A criminal investigator employed by Wal-Mart. A Harford County Public Library children’s librarian. The head coach of the Fallston High School boys soccer team, and one of his former students. A veterinary technician originally from Australia. The sheriff’s wife. And two Dagger contributors.
These local residents were among the 36 participants in the 18th class of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s Citizens Police Academy, which kicked off Tuesday night at the agency’s Northern Precinct in Jarrettsville.
The eclectic group consisted of 20 men and 16 women spanning virtually all adult age groups and professions, and hailed from every corner of the county. But in introductions to the group, each expressed a desire to learn more about the Harford County Sheriff’s Office’s practices, standards and practices.
In the course of 15 sessions this spring, they—-along with Dagger contributing editor Aaron Cahall and entertainment writer Mark Elloff—-will receive an education in the various police operations of one of the state’s largest county police agencies. The schedule includes a look inside the Harford County Detention Center, a trip to the Sheriff’s Office Broadcreek Firearms Range, and a tour of the new Southern Precinct as well as presentations about the HCSO’s various bureaus and divisions.
The academy began with a lecture on the history and fundamentals of the agency presented by Sheriff Jesse Bane, followed by an outline of its organizational structure presented by Major Dale Stonesifer.
Among the information presented:
–Bane said some historical research indicates the judicial role of the sheriff stretches back to Saxon England in the early 10th century. But he added that the job may have been around much longer than that, before opening a Bible and reading from Daniel 3:2:
“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.” (American King James Version)
–The first local jail, Bane said, in the original county seat of Bushtown was in the basement of a building in the area. “The first floor was a bar,” Bane said. “And I won’t go into what happened on the second floor.” He added later that, early in his career, he once met a man who claimed to be Henry Harford VIII, a descendant of the man for which the county is named.
–Great trivia question: according to common law, Bane said there was only one local official with the power to arrest the sheriff.
“His wife?” one class member quipped.
“Sometimes I think she has that power,” Bane replied, drawing a laugh in the back row of the classroom from his wife, Lou Ann, who is participating in the academy this year. After years of hearing about the program from her husband, Lou Ann said she decided to check it out, and sat with two other women whose husbands had likewise been members of the agency.
So who can arrest the sheriff? It’s not the state’s attorney, nor the governor, nor the state police. It’s the county coroner.
Though no individual currently holds that position, Stonesifer said later, under modern law the sheriff can be the subject of charging documents and be arrested in the same way as any member of the public.
–The new expansion of the Harford County Detention Center only recently began handling its first inmates, but Bane warned that the facility is projected to reach capacity by 2020 and there is no way to further expand it outward on the existing parcel of land.
He said it could be possible to expand upward, and add levels to part of the existing facility. But that could not be done while inmates occupied that section, meaning construction would have to begin in the very near future. Bane said that there’s no money to do so at the moment, and that the public could be hesitant to approve a further expansion to the jail “when the one you just built isn’t even full yet.”
The alternative, he said, would be to construct a new facility elsewhere in county—a proposition that would almost certainly trigger a heated debate.
“Lord have mercy on whoever the sheriff, county executive and county council is when it comes time to decide where to put the new jail,” he said.
–According to numbers Bane presented, as of July 1, 2011, the starting salaries of a new, certified Harford County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement recruit was $42,973 per year, while a corrections recruit started at $39,166. An individual obtaining a lateral transfer into a law enforcement position with the HCSO from another agency would make between $45,365 to $57,429 per year, while a corrections officer “lateralling” into the agency would make between $40,206 to $50,918 per year.
However, Bane said the department has hired very few individuals transferring from another law enforcement agency “since the economic downturn began.”
Next week: Major Christina Presberry details the operations of her Police Services Bureau.
This is the 18th Citizens’ Academy. However it is the first time there has been an article about it on The Dagger. Could it be that Bane is trying to show himself in a different light to the Dagger readers? And David A. Porter, I already know you will start bitching about how this is such a good program, I am so negative, etc. But anyone with half a brain will have to admit that the timing of this article is suspect.
It’s the 18th academy, true, but the first we’ve actually attended. Our choice to participate has been on the books since late January or early February. Jeff Gahler and Sheriff Bane deciding to tilt lances the week before class started was their choice, not ours.
Your article says the new expansion of the our jail is expected to be at capacity in just 8 short years. Makes one wonder why there will be such an increase of inmates when we are being told how crime is decreasing each year in our county. How is it that we will have more criminals committing less crime?
