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 Baltimore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore. Show all posts

Friday, November 17, 2017

Baltimore Police Department Detective Sean Suiter has died


Baltimore Police Department Detective Sean Suiter has died

Nov. 16, 2017 by Chaplain Kevin Dayhoff

On Nov. 16, 2016 Detective Sean Suiter, 43, an 18-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained on Nov. 15, 2017, while attempting to interview a person during a homicide investigation in the 900 block of Bennett Place in Baltimore, MD. 

According to numerous media accounts, including the Officer Down Memorial Page, and the Baltimore Sun, “he and his partner were canvassing the area when he observed a man attempting to hide in an alley. He notified his partner and then approached the man to speak to him. The subject produced a handgun and opened fire, striking Detective Suiter in the head.

“Detective Suiter was placed in a patrol car to be transported to University of Maryland Medical Center. During the transport the patrol car was struck by another vehicle. Detective Suiter was then transferred to another vehicle and transported to the hospital where he remained on life support until succumbing to the wound the following day.

“The man who shot him fled the scene and remains at large.

“Detective Suiter had served with the Baltimore Police Department for 18 years and was assigned to the Homicide Unit.”


Please join me in a prayer for Baltimore Police Department Detective Sean Suiter:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of god. Matthew 5:9 Rest peacefully Detective Suiter in the presence of God.

We are praying for your family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, and fellow officers. Rest in peace brother, your watch is over we will take it from here, you duty is done here, God has your place in heaven.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

Chaplain Kevin Dayhoff 16Nov2017
Maryland Troopers Association Lodge #20
Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Company No. 1

Photo of Detective Suiter courtesy of the Officer Down Memorial Page





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Wednesday, December 07, 2016

Baltimore Sun: Gov. Larry Hogan, Annapolis leaders praise new Baltimore mayor

Baltimore Sun: Gov. Larry Hogan, Annapolis leaders praise new Baltimore mayor http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-pugh-inauguration-20161206-story.html Article by Erin Cox Wednesday, December 7, 2016

This is a great turn of events. We all benefit and move the ball forward when we set aside partisan politics and work together. Mayor Pugh is where she is today because she works hard, does her homework, is nice to people and does not play partisan politics. She has depth and integrity, knows the issues, and how to put folks together to solve problems.

I actually had expected great things from Mayor Catherine Pugh’s predecessor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. I had worked with her dad, "Pete" Rawlings, in Annapolis on a number of municipal issues and I really enjoyed working with him. Sadly, I was disappointed with SRB’s tenure in office. I sincerely hope she takes advantage of her time in the desert to reflect upon how she may come back, and serve again by building upon her strengths and addressing the lessons learn. Only time will tell. 

For a great article on Mayor Rawlings-Blake, read Barry Rascovar’s story, “The Disappointing Mayoralty of Stephanie Rawlings-Blake: http://politicalmaryland.com/2016/12/05/the-disappointing-mayoralty-of-stephanie-rawlings-blake/ - KED

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Meanwhile, according to Erin Cox:

"Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday delivered an emphatic endorsement of Baltimore's new Democratic Mayor Catherine Pugh, praising her relentless energy and saying the pair 'have a shared purpose and share a commitment' to improve the city.

'This morning, I am incredibly hopeful about the future,' Hogan said during brief remarks at her inauguration ceremony. 'Mayor Pugh and I have a shared vision for Baltimore.' [...]

Hogan called Pugh's inauguration a 'very important day for Baltimore' and suggested her administration would better weather problems that beleaguer the city. He said they both want to eliminate disparities, raze dilapidated houses and invigorate the city's economy.

'Baltimore has endured through some difficult times,' he said. 'But it is when the challenges are greatest that effective leadership is needed the most.'

From the stage, Pugh reciprocated Hogan's promise to work together, turning from the crowd to directly address just him minutes after taking the oath of office...

The exchange, plus the bi-partisan spread of elected officials sharing a stage at the War Memorial ceremony, highlighted the incoming mayor's pragmatism and relationships cemented over two decades in public office."


*****

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,


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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Baltimore Sun: Editorial: “Goodson verdict should force Mosby to reconsider charges



If Mosby's office couldn't convict Goodson, what chance to they have with the other officers?”


