Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Public Safety Law Order. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public Safety Law Order. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

U.S. Department of Justice investigation of the Baltimore City Police Department

U.S. Department of Justice investigation of the Baltimore City Police Department


August 9, 2016 - Document: U.S. Department of Justice investigation of the Baltimore City Police Department: “The full report of the Justice Department's investigation into Baltimore police, which found the department routinely violated the constitutional rights of residents.” Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-document-u-s-department-of-justice-investigation-of-the-baltimore-city-police-department-20160809-htmlstory.html


Related – see also: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-doj-report-whats-next-20160810-story.html DOJ report starts years of costly reform efforts in Baltimore

Law Order Police, Public Safety Law Order, Baltimore, Baltimore Police, MD Baltimore city crime, Crime, US Dept of Justice, Police,


*****

Sunday, May 22, 2016

So far 2016 has been a long hard year with no signs of letting up.



So far 2016 has been a long hard year with no signs of letting up. Let's all keep our first responders, EMS personnel, firefighters, law enforcement, and military in your prayers. Sometimes there is justice and other times it's just us. Just saying. Sun. May 22, 2016.

Monday, May 04, 2015

A new digest of articles in the Baltimore Sun on the recent unrest and other related events

A new digest of articles in the Baltimore Sun on the recent unrest and other related events

Just trying to catch-up after being away for a while.... May 4, 2015 at 6 a.m.... 




After more than a week of angry protests over the death of Freddie Gray, marred at times by violence and rioting, hundreds rejoiced and sang outside City Hall on Sunday.

Mary Jackson was watching CNN when the rioting broke out in West Baltimore last Monday, and she couldn't take her eyes off the screen.

Dr. Ben Carson, the celebrated pediatric neurosurgeon who spent his career at Johns Hopkins Hospital before becoming a darling of conservative voters, said Sunday he will seek the Republican nomination for president next year.

A message of hope was delivered by Baltimore elected officials and clergy at Southern Baptist Church Sunday afternoon, nearly a week after the Mary Harvin Transformation Center (a project of the church) and senior apartments were destroyed by a fire nearby during riots last Monday.

Mark Dantzler arrived home from a party early Sunday morning to find his neighborhood blocked off and his street saturated with blue police lights.
Baltimore began to move beyond unrest Sunday when Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake lifted a citywide curfew, the Maryland National Guard began withdrawing its forces and shoppers returned to Mondawmin Mall, which had been shuttered after looting.

Baltimore could be set to host a blockbuster sequel with Kentucky Derby champion American Pharoah and top rivals Firing Line and Dortmund all pointed toward the May 16 Preakness.

Pushing back against criticism of his own policing strategies in Baltimore, former Gov. Martin O'Malley said the tensions that erupted into riots last week would be central to his presidential campaign if he decides to run.

Baltimore City officials estimate the 39 hours an employee spent watching pornography on the job during a two-week period equated to about $1,166 in salary. They fired him in January after monitoring and documenting the employee's porn viewing.

One man is dead after two separate overnight shootings Saturday, Baltimore police said.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings said Sunday he was "comfortable" with State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby's decision to charge six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray.

Gov. Larry Hogan attended mass at a Catholic church in the Sandtown-Winchester community Sunday, part of a "day of prayer and peace" he had declared in the wake of a tense week that saw looting and violence following the death of Freddie Gray.

As the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect Saturday night, police detained one man at Pennsylvania and North avenues, the site of a riot and looting earlier this week. The handcuffed man had been pepper-sprayed and police were pouring water into the man's eyes to try to ease the effects of the spray....

A group of about 50 mostly white protesters stood on a corner in Hampden on Saturday just as the citywide 10 p.m. curfew went into effect because, they said, they knew they'd be treated differently than black protesters in poorer parts of the city.

In a fourth-floor conference room at Baltimore police headquarters, two training officers in blue T-shirts and blue pants lowered themselves onto the carpeted floor to demonstrate the leg hold officers used to restrain Freddie Gray the day he was arrested — and sustained a fatal spine injury.

It was part dance party, and part angry cry for justice.

James Henderson grabbed his daughter Kya's tiny hand and reminded his youngest, Kendall, to hold on to him as the family joined a crowd of about 100 Saturday on a march to City Hall.

