The Set-up for a Tax Increase

I understand that the Salisbury Police Department is loosing 12 officers, one to retirement and 11 to forward their careers with other agencies. It is pretty common knowledge that SPD is the lowest paid Department in the area.
Not only are we losing 11 officers to other agencies, we are probably losing 11 of are “better” officers.
If higher pay is the only issue, then wouldn’t it make more since to ask the city for salary increases for the present officers and try to retain a good and experienced police force??
If higher pay is not the issue, then what is??
My guess would be poor management. It is just plain common since that the change is needed at the top of the organization not the bottom.

Let’s give credit where due. Ms. Shields has the foresight to see what may be needed and the courage to speak raise the matter.

Your suggestion of merging the police with the sheriff’s dept. should be discussed should be shot in its tracks — a county police force, perhaps, but not a super-sheriff’s force.

One reason for attrition of Salisbury’s police force is the 2+ terms of Barrie Tilghman, who began her tenure by canning Chief Dykes. No doubt she has promised the police everything they has requested, just as she has in discussions with city neighborhood groups, and once again failed to deliver most of it.

The Salisbury Police Department is loosing 12 officers, one to retirement and 11 to forward their careers with other agencies. The SPD is also the lowest paid department in the area.
Not only are we losing 11 officers to other agencies, we are probably losing 11 of are “more experienced ” officers.
If higher pay were the only issue, wouldn’t it make since to ask the city for salary increases for the present force and try to retain a smaller but better qualified and more experienced law enforcement agency??
Two factors come into play, LOW PAY and POOR MANAGEMENT. Change is needed at the top of the organization not the bottom.

Why do we need more police in the city of Salisbury? The chief and mayor insist a.)crime is down

b.) there are no gangs

c.)Davis Ruark is wrong because there is no heroin in the city of Salisbury

d.) Pigs do fly

I am convinced the only way this mayor and her crew will admit to anything it will have to be via divine intervention and even then they would all side step.

Pardon my grammar (above).

After sleeping on this, it also occurs to me that letting Chief Webster reside at the beach, 30 miles away, must have an effect on morale if not retention.
Officers want to feel like they are part of a dedicated force, and that scenario doesn’t help to cement to ranks to their leader. And then there are the BS things that Barrie Tilghman makes them do, like harassing Joe Albero at the zoo and other things that we hear about. He tenure as Mayor has really cost us, and it’s reached the point where she can no longer keep it from the public (because of blogs, etc.) despite the effort of the Daily Times and mainstream media to cover-up her sins.

Crime numbers may actually be down, but due to the fact that we don’t have a long time service city police force that can take root and make enough arrests to detail the actual crime numbers. It’s called smoke and mirrors. Most of Salisbury’s police force are new. If they do arrest someone, many have probably already quit the city police department for better pay before the trial and fail to show up in court, case dismissed! There are gang activities and herion in Salisbury. And pigs can fly if you can throw one far enough : )

That action alone set the tone for BPT’s management style. How anyone could think it makes sense to hire a chief and allow him/her to live 30 miles away, is beyond belief.

I apologize Tim Chaney, that was sarcasm I let flow from my fingers. I know all to well the state of Salisbury.

Absolutely, in the case of an emergency, the responce time for the chief to get here from his home in Ocean City is unacceptable.

No need to apologize, I believe we are on the same team. I sometimes use sarcasim, it is surely an eye catcher~! : )

Yeah, sober! What about when he’s leaving Seacrets?

I recall recently the town of Laurel DE advertised for a police chief and the candidates were REQUIRED to reside within 8 miles of city limits.

Many major cities require city workers to reside in the city.
Does he drive a City owned car home to the beach each nite? who pays for that?

Good Question!

The taxpayers pay for that car’s comin’s and goin’s, assumin’ Bill Reddish had it right. And my bet’s he did.

So Monday night (the 7th), there’s a public meetin’ on a 2.86% property tax increase, 6 p.m. in council chambers. You were right…there was the “set up” for a pitch for higher taxes.

Which wouldn’t have been needed if they weren’t spendin’ money on deals for their buddies. Coulda hired a few more police folks, too. Or given the men and women “in blue” a raise.

What a load of horsepatoot.
–CD