Some final thoughts and field notes on the 2007 Aberdeen Election:
I began the day throwing up in my car on the way to work (how’s that for full disclosure). I’d have taken the bout of sickness as an ill omen if I hadn’t made the same ineffective claim during the last Aberdeen election. In 2005 while campaigning for re-election in Park, Councilman Ron Kupferman was stung at least once by an infuriated yellow jacket. As he swatted at the fleeing insect, I mentioned it probably was something of an ill omen to be stung on Election Day. He agreed and promptly went on to be re-elected in two subsequent elections.
– Did anyone else find a certain lack of drama in the final moments of the election Tuesday? By posting the machine-by-machine results on the wall, it only took a few glances to see who the winners were. Meanwhile, outside in the lobby, folks waiting for the much anticipated pronouncement had the results trickled to them as people left the voting area. I miss the good old days when everyone, friend and enemy alike, packed in shoulder-to-shoulder to listen with hushed breath as the results were read. There was a certain magic in those few seconds of pure joy and utter defeat, as candidates, family, friends and supporters screamed in joy or crumpled in defeat.
– Why is it that whenever there is a huge voter turnout everyone automatically assumes they are going to be the beneficiary? At one point in the evening Tuesday, I had members of both the Fred Simmons Team and the Mike Bennett Camp proclaim things were looking good. While Bennett proved victorious in the end, I firmly believe no one knew what the hell was going on until the results were read.
A final act of Simmons vigilantism?
After Simmons disappeared from the scene of his Election Day defeat Tuesday, I was wondering where he would go or what he would do. He seems like neither the type of guy to go home and mourn nor the sort to go out for some heavy partying. Come first thing Wednesday morning I thought I had my answer – back to a last night of crime fighting.
The talk early Wednesday was that there had been a late night police chase through the city and that Simmons had somehow maneuvered his vehicle to hit the fleeing car as it tried to elude pursuing police.
As it turns out, that is not far from the truth.
Sarah Simmons, Fred’s youngest daughter, was turning into the driveway of their West Bel Air Avenue home when, unbeknownst to her, a car chase that began in Havre de Grace came roaring up the road behind her.
The car behind hers, that of the fleeing suspect, went into the left lane to try to pass her, but Sarah was turning left into her driveway at the moment so the suspect’s vehicle hit the front end of her car. The suspect kept driving and was tailed closely by four police cars. Thankfully neither Sarah nor her young daughter was injured.
Havre de Grace Police confirmed there was a car chase overnight Tuesday. The car was reported stolen through the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and while in pursuit at least two cars were rammed and damaged on Route 40.
Havre de Grace Police broke off the chase in Stepney, but Aberdeen, HCSO and Maryland State Police kept the chase going until they neared the Riverside I-95 exit. A deputy later found the car unoccupied in Havre de Grace off of Route 155, but no suspects were found and the investigation continues.
Bennett Begins
With his swearing-in ceremony set for Monday night, Bennett began familiarizing himself with his new position the morning after his resounding mayoral victory. The word from the Bennett Camp Wednesday is that a transition team to assist the new mayor will be named shortly. I am also told city residents should expect Bennett to hold true to his promise for a new vision and master plan and movement in a different direction with the goal of a more user-friendly attitude toward citizen service.
Although changes within City Hall are expected and have been whispered about prior to the results of Tuesday’s election, the Bennett Camp said there will be no direct attempt to shake things up. The desire is peace within City Hall.
To that end, what are we to make of this snapshot provided by a Dagger faithful, which shows Aberdeen police chief Randy Rudy, a Simmons friend and supporter, chatting it up with Bennett outside the Senior Center Tuesday?
Was Rudy gesturing for Bennett to get out of Fred’s town or was he perhaps trying to make 11th hour amends as the high voter turnout foretold a change in City Hall?
More than likely it was just one guy exchanging pleasantries with another guy – neither Bennett nor Rudy got involved personally in the mudslinging of the election season.
If that was the conversation I am not sure why they are having it. The police presence has been that way for some time now.
I am also happy there was 30-min parking. Voters, especially our seniors should not have to walk from the fire department parking lot to vote. Very nice and long overdue decision.
If they weren't actively stumping for a candidate, the "appearance it gave" shouldn't have been any of Mr Bennett's business.