I guess I’m just that average citizen the Sheriff talks about, who just doesn’t get it.
Crime rates can drop while the number of people imprisoned increases for a variety of reasons.
If more cases are being solved and judges actually sentencing people to serve time instead of handing out PBJ’s (maybe they get tired of seeing the same faces in their courtroom over and over again for the same offenses…) then the jail population will increase without any more crimes being committed.
If the population increases faster than the number of crimes being committed then the crime rate will drop even if the total number of crimes increases.
Usually crime rate data is based on the FBI’s UCR numbers which doesn’t include crimes like trespassing, 2nd degree assault (including domestic assault), misdemeanor theft, CDS charges, handgun possession, serious traffic offenses that carry jail time (like DUI), etc. It does include crimes like murder, rape, arson, larceny theft, auto theft, etc (Part I crimes.) The number of Part I crimes can decrease while the number of non-Part I crimes increases which would also result in more people serving jail time. Also, most people convicted of Part I crimes aren’t going to serving their sentence in Harford County anyway. They’ll be transferred to the MD Division of Corrections so other than when they’re awaiting trial those people aren’t in the DC.
You provided some good information. The problem is the system is completely broke. If hospitals were to run their “system” in the same manner as the criminal justice system all they would do is construct more graveyards. The present CJS is not geared to solving the societal problems that contribute to crime. So we just keep locking people up and building more jail space. It has been a cycle that no one seems interested in disrupting. Jesse does not understand that there are vast underlying issues that contribute to crime here. He is only interested in numbers. Unfortunately those numbers translate into dollars. Taxpayer dollars. We just have to draw the line somewhere. The time has come to work to find solutions instead of throwing money into a broken system.
I read today that Obama is sending a billion plus in military aid to Egypt. Our priorities in this country are so messed up. That billion could be better used here. Working to solve the problems of domestic violence, drug dependencies, or provide educational opportunities.
oh joy, the tyrants enlist an 18th class of submissives! hey jesse bane how about stopping the murders east of 40 instead of going on a PR spree? how about admitting the drug war is a failure instead of wasting time arresting people who violate no one’s rights? F U H C S!
Crime rates can also drop while the inmate population goes up because the police do a better job of investigating cases, linking multiple cases to one or two offenders (which can result in a longer sentence for them), etc. Most crime is committed by a small percentage of the population so when a couple of serial car thieves get caught (as an example) and get sentenced for a few years the number of auto thefts decreases for that time. Once they serve their sentences and get released they return to Harford County and some of them go right back to stealing cars.
We see it all the time on the street. We’ll have a rash of say…theft from vehicles, catch the people involved, they get convicted and end up serving a couple years and suddenly we don’t have as many of those types of incidents. Those people get released and then we have another rash of thefts until we’re able to get enough evidence to put them away again.
Kristen & George
Thank you for the information. Sounds like a play on numbers to me. Kinda like the budget. We keep saying that budgets are getting reduced by 5%, 10%, etc., but the actual dollars spent keep going up.
My personal belief is, when jails fill up it is because we have more people committing crime, not fewer people committing crime.
You know what they say…”there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
People can usually make statistics say whatever they want them to and you can have two people using the same set of statistics say completely opposite things while both being technically correct sometimes. It makes it confusing and frustrating for the rest of us.
Honest question to one of the many “know-it-all” (probably former or current law enforcement people) but what kind of criminals are housed in the HC Detention Center? What initial crime gets you put in a state prison rather than a local detention center?
How many officer’s need to be assaulted, at the HCDC, before they get the needed staff? If it was the LE side…..their union would be in a uproar and something would be done!
Just Sayin,
Why doesn’t your union get in an uproar? Put the CO’s union President to work. Or is that another story!!
Any crime will initially get you housed at the HCDC. That’s where everyone who is arrested in Harford County gets taken. Some peopel get recoged and relased as soon as they see the commissioner, some have to go in front of a judge for bail (if they post it they get released, if not then they stay at the HCDC until they do or until they go to court), and other people get denied bail completely and have to stay the HCDC until their court date.
