The day after longtime Aberdeen Police Chief Randy Rudy was informed his contract would not be renewed and he was being put on immediate administrative leave, a city council member is claiming the chief’s dismissal has less to do with pointing the police department in a new direction and more to do with a small town political grudge.
With the Aberdeen City Council split 2-2 Monday night on the future of Rudy’s career with the city, Mayor Mike Bennett cast the decisive vote to break the tie and send Rudy packing. Rudy, who served a decade as Aberdeen’s chief of police and whose contract expires January 24, 2011, was put on immediate paid administrative leave.
Aberdeen City Councilwoman Ruth Elliott, who cast one of the two votes to renew Rudy’s contract, said Monday’s vote was a political hit that’s been years in the making.
“Politics as usual,” Elliott said Tuesday night.
Elliott is alluding to the scene three years ago, when then-mayor S. Fred Simmons was running for re-election against Bennett. Even though Bennett spent nearly four decades in law enforcement with the Maryland State Police, Aberdeen’s officers were said to heavily favor Simmons – a civilian insurance agent who carried a gun, joined the police on raids, and had bolstered the department with funding and support.
On Election Day, Aberdeen police officers lined the streets outside the Senior Center while city residents voted. Simmons supporters asserted the police presence was nothing unusual, as the officers were there to protect the polls and those who weren’t appeared in plain clothes. Bennett supporters claimed the strong police turnout gave the wrong impression and it might have been a political stunt to show which candidate the police were endorsing.
Even though he defeated Simmons and was elected mayor, Bennett never forgot that day, Elliott said.
“The ‘getting even’ is all about the election in 2007 when Rudy and his men paraded along Franklin St. showing support for Simmons. [Bennett] has had his sights on Rudy since that time,” she added.
As far as Bennett’s claim that Rudy’s dismissal was about the department becoming “more community policing oriented; interacting with the community,” Elliott finds that excuse doesn’t hold much water.
“Chief Rudy is the only Chief I can recall who rode a bike around town so he could observe his men and also see more closely any violations. He also got to talk to the citizens more. That’s a good way to get to know the people and they appreciated it. He was always very professional and knew how to communicate to get the best results. I cannot remember a time, when I asked for assistance on police issues, requested by citizens, that he didn’t go above and beyond to assist,” she added.
Bennett has installed Aberdeen Police Captain Henry Trabert as acting police chief and insists a thorough and methodical process will be undertaken to select a new chief, probably sometime in the early months of 2011. Over the last few years, several names have been bandied about as possible replacements for Rudy – including a few with MSP ties and closely associated to Bennett.
“I don’t know who is in line for the Chief of Police job. I hope the position will not be filled by anyone in close association with the selectee. We shall see. The good of the community and its citizens will always be my priority. Life goes on. What’s done is done. Our loss is another’s gain,” Elliott said.
Rudy will spend the next three months earning his remaining police chief paychecks from home, a paid break that Elliott said might be welcomed by the embattled chief – even if his departure from law enforcement is only temporary.
“I am sure the Chief is most likely relieved. He has been under a lot of stress the last few years. I know his services are being requested already by other agencies as we speak,” she added.
Maybe Bennett will choose someone who helped him cheat on the State Police Sergeant’s examination.
Probably not one of the cheaters. He tossed them under the bus when he got caught. In the Army we called guys like him buddy f____ers.
When you wake up one morning and Ruth Elliott is in bed with you its time to reshuffle the deck.
Cities, not unlike alcoholics, often have to hit rock bottom before they can rise again. Aberdeen is almost at ground zero but to really get there soonest, I offer this;
Ruth Elliott for Mayor.
Al ponder this….
Why would Bennett do this now??? Really he could have waited another 30 days before notifying Rudy according to the terms of his contract? Is it to keep this as far away from next year’s elections to four year terms? Possibly, or is it because the City’s financial situation is so terrible that Bennett is considering having HCSO take over APD. It is a well known fact that the APD pension fund is underfunded and with the review of retirements to save money how bad it truly is came to light. The City is not getting state dollars at this time to help fund APD so maybe that is the “new direction” for APD.
iwonder.
The police pension fund was woefully under funded years ago when interest rates were much higher so you can imagine what it looks like with the bottom dropping out for all investment vehicles.
But here’s where you make an even better point; Pre Simmons the attrition rate was 50% over the preceeding three years. It will be that or worse soon. The good news is that not many will retire and draw from that fund. The bad news is that the fund is designed so that the working force subsidizes the retired force compounded by the fact that people are living longer.
So yes, moving to a county police force will happen soon. It cant be avoided without a tax increase and Bennett isn’t going to ring that bell and awaken the comatose Aberdeen voters.
Al:
Thanks for your insight. My next question is who would decide whether or not the County would take over APD if that is the direction the City is heading? Would you know if that is something Bane would like to see happen??
Ultimately the citizens would decide either by the votes to suppress such an action or more probably by their inaction over their desire not to have to pay for that service any longer. And yes Bane would be ecstatic if APD was disolved. That way there is no contrast between policing. For example; deputies patrol from their cars and rarely leave them. APD officers see and deal with the toughest situations nightly from outside their cars. Reports of shots fired routinely come in from areas just blocks away from the edgewood sheriff’s station.
I bet they do a wide reaching search for the most qualified police leader and I bet they find Neil Franklin, retired MSP major.
I’m not sure that this philosophy is what I want in Aberdeen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/16/AR2009081601758.html
A county police force will never happen. It would never pass a vote, which it has to to take effect. And those voters, the citizens of harford county, aberdeen, bel air, hdg etc will not want their police response times and “community policing” ie having cops in the immediate area all the time taken away by creating a harford county police force.
County Police Force,
Every County Executive goes to bed every night hoping to wake up in Baltimore county where there are no Municipalities. Craig would like nothing better than to unincorporate Aberdeen. Public safety is always the most expensive service of a city and probably a service the citizens wouldn’t continue to pay for if it caused a raise in their taxes. So our police force will suffer without raises and proper equipment and the ones that can take a lateral to another department will leave. The ones that can’t leave are still going to need cars and insurance and retirements which are benefits with huge costs increases.
APD will be desolved.
You can’t dissolve APD, Grumpy’s would go out of busines
Nah! They arent really hanging around Grumpys much anymore but as a community establishment I love having Grumpys around and the police are a welcome site as a customer knowing Im safe! Plus, they are a hoot!
Wow is all I have to say…Chief Rudy is a class act and deserves way more than this crap!!!! Hey, I have an idea, how about Chief Rudy for Mayor!!!
Rudy put on a nice show for the public, but was far overdue to be dismissed. He was a head hunter and a snake. He once tried to get one of his African Amercan officers to lie to the NAACP because they were bringing heat on him about a certain officer. He thought the officer would say yes, and was very upset when he declined. He did not have his guys best interest at heart, just his own. He played Wilson and Simmons like a fiddle during their election. He’s a two-faced SOB. The reason crime is down in Aberdeen is because the guys and girls that work there genuinely care about the community. I know, I used to work there. My co-workers were the best the other BS became a bit much.
I also bet you Rudy Supporters didn’t know he used to black ball guys that tried to lateral to other agencies for a better opportunity. He would also replace their take home car with a crappy pool car as pay back for wanting to leave. He brought false charges against an ex officer and now has the city caught up in a nasty civil suit. He got his buddies from MSP to conduct polygraphs when he wanted an officer to be found guilty no matter what. He is not a stand up guy. He even tried to get an officer to void a traffic citation that was written to one of his “friends”.