Accountability Through Transparency
As Sheriff, accountability and transparency will be a primary focus of operations. This means weekly statistics, arrest logs, and immediate communication with the public for major incidents. The accountability will extend beyond just the Sheriff’s Office. Accountability and Transparency means all aspects of the judicial system. We will publicly release the outcomes of court cases so the public knows when generous plea agreements from the states attorney or light sentences from the judges allows repeat criminal offenders to roam freely in our county.
Under my watch the Sheriff’s Office will follow state and federal regulations regarding the release of information through the Freedom of Information Act. It will be a primary objective of my administration to voluntarily provide as much information to the public as possible to cut down on the number of request being processed.
Parental Accountability
Restoring Accountability. Supporting Families. Protecting Victims.
Recent changes to Maryland law have limited the ability of the juvenile justice system to address certain offenses. As a result, juveniles committing crimes such as theft, assault, disorderly conduct, disruption of school activities, and curfew violations are often not held accountable through the traditional system.
That is not acceptable.
Victims deserve better, and ignoring early patterns of behavior only leads to more serious crime down the road.
A Smarter Approach to Early Intervention
This framework is designed to close that gap—by addressing these issues early, directly, and effectively.
Under this proposal, specially trained deputies would identify repeat juvenile offenders and make direct contact with their parents or guardians. The first step is engagement—not enforcement.
Deputies would connect families with available resources, including:
Child in Need of Supervision (CINS) services
Local Care Teams
Maryland Department of Human Services
Behavioral Health resources
School-based services (IEP/504 plans)
Peace Orders when appropriate
The goal is simple: help families correct behavior early and set juveniles on a better path.
Support First. Accountability When Necessary.
Families making a genuine effort to address their child’s behavior will be supported every step of the way. This approach is not designed to punish parents who are trying—it is designed to help them succeed.
However, when parents or guardians refuse to engage, ignore repeated interventions, or fail to take reasonable steps to address ongoing behavior, a civil citation process would be pursued as part of a county ordinance.
Accountability matters. Early intervention matters.
Allowing this behavior to continue unchecked only makes the problem worse—for the child, the family, and the community.
Working Together to Get Results
This framework would be presented to the County Commissioners and developed in coordination with key community partners, including the State’s Attorney’s Office, Washington County Public Schools, and local juvenile services.
A Better Path Forward
We cannot continue to ignore these issues.
We must address them early, support families, and hold people accountable when necessary.
That is how we improve public safety and protect the quality of life in Washington County.
Transient Offenders
Integrate Hometown Initiative with Adult Treatment Court justice system case processing. This post-plea addition to the adult treatment court program institutes a team approach toward the treatment of mental health patients and those experiencing substance abuse problems that lead to criminal activity. It is the goal of this addition to relocate transient offenders to their hometown. Through a collaborative process, the Washington County Sheriffs Office will locate family or peers from the offenders hometown to establish a support system for a greater chance of successful rehabilitation.
Use a non-adversarial approach in which prosecution and defense counsel promote public safety while protecting due process rights and freeing local resources. Through the State’s Attorney Office and the counsel of the offender a focus on the participants recovery. The states attorney’s office will screen candidates to ensure they meet the established eligibility requirements. The counsel for the participant will assure the participant is fully informed of the court process
Identify eligible participants early for immediate referral to the program. Substance abuse problems and under treated mental health problems may be easier to identify after offenders are arrested. When experiencing the crisis of arrest, offenders may be more open to pursuing treatment because the consequences of drug use and under treated mental health problems are much more obvious at that time. A participant is will be more inclined to seek a family or peer support system to assist in their treatment. Many studies show a persons treatment is more successful with a support system.
Provide contact and transportation to the family or peer support system and information on treatment options in the participants hometown.
Provide access to a continuum of treatment and rehabilitation services. Only part of offenders' treatment takes place in the courtroom or in formal treatment settings. Through the Division of Parole and Probation, agents will assist in creating a therapeutic team approach to assist with secondary issues, such as housing and unemployment. If these issues are not addressed, successful substance abuse treatment will be compromised. Offenders need access to a full range of services as one size does not fit all.