Once someone is sentenced it usually depends on the length of the sentence where they get housed. Shorter sentences of a couple months, weekends, etc stay at the HCDC while longer sentences (I think it’s longer than a year, but I could be wrong on that) go to DoC. Some crimes would always be housed at the HCDC because the max sentence is less than a year. I don’t think there is anything that says if you’re convicted of crime “X” you automatically stay at the HCDC and if you’re convicted of crime “Y” you automatically go to DoC (beyond minimum and maximum sentences for certain crimes.) The HCDC isn’t really designed to hold individuals for years at a time, though I’m sure there are a few people who’ve spent more years total in the HCDC than they have at any other single address.
Crimes from failure to appear to murder. Anything over a year and a day can go to DOC. But there are repeat customers that keep coming back.
Fact Check,
All defendants who are awaiting trial and not free on bail are housed at the detention center until their case is adjudicated.
Generally, persons sentenced to serve less than 1.5 years are housed at the county jail. Sentences longer than that are served at a state prison.
can’t wait for next weeks article. Bet it’s gonna be all fluff and no substance.
It will be a go to article….LOL
The CO union does nothing because the leader is sitting in a position that was created by Bane he is now nothing more than a yes man who does not stand up for his membership but you get what you vote for!!!
Backbuster 5,
When do you get to vote again? Are there any provisions to recall him if he is not providing any representation for you.
agency vehicle—yes
dayshift——yes
weekends off—–yes
works no holidays—–yes
can come and go when wants—–yes
Where do I get a job like that!
You run for union president and get elected. Then you make a deal with the Sheriff to always have his best interest in mind rather than your membership, and you assure the Sheriff that you will always keep him apprised of everything happening at the Detention Center. Then such a job could be yours.
Why didn’t you run for a position last fall?
How can there be so much hate for a person that ran completely unopposed?
I really wish the dagger would make a new thread for this kind of garbage, and stop all of the blog-jacking.
The only one talking hate is you. The others are talking about job performance in the position of union president. If someone is not doing a good job, and people comment on that, it does not mean they hate the person. Get real.
Whatevs Bobbie P. The officer the union elected to be president is still an officer first. He has a job to do, and he does it well. He also does a good job of representing the union members.
Take home agency vehicle—No
Dayshift, often 10 hour days, works out of 2 offices-Yes
Weekends off most of the time, but not always–Yes
On call all of the time-Yes
Works no holidays–Yes (The same as any other Spec. Unit)
Can come and go when wants–(Absurd)
Has always been passionate about officer safety and landed a pretty decent job-Yes
Thankless 2 hat job-Without a doubt
Bobbie P….You Sir, need to get real, and your facts straight. The others you mentioned did a poor job of blog trolling.
Jeff,
What fact do I have wrong? I have only responded to the posts of others.
Take home agency vehicle—No (agency vehicle for his own use—YES
Dayshift, often 10 hour days, works out of 2 offices-Yes (comes and goes)
Weekends off most of the time, but not always–Yes (always yes)
On call all of the time-Yes (on call, but by phone)
Works no holidays–Yes (The same as any other Spec. Unit)
Can come and go when wants–(Absurd)(Civies and uniform—-can pick)
Has always been passionate about officer safety and landed a pretty decent job-Yes (will give him this one, but only when he is not the target)
Thankless 2 hat job-Without a doubt (but benefits)
You are so off with your statement. Do you know the Correctional Officers Union President? I do and he is no yes man. You can address problems with someone who has no idea how to run the department. Do they have a book from Serpico on how to run a Detention Center? Anyone else amazed at the problems this department has. Just how does Bane keep so much crap from coming out to the public. I know, the Aegis will not report on anything negative on the Banester. If you want to see the poor leadership of Bane go back and read his response to the now famous 80 Proof one hit wonder video.
Maybe Bane should be asked why he did not plan far enough ahead to hire the deputies needed to run the new wing. Wouldn’t make more sense to have the people ready to run the new wing once it opened up? Or build the wing, let it set empty and then hire 5 to 7 Correctional Officers at a time. Guess which way Bane is doing it?
Now Bane is not going to hire a new Warden, he is putting the Col. out there to run the jail. What happens to that salary that is being paid for the Warden’s position? I do not see where not hiring a Warden is saving any money. This guy would need help in running a red light!
A Major retires who is qualified to run the jail (he has been since Dehaven left). Apparently he didn’t carry the FOJ card or he would have been offered the job. Another wasted resource by Bane. I would hate to be the next Sheriff who had to come in and clean this mess up. I see that 2000 vote gap closed already.
Marc Eaton,
Are you saying the Sheriff is placing the Colonel to work full time at the jail on a permanent basis, and that the Colonel will remain a sworn deputy? Stranger things have happened, but I find that an unlikely scenario.