Ya Think?

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Baltimore Md. - Officer Caesar Goodson acquitted on all seven counts. NOT GUILTY Thursday, June 23, 2016 #GoodsonTrial

  

Baltimore Md. - Officer Caesar Goodson acquitted on all seven counts. NOT GUILTY Thursday, June 23, 2016 #GoodsonTrial

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Prayers for Officer Caesar Goodson, peace, Baltimore and sanity as we await the outcome of the third trial of the six Baltimore Police officers as a result of the death in April 2015.

Circuit Judge Barry Williams was expected to announce his verdict this morning at 10 a.m.

In an article published today by Luke Broadwater, he noted, “If Mosby's team fails to secure a conviction against Goodson, it's unlikely she will be successful against any of the other officers, several observers said.” Thursday, June 23, 2016




Officer Caesar Goodson acquitted on all seven counts. NOT GUILTY Thursday, June 23, 2016 #GoodsonTrial Thx @RectorSun http://live.baltimoresun.com/Event/Officer_Caesar_Goodson_trial_Freddie_Gray_case_live_coverage_2

Sean Welsh just recounted: The following were the charges against Goodson. He was found not guilty on each:
Second degree departed heart murder
Second degree assault
Misconduct in office
Manslaughter (involuntary)
Manslaughter by vehicles (gross negligence)
Manslaughter by vehicles (criminal negligence)
Reckless endangerment








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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Re-read: Daily Record: Mosby defeats Bernstein in Baltimore prosecutor’s primary - June 25, 2014


Daily Record: Mosby defeats Bernstein in Baltimore prosecutor’s primary


Marilyn J. Mosby pulled off an upset win against incumbent Gregg L. Bernstein in the Democratic primary for Baltimore City State’s Attorney.

Bernstein conceded defeat late Tuesday night when unofficial results showed him trailing Mosby significantly. Early Wednesday morning, results from all precincts showed that Mosby won by 55 percent to 45 percent.

Mosby, an assistant state’s attorney from 2005 to 2012, has been a litigator for Liberty Mutual Insurance since leaving the prosecutor’s office.

Mosby, 34, told The Daily Record in May that the “traditional approach to crime fighting in Baltimore has failed” and that one of her first priorities would be join forces with the Baltimore Police Department “to effectively manage and target the violent repeat offender list.” She also vowed to improve the office’s relationship with the community, saying he had created a “culture of mistrust.”

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Honestly, you cannot make this up – Baltimore Sun story by Luke Broadwater: “Baltimore mayor, other city elected officials to get raises”


Honestly, you cannot make this up – Baltimore Sun story by Luke Broadwater: “Baltimore mayor, other city elected officials to get raises”

“Baltimore mayor, other city elected officials to get raises”
Baltimore Sun story by Luke Broadwater December 22, 2015

“The paychecks of Baltimore's elected officials — including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young and Comptroller Joan M. Pratt — are about to get bigger.

On Wednesday, the city's Board of Estimates, which includes those three officials, is set to approve pay raises for themselves and the members of the City Council.

Rawlings-Blake's salary is set to go from $167,000 to $171,000. Young and Pratt's pay is set to increase from $110,000 to $113,000.

According to a city law passed in 2007, the elected officials are entitled to a 2.5 percent raise if some city workers also get a raise in that year's budget. The raises go into effect Jan. 1.

Howard Libit, a spokesman for the mayor, said she plans to abstain from voting on her raise. He said officials are voting on the raises in public to be "fully transparent and disclose what's happening."

Read more here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bs-md-ci-raises-20151221-story.html
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Friday, September 11, 2015

Yvonne Wenger, Baltimore Sun reports: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says she won't seek re-election


Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says she won't seek re-election


By Yvonne Wenger, The Baltimore Sun

Elections Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Freddie Gray Baltimore Riots

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will not seek re-election in 2016.

Freddie Gray trials likely to cost the city millions

Catherine Pugh, Carl Stokes enter Baltimore mayor's race

Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has decided that she will not seek re-election to the office. (Baltimore Sun)

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Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, beleaguered by the death of Freddie Gray and the protests and rioting that followed, announced Friday she won’t seek re-election.