Unrest in Baltimore put on display the widely different leadership styles that Gov. Larry Hogan and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake brought to a crisis that could come to define their administrations.

As more than a dozen pharmacies remained closed after fires and looting in Baltimore, city health officials on Saturday urged people who can't get their medicines to call 311 for help.

After riots overtook West Baltimore on Monday, a hashtag began to appear on Twitter and other social media — #BALTIMORELOOTCREW — linking together posts that depicted pilfered prescription drugs and demolished store shelves.

Tonight's Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao bout may be the fight of the century, but for some Baltimore bar and club owners, it's just another way the city's ongoing curfew is costing them and their employees money.

As arson investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives dug through the charred rubble of a West Baltimore pawn shop Saturday, the bureau put out a call for citizen-captured videos of fires that erupted during Monday's riots. Anyone with fire videos can upload...

Baltimore City's top prosecutor, State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, charged all six officers who had been suspended in connection with Freddie Gray's death. The highest charge, second-degree depraved heart murder, went to the driver of the van.

Baltimore police arrested at least 53 people during peaceful protests Friday, the day charges were brought against the six officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray.

A popular fundraising website has disallowed contributions for the Baltimore officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

The obstacles the Orioles have faced through the first four weeks of the season – several untimely injuries, an inconsistent pitching staff and this week's forced scheduling twist – pales in comparison to what has been going on in Baltimore over the past seven days.


Two men were arrested amid the ongoing unrest in Baltimore on Tuesday night after stealing a Maryland Transit Administration mobility van that police then tracked through GPS, a MTA spokesman confirmed.

A 49-year-old Highlandtown corner store employee was fatally shot at his business on Friday morning, one of two shootings reported in Southeast Baltimore.

Amid a cacophony of people shouting and car horns honking, Baltimoreans pulled each other into close hugs and joyful handshakes Friday as word spread that State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby was charging six police officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray.


All six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray were released from the Central Booking and Intake Center downtown Friday night after posting bail, court records show.
*****

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Washington Post: Two police officers shot amid Ferguson protest - By Justin Moyer

Two police officers shot amid Ferguson protest


By Justin Moyer March 12, 2015

This post has been updated.

Two police officers have been shot near a protest in Ferguson, Mo.

“Two officers shot in #Ferguson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Susan Weich tweeted at around 12:30 a.m. local time. “Shots came from a house up the hill across from police station … Witness said one of cops shot in face … First officer taken away was white.”

At a press conference at around 2:00 a.m. local time, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said a 44-year-old officer was shot in the shoulder, and a 32-year-old officer was shot in the face. Both were conscious and expected to survive.

“This is a very dangerous environment for officers to work in,” Belmar said. He said while the shots did not come from the protesters, his officers were targeted while in front of the department. “Police officers were standing there and they were shot,” he said.


*****

Monday, December 16, 2013

Barry Rascovar: Evaluating Ex-Corrections Chief Gary Maynard

Evaluating Ex-Corrections Chief Gary Maynard


NO GOOD DEED goes unpunished, they say. Retired Maryland Corrections Chief Gary Maynard can attest to that.
Had Maynard not turned to the FBI for help in investigating gang smuggling and complicity by prison guards at the Baltimore Detention Center, he’d be retiring with plaudits all around for his seven-year performance.
Instead, Maynard walks away with a mixed record.

Undone by the FBI

In 2011, Maynard’s department uncovered massive drug smuggling, sex and gang activity at the city jail that involved guards.
He could have arrested a few people at that time, called a press conference so the governor could gloat about the crackdown and ignored the deeper, more troubling problem — an out-of-control Detention Center filled with guards who were aiding inmate gang members.
But that’s not Maynard’s style.
Corrections Secretary Gary Maynard
Gary Maynard
A career prison  manager — and retired brigadier general – he insisted on getting to the bottom of this problem. So he reached out to the FBI for assistance.
He got help, all right. What he didn’t expect was grandstanding.
But it failed to stress that Maynard had requested the two-year investigation. Instead, Maynard became the fall guy.

