This post should be something that all read and share if you live in Wicomico County. I wrote this and spill the beans because our Deputies and Officers can’t speak up. I can and will continue to advocate and inform the general public of issues.
I will always advocate for the Maryland State Police as I was a Trooper but Wicomico is my home and we need our Sheriffs office. Over the 8 years of his term Governor Hogan took care of the state employees to include our Troopers. They are now some of the highest paid Troopers in the nation and rightfully so.
Unfortunately they are still experiencing a massive manpower shortage and hiring difficulties due to the depletion of the LEOBOR and the political environment.
They are advocating and recruiting from other agencies to include our sheriff’s deputies and city officers here. With acceptance of tenure new troopers can start out near what I retired at as a First Sergeant. Very soon they will also announce the acceptance of lateral transfers which will also decimate all local police agencies as they can’t compete with the salary and retirement that the State police can offer. Lateral transfers weren’t an option when I left the city police and I had to attend another live in academy. That in itself keeps many from applying to the state police but now that barrier will be removed.
Knowing that I’d ask you to go watch PAC14 and the budget discussions regarding our sheriffs office and what Sheriff Lewis has to say. They are at the highest vacancy ever with 18 unfilled positions with several more leaving for other agencies that pay more. The future vacancies will certainly grow with Msp lateral program.
With crime and calls for service at a all time high here and staffing at a all time low we as the citizens of Wicomico county have and will start to see and experience a decrease in services. In a time of bad political moral and murders of police officers both locally and nationwide on the rise the only thing that can recruit and keep deputies and officers is pay and benefits. Wicomico and Salisbury Pd for that matter are well behind other agencies. Some even smaller agencies with less calls for service. Smaller counties/cities on the shore have stepped up to retain their officers/deputies by giving them raises to detract from them leaving.
I ask you this. What is required in a civilized society? My thoughts are law and order, clean water and food source along with a democratic government.
I set back and watch our Sheriff who appears to me that his spirit is broke. His hands are tied by Annapolis politicians and local politicians who have not made public safety a priority. They all say they respect and support our first responders. They print out proclamations and pose for pictures during police week. They applaud our Sheriff for holding the line but they are not paying them and giving them retirement benefits that will keep our deputies here. Essentially they are not protecting and supporting them while they expect to be protected from harm.
You can’t say I back the blue, you don’t get to put the sticker on your car, or on your social media page without taking action. I watched as the sheriff pleaded for a small raise and he was grateful for that when the council sorta agreed that it was needed but a small raise that is still not comparable to neighboring agencies that has a better salary, retirement, and less work load won’t keep our deputies.
You are not allowed to say I back the blue and not take action to actually do it. Your words are just that. I’d encourage each of you to email our county executive, and each council member requesting that they take immediate action to support our deputies.
If our Sheriffs office continues on this same path you won’t have the same Sheriffs Office to help you in your time of need.
Don’t think you can rely on the State Police to take up the Sheriff’s office vacancies either. Their staffing is even worse and their modern design and staffing level is that not of a county wide policing. With 2-3 troopers on shift at most they could never handle the call volume that the Wicomico County Sheriff’s office covers.
Folks the most important thing each of you should expect is to feel safe in your home snd community. That is and will continue to change unless we as citizens demand action.
Will you do your part?
We can’t buy our way out of this shortage, not with a diminishing pool of prospects due to drug use, obesity, psych issues, poor grades, low motivation and an “I don’t wanna die over a cracked taillight” attitude.
On the other end, current officers are being worked beyond normal capacity, which always results in unwise decisions, sloppy reflexes, growing self-doubt and a cluster of people getting hurt.
exactly, our tiny sheriff MIKEY gets EVERYTHING he demands all the time and just likes to act in front of the cameras….under HIS WATCH Hilliard was murdered and many LEOS have left the county….going on FOX NEWS doesn’t help your own employees….
Tell me again how much that new sheriff’s office cost us ?
Gonna have to learn to protect yourself. Be aware of your surroundings. Get your head outta your ass
Officers can’t be everywhere. It’s only going to get worse.
exactly….their new county playground costs twice as much as originally designed even though they are supposedly struggling to fill jobs…newsflash even GOP states like Florida are struggling with cop shortages…don’t blame the politicians, the media or anyone but the people you hire…like that rapist Sgt. Abreau who was caught raping women last year even though Lewis tried to sweep that rat under the rug as well…
That clown was not a Sgt.
30 plus million
Well said Kevin, The C.E. is a photo opp glory hound for sure. All she wants is another term. I say cut the pay of several County department heads who have several fall guy deputies under them and put it in the pockets of the men and women who keep us safe while we sleep at night and with the trash Biden is pumping in the area its getting worse for them as we speak.
I support the SHERRIFFS all I can. There is only so much we can do. If you try to assist they get very cautious and I don’t blame them in this day and time. I believe in the 2ND AMENDMENT and the RIGHT TO CARRY. These elected officials are to liberal and will not allow me to exercise my right to carry. They also will not put criminals away or build mental health facilities. POLICE have to deal with these problems that politians will not help and protect the public. The POLICE and CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS need more money and support. POLITIANS will not listen to you as long as they can buy votes
LEOs at all departments have a job with a number of tough aspects that can onset at times and places beyond their control. We’re grateful for their presence and career choice. They’re the buffer between law abiding citizens and the occasional and/or chronic criminal element.
We know prison doesn’t do a very good job of rehabbing a large percentage of the inmates but it gives innocent society a break while they’re guests of the state. While jailed they reduce both the workload and danger to our LEOs. We need judges to hand down sentences that reflect the crime and injury. We also need to get legislators all across the state to protect the innocent and not the perp when they write and modify laws.
Thanks, LEOs at each department!
you forget one thing. the cops dont work for you/us. they work for the government/politicos. I dont want or need their help. they are just as worthless as the crooks they should be chasing and the politicos who want their servitude! shoulda stayed in school and got a better education. most of the cops I know couldnt get paid to do anything else! and dont worry I wont be calling for your assistance! I’ll protect myself and my family. semper fi!