. Then there's the parent thing...if both parents were involved in these kids lives and were respectful and responsible parents I bet none of this would have happened. That takes care of everything...all our problems solved!
You're preaching to the choir I believe with us Sby News readers, 3:51.
What you said needs to be said at schools except then you get accused of being insensitive because not all families are a mother and father. Some are just mothers with multiple children by multible baby daddy's but they are families none the less.
4.07 Yes I agree that I'm preaching to the choir, but nobody ever acts on it. And I realize many homes are broken. That cannot be seen as insensitive though. We're not poking fun at anyone, whether their divorced...whatever. This is where the trouble stems. It is the TRUTH, so get over it. Men & Women after creating a life now must take on that responsibility. They still must be parents and teach, discipline, learn from and help care and grow this being into an adult. Let's just say we should be respectful to all and responsible for all of our own actions. If we all had a little R & R in our lives we wouldn't have many of the problems we do now. And as I stated above, this goes for everyone (kids, teenagers, adults)..including myself...look yourself in the mirror every morning and ask am I proud of what I'm doing...is it right, etc(feel free to answer too). It's hard... Use this to help guide your life. I am a much better person since doing this. Whether homes are broken or not, parents still must be parents! Smile everyone, Life is Good!
It should be a stipulation in getting a license for a club that you provide your own security or you lose or dont get a license!
The SA is an idiot! These people act on their own accord. they've left and are walking on a public street. arrest, fine, charge those INDIVIDUALS who act up. Hold the right people responsible. He's an absolute IDIOT!!!!
Again you are so correct 4:42 but how and where do we get the message out?
Can't some of you make a point without the idiot word? It makes you look like the idiot.
The council relieved furloughs for police. Had it been up to Ireton, there would be even less police presence.
It's a bad situation, that place. Just seems to be a congregating place for thugs.
I don't get that remark about Gillis. What the heck does that have to do with a bunch of thugs at the club? Smacks of other motives bringing that up.
If you all followed the incident you would know they called for back up. They had City police, State police, Sheriffs department and Delmar police all there to handle the situation. I think I saw Obama on that video. I must have been mistaken. Anytime you get a large number of thugs in a small area you are going to have trouble. Especially when most of them are on drugs. The police can't be everywhere waiting for something to happen. Just look how many shootings you had at the old Bottle Factory or whatever it was called last. It was the one right beside Super Giant. This is the society we live in now that is why every law abiding citizen should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon to protect themselves and their families. Just saying.
4:42, why should we behave respectfully to anyone? we are taught over many generations how to scam everyone and everything thing. we doen't need no education, work, civil responsibility. we jus be living on the dole. it's the man's fault we are in the current predicament we find ourselves in! Y'all jus be keeping us down n hatin on us!
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