Maynard’s Response... Read more here: http://politicalmaryland.com/2013/12/16/evaluating-ex-corrections-chief-gary-maynard/

*****

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Carroll County Sheriff sets plan for New Year; includes alternative funding and furlough


“Sheriff sets plan for New Year; includes alternative funding and furlough”

Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, January 7, 2009 ---- Sheriff Kenneth L. Tregoning is pleased to announce the law enforcement strategic priorities for 2009: “Promote Professional Development & Wellness; Implement New Technologies that Enhance Public Safety Communications & Information Sharing; Promote Service Excellence through Maintenance of [Accreditation] Standards; and, Increase Outreach Efforts.”

As with any organization the establishment of new goals is not the challenge, rather it’s their execution - an increasingly difficult task in a declining economy. In considering Governor Martin O’Malley’s December appeal to elected leaders, Sheriff Tregoning submitted a five (5) day furlough plan to the County Comptroller’s Office this past month, thereby returning the 2% salary increase legislated for his position this year.

With local government freezing employee Career Ladder Promotions this past summer in response to falling revenue projections, Sheriff Tregoning said, “I can not justify accepting a salary increase when my employees aren’t receiving theirs.” Likewise Sheriff Tregoning trimmed several projects from the coming year’s budget before submitting it to the Commissioner’s Budget Office for approval, including funding for transitioning deputies to a different model handgun and non-mandated training programs.

However, to insure that employee safety, professionalism and public service are not compromised by funding shortfalls, the office has established “Professional Development & Wellness” as its top priority. With the lowest rate of disability, death and retirement benefits among Maryland’s Sheriff’s Offices, funds for the evaluation of those programs are included as a budget item. Further, the office plans to expand its partnerships with public safety advocacy groups such as the Law Enforcement Employees & Families Association, and the Concerns of Police Survivors.

Additionally, the office will increase its pursuit of grants and scholarships from professional organizations to fund additional training and equipment needs. In fact, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was recently notified by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention that it had been awarded more than $27,000 towards the agency’s goal of establishing “Public Safety Communications & Information Sharing”, or interoperability.

Contrary to the declining economy, the demand for police services continues to increase, including the incidents of identity theft, computer crimes and fraud. These crimes are costly to the victims, many of whom are seniors on a fixed income. For law enforcement, the investigations are labor intensive as they require expensive technology and extensive collaboration with criminal justice agencies abroad. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to partner with local and state government to expand the use of the use of technology to enhance investigative solvability and operational efficiency.

Likewise, the county’s population continues to increase in both size and diversity – leading the Sheriff’s Office to “Increase Outreach Efforts” not only to share resources with our government and public safety partners, but to define the community’s changing needs and align Office resources to communicate with new cultures, prevent emerging crime trends and close existing cases.

In as much, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office takes seriously our obligation to provide quality service in a fiscally responsible manner. Until the full impact of budget shortfalls are known, the Sheriff’s Office will continue the cost saving measures implemented this past year, including restrictions on fuel consumption, off-duty vehicle usage and participation in the county’s car wash program. Embracing the challenges that lie ahead, we look towards the continued innovation of our staff and ever expanding partnerships to secure public safety.

# # #

20090107 Carroll County Sheriff sets plan for New Year

Saturday, September 06, 2008

AP: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

AP: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

By RYAN J. FOLEY and MARTIGA LOHN Associated Press Writer

10:49 AM EDT, September 5, 2008

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Percussion grenades, tear gas and nearly 400 arrests marked the final anti-war march during the Republican National Convention. More than 800 arrests were reported during a week of sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent dissent.

Anti-war protesters rallied Thursday at the state Capitol and then planned to march to Xcel Energy Center, where Sen. John McCain was due to accept the GOP presidential nomination. But their permit had expired, and police — in riot gear and using horses, snow plows and dump trucks — blocked their way.

For hours, police let the protesters amble from one blocked intersection to another. But then the arrests began in earnest. At least 19 journalists, including two reporters from The Associated Press, were among those held by police.

Anti-war protesters briefly interrupted McCain as he addressed delegates Thursday night. Three protesters, one with a sign that read "You can't win an occupation" on one side and "McCain votes against vets" on the other, were removed from the hall by security officers. McCain asked that supporters not be "diverted by the crowd noise and the static."


