(Im)proper Procedure

As a former walker of the “thin blue line,” I have a real bone to pick with those involved in my most recent blog.

The supposed incident at the council work session that was important enough to single out two Dundalk United community leaders should have required an official incident report from the security detail assigned at these sessions. This is standard police procedure, and that is why it’s so troubling that the department would go to such extreme measures by contacting the DU community leaders for a special meeting without such a report.

I also found it rather odd that when I—along with others at the meeting—questioned Major Wilson, he knew of all the details regarding the alleged disturbances, but could not remember the name of the complainant.

That also made me question the county’s conduct, as a limited number of choices existed for the answer to our specific question: “Who told you?”

Remember, this was a council work session, and the main priority should be the department’s handling of these events within standard protocol.

My assessment of the entire matter is that the Major was caught between a rock and a hard place because he was simply following orders, despite the fact that he knows the system. He was just promoted from captain to major, which means that he is quite familiar with the process of beholding to the promoter—Chief Johnson.

But it probably doesn’t stop there, folks. After all, I don’t think Chief Johnson would make such a call without orders from the top. He also is familiar with the regulations and standard operating procedures in such matters.

As for who made the complaint, there are several possibilities, and I plan on asking each of them.

We know now that it was not the officers present, because of the requirement that a report has to be written if there was an incident.

I don’t think the Major was planning on seeing the media present for the meeting with the DU leaders, because when the obvious questions were asked and he could not provide definitive answers, the Major and the two detectives left.

The Major did say that the department had been in contact with several other groups regarding council decorum. I would like to know what other groups were contacted, but I doubt the Major will be forthcoming with that information.

You see, I would think that if the department contacted any group involving protests, it would have been the Mays Chapel group first.

Also, regarding the animal control issue, I checked into that and was informed that this group was entirely professional in its actions.

As I have stated before, I suspect that this whole matter was a politically motivated move against Dundalk United, which opposes the closing of the government center.

Stay tuned for more of (the famous TV show) Truth or Consequences as Dundalk United considers filing a complaint with Internal Affairs.

As Yogi Berra is credited as saying, “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.”