She said she is stepping out of the race to focus on "work to move our city forward," and not out of any concern she might not win the race against a growing field of challengers.

"It was a very difficult decision, but I knew I needed to spend time, the remaining 15 months of my term, focused on the city's future and not my own," she said at a news conference at City Hall.

Rawlings-Blake, 45, has no plans to seek another office. She briefed her Cabinet and staff on the decision this morning.

She spent recent months ramping up her campaign by building a field organization in the city, hosting fundraisers and courting voters with events such as "Mondays with the Mayor" at local bars and restaurants. But sources familiar with her decision said she felt it would be inappropriate to ask donors for money while the city copes with the aftermath of the April riots.

City leaders and police have meanwhile been readying for the possibility or more unrest. The first trial in the Gray case is scheduled for Oct. 13, though that date could change, and a judge ruled Thursday the cases would move forward in Baltimore courts. The officers involved face charges ranging from second-degree murder to assault and misconduct in office.

The mayor's decision also comes days after her administration agreed to pay Gray's family $6.4 million in a settlement that accepted all civil liability in his death but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing by police.

The mayor abandons her re-election campaign as the field of Democratic challengers in the April primary grows, including former Mayor Sheila Dixon, state Sen. Catherine Pugh and City Councilman Carl Stokes.


*****

Monday, July 13, 2015

Baltimore Crime Beat May 6 - July 12, 2015: About 130 Baltimore Police officers injured during Baltimore riots


Baltimore Crime Beat May 6 - July 12, 2015: About 130 Baltimore Police officers injured during Baltimore riots 

Old Harley Davidson police motorcycle and mobile booking center.



Actually I do not know the date of the picture. I saw it on Pinterest and it really captured my imagination. I am working on a column about the early history of the Maryland State Police - and in particular, the early line of duty deaths. One of which occurred in Westminster at the intersection of Washington Road and Colonial Avenue. Officer Clinton R. Rhodes was killed in a motorcycle mishap in January 28, 1931.

I also found this:

BALTIMORE CRIME BEAT July 12, 2015

About 130 officers injured during Baltimore riots released from hospital

By Staff Reports - The Baltimore Sun MAY 6, 2015, 7:00 AM
 
All police officers injured during last week's protests and riots have been released from the hospital, Baltimore police said….

About 130 officers were hurt in protest­related injuries, said police spokesman Det. Jeremy Silbert…

Gov. Larry Hogan visited injured officers … at Shock Trauma last week


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BALTIMORE CRIME BEAT July 12, 2015


Kevin Rector and Natalie Sherman

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, law enforcement officials and prosecutors have created an around-the-clock "war room" to address the spike in violent crime that has racked Baltimore since the death of Freddie Gray, they said Sunday.

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Mass transit in Baltimore is part of the problem


Mass transit in Baltimore is part of the problem

Kevin E. Dayhoff July 12, 2015

I am a staunch supporter of public transportation, but Mr. Kelly (Jacques Kelly: Baltimore is not a public transportation town, July 10, 2015 Baltimore Sun,) is so right:

"Right off, I'll say that Gov. Larry Hogan's refusal to back the Red Line plan does not shock me. I thought it was expensive and grandiose, involving the construction of deep tunnels and too much infrastructure. I am sorry that neighborhood leaders feel shortchanged, but it was a good idea that over the years went haywire as it grew more complex. Baltimore is a place where it is best not to apply logic or expect much when it comes to public transit..."  [J Kelly: “Baltimore is not a public transportation town:” http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-kelly-column-bus-20150710-column.html]

I have good memories of the trolleys... But I have been all over the world and I have never seen public transportation run worse than the manner in which it is run in Baltimore - and Maryland.

It goes from nowhere to nowhere and the customer service is horrid - you would think it was run by Comcast or Verizon. No wonder it does not enjoy popular support.

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To which a reader on Facebook asked a fair question, “So what is a reasonable solution for people in the city who cannot afford a car to get work, hospitals, etc.?”

I am not sure that I know the answer, but I am sure that Facebook is ill-equipped to answer this question in depth.