[…]

Read the rest of the article here:
Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/sns-ap-cvn-convention-protests,0,681280.story

20080905 AP Nearly 400 arrested in final anti war march of the RNC

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Sykesville ALERT about bogus Telephone Solicitors

20080818 Sykesville ALERT about bogus Telephone Solicitors

August 18, 2008

TELEPHONE SOLICITATIONS

Please be aware that the Town of Sykesville and the Sykesville Police Department does not, and has not, solicited for donations or contributions via the telephone or door to door.

Should you receive a similar request, please ask for the individual's name and telephone number and contact the Sykesville Police Department by calling (410) 795-0757.

We do want to inform you that the Fraternal Order of Police conducts annual funding campaigns by telephone and is a legitimate cause. Feel free to contact us to verify the validity of their requests as well.

John R. Williams, Jr.
Chief of Police

Sykesville Police Department
7547 Main Street
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410) 795-0757 fax (410) 795-8864


Wednesday, July 02, 2008

19480702 Democratic Advocate: Teacher Fowble Slugged By Hitch-Hiker

Teacher Fowble Slugged By Hitch-Hiker

Democratic Advocate, July 2, 1948.

Fred Fowble, Westminster High School teacher found unconscious early Saturday on the Old Frederick road near Hollofield, Howard county, told police he was assaulted by a young "hitchhiker."

The assailant, who fled in his victim's automobile, struck Fowble on the head shortly after being picked up near the Patapsco River bridge. Fowble, thrown from the car, was found lying in the roadway by Andrew Huppler, a passing motorist, about 2 a.m.

Huppler took the unconscious man to the Ellicott City Police Station.

When he was revived, Fowble gave Patrolman Charles Linthicum an account of the assault. Fowble said he was returning to his home in Westminster from Baltimore when the youth, standing near the bridge, solicited a ride.

After picking up the "hitch-hiker," Fowble reported he had driven about a quarter of a mile when he was struck on the head and lost consciousness. In addition to stealing his car, the assailant robbed him of his cash. Fowble was treated by a doctor in Ellicott City for a head wound before being returned to his home at 60 Court street.


Democratic Advocate, July 2, 1948.


Carroll County Public Schools Westminster High School, Carroll County Public Schools, Carroll County Public Schools History, History Westminster 1940s, Public Safety Law and Order, People Carroll County, Education Teachers

19480702 Democratic Advocate: Teacher Fowble Slugged By Hitch-Hiker

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

20080623 What is Community Policing?

What is Community Policing?


http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?item=36


Retrieved from U. S. Department of Justice Office of Community Policing Services website (http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=34) on June 23, 2008


A central goal of the COPS Office is to help law enforcement agencies implement and enhance community policing. We have previously defined community policing as "a policing philosophy that promotes and supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and police-community partnerships." In an effort to help discern what community policing is, what interactions between the police and citizens are central to this philosophy, and how the field should measure movement towards community policing, COPS has attempted to further outline the elements that are central to the philosophy of community policing.


This document is considered living, just like community policing itself, and it is meant to inform current practice and the discussion surrounding the advancement of community policing. It is not intended to be a prescriptive listing of central elements, but is meant to stimulate discussion in what is an ever-expanding body of experience and knowledge about the practice of community policing.


Community policing focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships. The community policing model balances reactive responses to calls for service with proactive problem-solving centered on the causes of crime and disorder. Community policing requires police and citizens to join together as partners in the course of both identifying and effectively addressing these issues.


The core elements of community policing are described below:


Organizational Elements:

Tactical Elements:

External Elements:

1. Philosophy Adopted Organization-Wide
2. Decentralized Decision-Making and Accountability
3. Fixed Geographic Accountability and Generalist Responsibilities
4. Utilization of Volunteer Resources
5. Enhancers

1. Enforcement of Laws
2. Proactive, Crime Prevention Oriented
3. Problem-solving

1. Public Involvement in Community Partnerships
2. Government and Other Agency Partnerships


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

20080520 News Release Carroll County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Colonel Keefer to Retire

News Release Carroll County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Colonel Keefer to Retire

News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: SHERIFF KENNETH L. TREGONING

CARROLL COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

100 NORTH COURT STREET

WESTMINSTER, MD 21157

410-386-2900

“CHIEF DEPUTY COLONEL ROBERT L. KEEFER TO RETIRE”

Sheriff Kenneth L. Tregoning is proud to announce that Chief Deputy Robert L. Keefer of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has decided to retire effective July 9, 2008.