If he's honest about letting the Chief run his own agency, as though that will be a "sea change" from his predecessor, that would have been a good opportunity to start.
Too early to start the next campaign…
Cheif Rudy was talking to everyone Tuesday not only Mr. Bennett. The Chief really had no choice but to give Mr. Simmons carte blanc with his department. After all Mr. Simmons could terminate the chief if he felt like it.Simmons had two sure votes in his pocket any time he needed. I like Chief Rudy. Now that he can breath easily I'm sure he loves having his police department back.
Insider, based on those comments, it is apparent to me that you are no "insider."
First, the Chief had plenty of choices and he chose to support a mayor who supported him and his department. His job depends on him remaining neutral and "talking to everyone" but he has nothing but love for Fred Simmons.
Second, perhaps you were too far away to see the Chief's reaction to the results of the election. He was devastated, not relieved.
Chief Rudy is an honorable man who I know will work well with Bennett if he's given the chance. He is a fantastic police chief, but more than that he is a fantastic human being. I know he would resent being drug into anti-Simmons comments as much as he would resent his picture being plastered on the Dagger as though he had some sort of political agenda.
Insider:
This is typical. You mean to tell us that because the Chief was uneasy about his job, he allowed a civilian to run the police department? These guys, our officers, looked up and counted on Chief Rudy to continue to lead them in the direction he was going when he initially came to Aberdeen. He lead with principles and morals and helped give the department the "new look". Once Simmons came, where was Rudy? For the sake of his pockets, he gave up on the guys and let the Mayor run his guys?I have to say, it was a big let down, very disappointing to say the least.
I know the previous Chief lost his job after putting himself out for the guys, when in a position such as this, making these tough decisions, because it is the right decision, is most likely what they will have to do, if they are there to lead and not just for a paycheck.
The chief did what he had to do to keep harmony in the department and that meant catering to the mayor. I agree with you Rudy is an honorable man and will work with Bennett and the new council. I'm sure the Chief had better things to do than to escort the mayor to lunch ect. enough said on the subject. New mayor, new beginning.
What is wrong with this picture;
Yes that is exactly what I'm saying. Simmons was permitted to acompany police officers and go on police calls and carry a gun. Tell me this, would any regular "joe" be given the same opportunity? Allowing an unsworn offical to ride along in the front seat with the police answering calls is in my opinion "allowing a civilian to run the police department. Again, I am not bashing Chief Rudy. I understand the rock and a hard place he was in.
Well you're wrong. There was no hard place, only a rock. The Chief never "gave up on his guys."
You tell me this: why did the police make their support of Simmons very known on Tuesday and throughout the election process? Why did the officers who were present at the polls stand in Simmons corner and hug him when the results were announced?
They respected him and his commitment to the city as did the Chief.
Chief Rudy couldn't publicly endorse Fred Simmons because he needed to remain politically neutral–but every other officer who was guaranteed his job made their support of him known.
The Chief did not "escort the mayor to lunch." They rode together quite often through the streets of Aberdeen because they were on the same page with their plan to increase public safety. Those rides were for brainstorming and to further both men's objectives of making Aberdeen a better place to live.
The two men are also friends–there was no tension of "a civilian running the police department." I wish you would ask him yourself before posting incorrect information as an "insider."
You're absolutely right though, there is a new mayor. Maybe we could let the bashing of the old one stop.
Just how many police officers were there giving hugs? The SWAT/RRT/Bad Boy Squad/Whatever they call that squad was there and a few others. Isn't there 40 or so officers? There are plenty that at their level HAD to fear for their job and not voice how they really felt about the way things were going. There have been a few (very few) outspoken guys, risking their jobs and my hat goes off to them. This is what Aberdeen needs. We need the civilians of this city to feel protected and secure and get back that old town feel. Why have everyone fear living here?
Chief Rudy may be a nice guy and started off with strength, but he was overshadowed by the then Mayor. Just who was their (the officers) leader, Simmons or Rudy? If the truth could be told and the guys didn't have to fear the consequences, I think people would be very surprised to hear the results. There was a great deal of respect lost for the Chief when Simmons was allowed to run the place. If this is not how it was, it sure did appear that way.
Quite actually, that was discussion regarding the number of police officers present at the polling place and the appearance it gave.