Eventually many folks who do not like Md. Gov. Larry Hogan will rail about the governor’s decision to stop the politically-created boondoggle, the red line; no matter how the metrics and the merits of the decision indicate that the transit line was ill-conceived from the very beginning. Come a little closer…. The whispers in the hallways of Annapolis are that the red line was essentially conceived as a political bone to throw to the folks who bristled at the idea of the mismanaged but nevertheless widely used and poplar DC metro, getting money for the purple line.

Essentially, the current management of mass transit in the Baltimore area does not meet the needs of Baltimore's workforce and has long-since become part of the problem. Again, be sure to read Mr. Kelly’s article: Jacques Kelly: Baltimore is not a public transportation town, July 10, 2015 Baltimore Sun - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-kelly-column-bus-20150710-column.html.

Employment and economic opportunities do not widely take into consideration locating in Baltimore, in part, because the transportation system put in place to move employees from where they live to where the jobs are located, does not work. Thus perpetuating an endless vicious cycle.

The previous administration in Annapolis recognized that the Potemkin red line was poorly conceived and kept kicking the can down the road because it recognized the political fallout of stopping the project.

There is a solid reason why the purple line was given the go-ahead and the red line was stopped. The purple line makes sense - if some of the extravagant costs can be contained.

The red line was an imaginary illusionary creature of politics from the very beginning. The purple line was a manifestation of a recognized need that will derive a well-utilized return.

The red line looks great on paper and the rhetoric is utopian and wonderful. In the end, it would not have worked or solved any transportation problems. The red line would have robbed precious taxpayer resources and literally thrown money down a very deep tunnel that went from nowhere to nowhere.

The construction of the project alone would have irreparably damaged the local economy, it was supposed to better, beyond recovery and put countless businesses out of business and put many folks out of work.

The previous administration knew full-well that the red line and mass transit lacked popular support because mass transit in Baltimore and Maryland is so poorly run. It lacks critical popular support - except for political astroturfing.

The more the project was studied in order to avoid stopping it, the more convoluted and complicated - and extraordinarily expensive it became. In the end, no matter the cost, the red line would have served very-very few folks at an untenable cost - that would throttled any other future consideration for re-organizing and revitalizing mass transit for many-many years.

If the red line had been appropriately priced, it might have served well as another spoke in the mass transit wheel. But it was never the silver bullet it has been made out to be in the current rhetoric. Perhaps as a light rail – like the old successful trolley lines? Might have been worth the cost? Maybe?

In the big picture, the red line would have served very little of the folks in the city that "cannot afford a car to get to work, hospitals, etc."

Of course the irony is that the escalating costs of owning a car in Maryland, to help pay for a transit system that does not work, only became part of the problem...

And the red line would have certainly not done a darn thing to help alleviate traffic on the beltway - which, of course, is another manifestation of a failed transit system.

This is not going to get figured-out at our pay grade. It is at times like this that we sorely miss Md. Del. Pete Rawlings… I have a great deal of respect for Congressman Elijah Cummings. I disagree with him on the red line… But wholeheartedly agree with his quote about Del. Rawlings, “A politician worries about the next election. A true statesman worries about the next generation, and children yet unborn, and that was Pete Rawlings." -Congressman Elijah Cummings.

I have close friends, whose opinions that I really respect who very much disagree with me and I respect their thoughtful approach. However too many folks in the know, are well aware that the cost of another much-underutilized Potemkin transit line would bode well in a populist campaign for re-election, but set back transportation in Maryland decades - no matter how high you raised taxes to pay for a line very few folks will use.


The reasonable solution is to be a wise steward of finite resources so that they may be spent in a manner that gets the most folks and workers from point-a, to point-b. Look that up in the dictionary and you will not see a picture of the red line. And this analysis come from someone who is a staunch unrepentant supporter of mass transit and has the scars to prove it. Just saying. We now return to our regularly scheduled program of cat videos and cute pictures of dogs and children. 
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Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Kevin Rector - The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore prosecutor asked police to target area where Freddie Gray was arrested

Baltimore prosecutor asked police to target area where Freddie Gray was arrested

Defense lawyers for police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody have called for Marilyn Mosby to step down as prosecutor, citing an email calling for increased police activity.