His contributions to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and Carroll County law enforcement cannot be enumerated in this announcement.

During his nine and a half years of service with the Sheriff’s Office, Colonel Keefer was directly responsible for our achievement as an accredited law enforcement agency that is professionally recognized as one of the nation’s best.

Throughout his thirty-five year law enforcement career, he has mentored numerous law enforcement officers through his dedication, loyalty, knowledge, leadership, organizational planning and policy development skills. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Government and citizens owe a debt of gratitude to Colonel Keefer for his excellent service and contributions to public safety.

Colonel Keefer is very proud of his service to the Sheriff’s Office and more importantly to its employees and the citizens of Carroll County.

###

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

20080505 Click It or Ticket



Click It or Ticket

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On or after Monday, May 5

CONTACT:

Carroll County Sheriff’s Office – Lt. Mark Gonder – 410-386-2900

Hampstead Police Department – Cpt. Jay Gribbin – 410-239-8954

Manchester Police Department – Officer Eric Immler – 410-239-6900

Sykesville Police Department – Sgt. Shawn Kilgore – 410-795-0757

Taneytown Police Department – Cpl. James Brooks – 410-751-1150

Westminster Police Department – Sgt. Keith Benfer – 410-876-4646

Maryland State Police – Tfc. Paul Schur – 410-386-3000

C.R.A.S.H. Coalition – Kim Spangler 410-876-4965

Carroll County Kicks Off Click It or Ticket Enforcement Mobilization

No Excuses, No Exceptions – Buckle Up Day and Night

Carroll County, MD– The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Hampstead Police Department, Manchester Police Department, Sykesville Police Department, Taneytown Police Department, Westminster Police Department and Maryland State Police, Westminster Barrack announced today they are joining with the Maryland State Highway Administration’s Safety Office and other safety advocates in renewing a pledge to save lives through the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization.

The campaign, which begins in Maryland on May 1, intensifies seat belt enforcement among all motorists and around the clock. Despite Maryland having one of the highest safety belt use rates in the nation at 93.1 percent, it is estimated that more than 90 additional lives could be saved every year if all motorists buckled up on every single trip.

“Although most motorists in Maryland do buckle up, it’s clear that many people still don’t take belt laws seriously,” Chief Jeff Spaulding, Westminster Police Department said. “So look for us to be out on the streets day and night making sure that everyone is buckled up.”

This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign will emphasize enforcement during nighttime hours – when drivers and occupants are less likely to wear seat belts. In 2006, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 15,046 passenger vehicle occupants were killed between the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Nearly two-thirds (of those killed at night were NOT wearing seat belts — compared to less than half of the passenger vehicle occupants killed during daytime hours. Preliminary results in Maryland during 2007 indicate that 52 percent of MD drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes at night (8 p.m. – 6 a.m.) were not wearing seat belts. By comparison, only 36 percent of drivers killed in daytime crashes were not wearing seat belts

Young people, men in particular, are at greatly increased risk, and are among those least likely to buckle up at night. In fact, the most recent data available shows that roughly 66 percent of Maryland drivers killed not wearing seat belts at night were between the ages of 19-34 years old. In 2006, 73 percent of male passenger vehicle occupants between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes were NOT wearing seat belts.

Lt. Mark Gonder, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said, “Worn correctly, seat belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 45 percent for front-seat passenger vehicle occupants and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans. In fact, national data shows that more than three-quarters of passenger vehicle occupants who were in a serious crash in 2006 and were buckled up survived the crash.”

Increased law enforcement activities, including seat belt checkpoints, will be conducted nationwide during the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization. Paid national advertising, as well as State advertising, will support the mobilization by promoting the life-saving benefits of regular seat belt use, especially nighttime belt use, to all motorists.

Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities. High-visibility enforcement has been proven effective at getting people to buckle up.

“Wearing your seat belt is easy and it costs you nothing. Not wearing your belt will probably cost you $25 in Maryland, or worse — it may cost you your life,” said Cpt. Jay Gribbin, Hampstead Police Department. “Be safe and buckle up day and night.”

“Buckle up” is one of the key messages of the State’s Choose Safety for Life campaign, a partnership to save lives and prevent injuries on Maryland’s roadways. For more information, please log onto www.choosesafetyforlife.com.