"We need the civilians of this city to feel protected and secure and get back to that old town feel."
Are you serious? What "old town feel"? The one where "Aberdump" was associated with "Edgeweed" and "Havre disGrace" as a drug haven along the Route 40 corridor?
Well, we can speculate all day as to what the officer's "true" feelings were, but the officers that spoke out about the election and the ones I saw at the polls were all big supporters of Simmons. No one's job was at risk in speaking out anyway as the Mayor and city council have zero control of officers keeping or losing their jobs, other than the Chief.
Just out of curiosity–why do you say RRT/ Bad Boy Squad with such distaste? You write as though you are supportive of our police department and its officers and yet you also seem to be putting them down and belittling their accomplishments over the past two years.
I thing the Cheif did what he had to do to keep the peace and his job. He is a good man. I hope the council keeps him there.
If anyone cares, the transition team has already been at City Hall for a fast transition. Who lesads the transition team you may ask………well none other than……..Mr. Art Helton (complete with lacky Steve Johnson following him around). This may not come as a suprise and may not be earth shattering nes…..BUT…….it just shows that my Artheltondeen assumption does hold water.
By the way if RRT/ Bad Boy Squad is the guys that jumped out of the GMC and locked up a drug dealer and customer in the Aberdeen Plaza about 2 weeks ago then I have nothing for the highest respect for them…….GOOD JOB GUYS KEEP IT UP!
the bad boy's unit. has a bit of a distastefull sound to it. the street people, are saying' fred was shooting pitbull's while attendeing some drug raid's. I can understand the officers safety.but fred should not have been in any danger.I assume proper scouting was done in the area concerend.which would make one believe a better way could be found then shooting the dog.but then animal control is difficult to rouse after 5.00 o'clock. but then it's said fred & the chief were willing to fire on a poor defenseless fox that was starveing in the north deen side of town.his crime being dumping trash can's for food. said story can be found at .www.acurse.com it's not uncommon to see homeless people rooting in the trash.I hope there not in danger. I for one have been known to root also in the trash. one man's trash is a nother's treasure.as a rule aberdeen's got a pretty decent bunch of police officers
i think it's a bit misleading when you say "fred & the chief were willing to fire on a poor defenseless fox" – if you read the story it simply says that they jokingly bantered back and forth about whether or not they COULD HIT the fox from where they were.. the article says NOTHING about either of the men unholstering any weapons.. one time i jokingly asked a friend if he thought I could hit a golfball from here to virginia.. i did NOT proceed to tee up a ball and swing for the fences.. but let me as you a question, since i JOKED about hitting a ball to virginia, does that mean ESPN should come out and do a report on my superhuman golfing ability?? i'll tell you this much – if i see a homeless man or a "vietnam vet" rooting through MY trashcan, I'm going to tee up a Callaway and rip a 3-wood at 'em…
it was not my intent to proof read the story.but bring a little humor to the story.as a matter of fact. I like chief rudy.as for trash can's. I prefer dumpster diveing. as I was advised a few years ago.even the rat's have right's,of which you would expect to find in a hobbie such as dumpser diveing. he live's there you don't. you get bitten.that's tough.it's on you. anyone for golf?
semper-fi
what is wrong with this picture,
It's obvious you are Rick Denu. What is surprising is once the results were read how many officers were there in support of Denu? My understanding is 2, although I could be wrong. So if he is the voice of the oppressed officers, as he seems to portray on this site, why did they not support him? I have spoken with a business owner close with the department and apparently Mr. Denu is on the new transition team too. The rumor is that he will be out for revenge on those that crossed him. I'd like to hear from any of the officers posting on here as to how accurate that is. Also, two years ago when I voted I remember seeing uniformed officers then too. They were dressed in regular uniforms I recall but they were still there. I also worked the polls in support of Lisanti and seem to recall seeing Sheriff's deputies at polling locations as security. So, what's the big deal that there were uniformed officers there? When I voted I saw 2. One inside the building and one talking with Mr. DeWitt.
I wasn't there, and I'm not taking sides. But it should be pointed out, in an election where the local police may have a personal stake in who wins, the presence of said police at the polling station could be seen , by the paranoid, as a form of intimidation. Now I doubt that's the case here, but still, like the man said, "Just because you're paranoid, dont mean they're not after you".
greeting's joshua. a liberal at heart ? may I commend you and your work at the dagger.it would appear to be the peoples voice being heard.