Mike, he has been working both uptown and out at the Jail. The Col will now be running the jail and another Major will be doing his job up town. That is all I have heard. If it makes no sense….but you life Bane will do it!
Marc,
If Jesse does assign the Colonel out there on a permanent basis and then lets a Major do the Colonels job as Chief Deputy, he must be getting really paranoid. Even more than he is normally. He is really squeezing the circle of who he can trust to a small number.
Mike, his internal circle of a few will remain strong. His problem is the people who are fed up with him and his headhunters. They have had enough, and are starting to speak out. This is driving him crazy. I get calls and emails but if I post what I am told they are afraid Bane will figure out who is talking. They have families and need their jobs. Sad, people have to endure a tyrant like this to provide for their families. Lets hope someone steps up and turns this place around after the next election. Or Bane slips up and has to step down before then.
county police force and term limits.
…would be a bad idea.
How is that working in Anne Arundel County? The appointed police chief makes sure officers are assigned so the appointing official be safe having sexual encounters in parking lots and the police officers are used to pick up the appointing officials campaign donations. No confidence votes on both the Executive and puppet police chief.
Also, a county police department would not eliminate the Office of Sheriff. The Sheriff would still exist.
Sad part is the DC is so understaffed,when the class of new CO’s just graduated they are still short handed. These officers are being attacked and the judges dont care. They only care when PO’s get attacked. People are being fired due to the guy that went thru Heroin withdrawl died and now everyone is being “investigated”.
OOPS,
Why would someone be fired because an inmate died from heroin withdrawal? Is there something more to that incident that the HCSO public information officer did not tell the public?
Mike, I talked to the PIO the day I called about the video. I already knew Bane knew about it, that he considered it ‘artistic expression” stopped the investigation when I called. I just wanted to see what she would say. She acted like she knew nothing about it. She even told me Bane did not know about it. No such thing as a little white lie or a misstatement when you are a police officer or a spokes person for the department. I stated in that post that I wondered what other things they are not truthful about. Hell, he has a deputy working right now who was demoted for lying in a staff investigation. 530 to Harford County. He should have been fired, but when your wife gives money to the campaign you then carry the FOJ card. I wonder what the Judges in Harford County would think if they new this information? Better yet what does it say about Bane that he is aware of it and this deputy is still working in Patrol? He fires a deputy for lying on a warrant service but allows another one to continue working when he was caught in a lie. The really kicker in this is that this is not this deputy’s first brush with being dishonest. Wait a minute……..I wonder if lying is considered “artistic expression” of a false statement and covered under a person’s rights? I will bet that is what it is.
There is a way to improve staffing at the jail by instituting a different work schedule. The 4&2 schedule pulls officers away from the job about 17 more days per year. It does not allow supervisors to schedule manpower to meet the demands of the job. The hours worked under the 4&2 generally equates to 2074 hours. It is 8.5 hour days and not 8 hour days. If there is so much understaffing go to an 8 hour schedule and increase officer scheduled work days by 17 or 18 more days per officer per year. Do the math. When full staffing is obtained reconsider the 4&2 schedule. So you can increase the number of officers working per day and reduce the amount of overtime (taxdollars) spent. The negative to this? Officers would be scheduled to work 5 days in a row! I am sure some would cry about that but officer safety seems to be the critical issue here. You can’t have more days off per year and retain the same level of officer safety.
I don’t see any problem with working five days in a row. If you worked a true 5 and 2 schedule you would always have the same two days off. How would you decide who will always work weekends and never have Sat or Sun off?
Yes Mike there is more to it. I know of 1 person who was fired, 1 is suspended and others are being looked at
Sheriff Bane why don’t you tell us what really happened with the man who died at the DC. What the hell is going on out there? I thought you sent your Chief Deputy out there to make sure things were OK, and now we find out that you are firing people as a result of this death. What are you hiding from us?
Bane teaching Intro History and organization. Is this what they would call an oxymoron?
I love how they built the new jail and contractor did make it accessable from the roof. They didnt put any Heat or AC in it
OOPS,
No heat or air in any of the areas of the new jail expansion?? Really? Come on, they can’t be that screwed up!
Yes they can be. Everything was all sealed up before they realized it. Had to be redone
I am just blown away by how incredibly stupid that would be. I’m not going to ask if the project manager for the expansion project is still there. I’m afraid of the answer!!
*didnt