To learn more about the Click It or Ticket campaign and the lifesaving benefits of wearing your seat belt, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.

###

Editor’s Note: Click it or Ticket begins the first phase of a statewide traffic safety initiative called Chiefs’ Challenge. Federal, State, local, and municipal police agencies, county Sheriff’s Offices and other law enforcement agencies are committed to increasing safety belt use, and decreasing impaired and aggressive driving-related crashes. For more information about the Chiefs’ Challenge, please contact your local police agency.

Friday, April 04, 2008

20080402 Westminster (Maryland) Police Department and Maryland State Police investigating a series of threatening letters received by department store


Westminster (Maryland) Police Department and Maryland State Police investigating a series of threatening letters received by department stores located in Carroll County

NEWS RELEASE

April 2, 2008

The Westminster Police Department, the Maryland State Police, the U.S. Postal Service and other allied law enforcement agencies are currently investigating a series of threatening letters received by department stores located in Carroll County on March 31, 2008. The letters were received at Boscov’s, Wal-Mart and Target stores in Westminster, as well as the Wal-Mart stores in Eldersburg and Hampstead.

Each letter contained similar threats and all appear to have been authored by the same individual(s), although that remains under investigation. The letters threaten a shooting incident at the establishments.

Investigation later determined that a similar letter was received at a Target Store in Germantown (Montgomery County). This case is being investigated by the Montgomery County Police Department. The United States Postal Inspection Service is collaborating on each of the investigations.

Anyone with information relating to these investigations should contact the Westminster Police Department at (410) 848-4646 or the United States Postal Inspection Service at (877) 876-2455, or the Maryland State Police at 410-386-3000. They may also call anonymously by using the confidential “Tips Line” at (410) 857-TIPS.

Media Contact: Major Ron Stevens

Westminster Police Department

(410) 848-4646

Sgt. Arthur Betts

MD State Police – 410-653-4236

####

Friday, March 28, 2008

20080326 Maryland 7th most dangerous state in the nation









Crime State Rankings 2008

Maryland 7th most dangerous state in the nation

March 28, 2008

Hat Tip: Most Dangerous States for 2008 posted by Delusional Duck

The results of CQ Press’s annual Crime State Rankings are in. Join us as we reveal which 15 states were ranked as the most dangerous for 2008.

No. 7: Maryland

News: New Hampshire is the Nation's Safest State; Nevada is the Most Dangerous - March 17, 2008 (Click to read press release)

_____

15 Most Dangerous States for 2008

Related Links:

15 Safest States 2008

America's Most Dangerous Cities

Worst Places to Retire

_____

Crime State Rankings 2008, Kathleen O'Leary Morgan, Scott Morgan, Editors

03/14/2008

News: New Hampshire is the Nation's Safest State; Nevada is the Most Dangerous - March 17, 2008 (Click to read press release)

Link: Safest State Rankings

How safe is your state?

Researchers and legislators are asking the same questions as they grapple with how to appropriate funds across their respective states.

Fortunately, Crime State Rankings 2008 compares the 50 United States and Washington, DC in more than 500 crime-related categories. Arrests, corrections, offenses, courts, juvenile justice, drug and alcohol treatment, crime clearances, law enforcement expenditures, and more are examined state-by-state in the 15th edition of this annual reference volume. With its user-friendly format and huge collection of information, Crime State Rankings 2008 makes it easy to learn more about crime and law enforcement resources in your state.

Link: Safest State Rankings

Link: Most Dangerous State Rankings

Link: Methodology

Link: A Word about Crime Rankings

Link: Detailed Table of Contents

Through exhaustive research, the editors have compiled useful statistics in easy-to-understand tables, that would otherwise take an enormous amount of time to research. For academic and public libraries as well as individual researchers, there will be no need to look any further than Crime State Rankings 2008.

State Specific Reports

State specific reports, Crime State Perspectives, are also available. These comb bound quick reference guides provide data and ranking information for an individual state for each of the categories in Crime State Rankings 2008.

CD-ROM and CD-ROM + Database Formats

Crime State Rankings 2008 is available on CD-ROM, containing either a PDF of the book, or a PDF along with databases in Microsoft Excel, ASCII, and .dbf formats.

The 15th Annual Most Dangerous State Award