I would say the the police always have a personal stake in who gets elected. After all the Mayor and Council are the ones who decide what benefits/salaries will be budgeted for them. Aberdeen Police working security at the polls is no different than Sheriff's deputies working polls when a Sheriff is up for re-election or the County Exec or Council. Police have a job to do regardless of what their personal beliefs are or the beliefs of those running for office.
I to would very much like to hear from the local police officers. I recall mayor (elect ) bennett saying he would be proud to work with.mr denu. if he were elected. mr denu is going to be come in the future a man to be reckoned with. mayor ? police chief ? he’s not saying. note the votes. he picked up.
semper-fi.
"I Spy a Liar" : Right on!
Security at the polls? In the last Presidential we had ONE officer at each polling place and they were NOT allowed inside by virtue of election rules…I suggest someone read them.
I agree with security at the polls, but at one count there were at least FIVE at one place and all from a SPECIALIZED UNIT that FRED created. Why do you think they were there?
Perhaps instead of being detailed to the polling "security" that day they should have been doing POLICE WORK.
As for the remainder of the police officers where were they? Assigned to rotate in the security detail throughout the day and you'll notice they left abruptly when their turn was up.
Police Officer do have a job to do and it is exactly that…POLICING the COMMUNITY and not serving their own personal/professional interests…A JOB THAT MOST OF OUR OFFICERS DO VERY WELL!
All municipal employees have a personal stake in who gets elected, Police, Public Works, Administration. There wasn't a dedicated "security detail" in Bel Air for the election. I did see officers there during the day, in civilian clothes (I noticed that one guy had on a police union shirt) on their own time supporting their chosen candidates.
These elections must count for something in the grander scheme. Even Aberdeen's police union came out with an endorsement in the (local paper name witheld by writer) for Bel Air commissioner candidates.
Mr Denu,
You sure have nothing good to say about the department you once worked for. Since you have obviously not been out of the box called boundary's of Aberdeen, there are officers, troopers, deputies at each polling place each election day throughout the United States. This is nothing new. Furthermore, it was obvious by the mud slinging from both the Bennett and Simmons teams,hot headed Steve Johnson and Steve Wright, trouble may have been the forethought (What is it with the name Steve, anyway?)
I see now why the local FOP did not support you. You surely don't support them.
Center Deen Resident,
Thank you for re-stating my facts as stated; An officer assigned to the polling places for security purposes.
There should not be more than one at any one time assigned in our instance based on the number of voters attending, the proximity of the polling place to the police department and the response time (3-5 minutes on average) of our fine officers from anywhere in the City.
Would you not agree?
The allocation of those extra officers from specialized units for that purpose was an utter waste of law enforcement resources and that was my one and only point…please don't make assumptions or points for me, I am capable myself.
Thank you.
RRD
quit crying, he wasn't re-elected, so why worry what happened on the day of the election now. get over it.
vietnam vet- I think I'm so far to the left I'm coming around to the right again. You've been no slouch on the boards yourself, but thanks.
Center Deen-First off, cool handle. Secondly, you make an excellent point about the mudslinging and flat out threats in the air last week, perhaps a little show of force was prudent.
But then again, as Rick points out, the proximity of the police department to the polling place (virtual spitting distance) is worthy of note.
At a certain point, though, it all becomes academic. Given the results of the election, its probably safe to assume that for the most part everbody acted responsibly.
Great country we live in, no doubt.
I suppose a terriost attack was possible.but not likely one or two officers,should have been enough.but this being a big event.which could affect the local police officers.I think I might have sneaked in a minute or two my self.
Oh and a point missed; I did not ask the FOP for an endorsement at all, as I did not want them to be placed under more duress by the current administration than they were.
In fact, Fred Simmons asked and was endorsed and Dave Yensen asked and was not endorsed, but no other candidates or incumbents did either.
Thank you again.
RRD
It is over Denu you lost let it go stop being a sore loser .
Now, nearly two years later, we know that this is documentary evidence that the Chief and Bennett have spoken to each other. The bad news is that this is just about the last time the the Mayor’s assistant did talk with his Chief.
Art tell your boy that his rudeness is showing and that he ought to call the Chief and say Hi sometime.