By Kevin Rector The Baltimore Sun

Marilyn Mosby asked police to target corner where Freddie Gray ran.



About three weeks before Freddie Gray was chased from a West Baltimore corner by three Baltimore police officers — the start of a fatal encounter — the office of prosecutor Marilyn Mosby asked police to target the intersection with "enhanced" drug enforcement efforts, court documents show.

"State's Attorney Mosby asked me to look into community concerns regarding drug dealing in the area of North Ave and Mount St," Joshua Rosenblatt, division chief of Mosby's Crime Strategies Unit, wrote in a March 17 email to a Western District police commander.

The email was disclosed for the first time Tuesday in a motion filed in Baltimore Circuit Court by defense attorneys for the six officers being prosecuted in Gray's arrest and death. The attorneys said Mosby's involvement in the police initiative means that she should be removed from the case.

"Mrs. Mosby herself is now an integral part of the story and as such is a central witness," the defense attorneys argued. "This is a case where the witness and the prosecutor are one and the same."

Mosby, through spokeswoman Rochelle Ritchie, said, "Consistent with our prosecutorial obligations, we will litigate this case in the courtroom and not in the media." Mosby's office received the motion Tuesday afternoon, Ritchie said… Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-ci-mosby-email-20150609-story.html?track=rss#page=1
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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Mikulski, Cardin Lead Maryland Delegation in Requesting Major Disaster Declaration for Baltimore

Mikulski, Cardin Lead Maryland Delegation in Requesting Major Disaster Declaration for Baltimore

May 27, 2015

Delegation asks President Obama to support Governor Hogan’s request for a major disaster declaration as Baltimore recovers from recent unrest

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) were joined by members of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation today in sending a letter to President Barack Obama supporting Governor Hogan’s request for a declaration of a major disaster for Baltimore following recent unrest in the city. If awarded, Maryland will become eligible for federal disaster recovery dollars through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), ensuring the state’s already strained budget is not stretched any thinner. The letter was signed by Senators Mikulski and Cardin, as well as U.S. Representatives Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.), Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.) and John Delaney (D-Md.).

“Following the tragic death of Freddie Gray, citizens of Baltimore reacted with outrage in their demands for truth and their demands for justice,” the Members wrote. “For seven days, from April 25, 2015 through May 1, 2015, the City of Baltimore experienced civil unrest... Maryland and its local jurisdictions have contributed a vast amount of resources, which will continue to have economic impacts around our state. A Major Disaster declaration is necessary to help provide the resources needed by all.”


The full text of the delegation’s letter of support is as follows:

May 26, 2015

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to express our strong support for Governor Hogan’s May 21, 2015 request for a Major Disaster declaration for the City of Baltimore. Given the massive impact that the situation in Baltimore is having on the state’s resources, we respectfully request that you urgently approve Federal assistance.

Following the tragic death of Freddie Gray, citizens of Baltimore reacted with outrage in their demands for truth and their demands for justice. For seven days, from April 25, 2015 through May 1, 2015, the City of Baltimore experienced civil unrest. The boiling emotions of a small fraction of Baltimoreans turned into violence and vandalism to homes and businesses that the vast majority of Baltimore’s citizens have been working to rebuild and restore.

Governor Hogan took appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Response Operations Plan in accordance with Section 401 of the Stafford Act. In addition, the Governor issued an Executive Order declaring that a State of Emergency existed and activated the Maryland National Guard to State service. The Governor has certified that additional Federal assistance is needed. The Governor has provided the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with a preliminary damage assessment of over $19 million in expenditures for local jurisdiction law enforcement, security, firefighting, and emergency management costs as well as out-of-state resources required to supplement local and state resources. This Major Disaster declaration is necessary to address emergency protective measures and public buildings and contents per Category B & E of Public Assistance under the Stafford Act. This situation has the potential to negatively impact services in other areas, given an already strained state budget environment.


Maryland and its local jurisdictions have contributed a vast amount of resources, which will continue to have economic impacts around our state. A Major Disaster declaration is necessary to help provide the resources needed by all.  We appreciate your consideration of Maryland’s request, and look forward to continue working with you in this recovery.
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