Monitor abstinence by frequent drug testing. Drug testing is the most reliable, objective way to detect recent drug use. A drug testing system ensures individual accountability and helps gauge participant's progress and compliance with the program. These services will be provided through the Cecil County Detention Center, CARC Unit. Participants will be randomly tested twice per week through urinalysis and/or Alco Monitor. All results will be forward to the Drug Court Coordinator.
Coordinate court and treatment program responses to participants' compliance or lack of compliance, including contingency contracts that involve participants in their own sanctions and incentives. The Cecil County ADTC team will recommend rewards and sanctions that will promote ending drug use. The ADTC Judge will impose graduated sanctions, when necessary, in response to non-compliance with treatment and/or the program. When participants are to be recognized for positive progress and compliance with the program guidelines, rewards will be enthusiastically presented by the ADTC Judge as well as the team.
Require ongoing judicial interaction with drug court participants. The ADTC Judge has taken the lead with our drug court team. Through the Judicial process, participants will be referred to the Cecil County Health Department for assessment and treatment, when possible and appropriate. Through the supervision of our ADTC Judge, participants will understand that someone in authority cares about their progress and success. Ultimately, this involvement by the ADTC Judge will increase the chance that participants will remain in the program.
Monitor and evaluate achievement of program goals and program effectiveness. The goals and objectives of Cecil County ADTC are measurable, achievable, and realistic. This outcome data will be used to provide accountability to funding agencies and policy makers. The anticipated positive outcomes will increase the likelihood that the Cecil County ADTC program will continue to receive funding and community support.
Promote effective drug court planning through interdisciplinary education of planning teams. The Cecil County ADTC team members, as well as those indirectly involved in the program, will continue to receive training and education through AOC, Federal and local trainings. Implementing the training and education obtained will ensure that the ADTC’s goals and policies are understood, reasonable and realistic. It will also provide opportunities for ongoing interaction between personnel from different agencies.
Forge partnerships among drug courts, public agencies and community-based organizations.The Cecil County ADTC will work to create partnerships among organizations dedicated to rehabilitating substance abusing offenders. By establishing multiple partnerships, more services are available to participants during and after the program. Increased resources lead to a higher program success rate, improved life skills and a more fulfilling, appropriate lifestyle for the participant and their family.
Animal Control
As Sheriff, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will work as a partner to the Humane Society of Washington County. As a partner, the sheriff’s office will take a more active role in the criminal complaints involving domestic animals and livestock.
Selected deputies will receive additional training for animal abuse cases and assist the Humane Society with their investigative needs. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office will establish a training program that will include Humane Society Animal Control Officers providing them with additional training and experience to help them effectively perform the job functions they are task with.
Quality Of Life Crimes
Quality of life crimes may not be the headline making, attention getting crimes that we read about and that seem to take all of the resources, but to the victims of those crimes, they are just as important.
Crimes such as nuisance noises, vandalism, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, harassment, etc. are crimes that all to often overlooked. When these crimes go unchecked, victims feel hopeless and offenders feel empowered.
As Sheriff, I will encourage and support deputies to problem solvers not just call takers. Supported deputies feel comfortable using the laws and tools available to them to make arrest, file charges, contact partner entities to use all resources to improve the quality of life of all county residents.
Additionally, I will work with county commissioners to implement a nuisance call ordinance aimed at fine property owners for repeat nuisance calls to their property.
After an agreed amount of nuisance calls in a given time frame, a civil citation will be issued for each violation.
Any crime, including “minor” crimes that go unchecked lead to an environment where serious crime can fester.
Commercial Traffic Management
As sheriff I will work with county and state roads department to implement predetermined truck traffic detours off of all major exits and work to create truck only routes from warehouse centers.
When there is a accident on 81 or 70 the traffic on our county roads and small communities become a congested mess. Tractor trailer drivers often follow GPS designed for passenger vehicles leading them to roads and turns not designed for large vehicles. This causes damage to roads, signage, sidewalks, and shoulder areas. It also leads to congestion affecting safe, timely travel for county residents to their destinations.
With increased truck traffic due to the recent construction of warehouses in our county, commercial truck traffic on roads not designed for large vehicles impedes the steady flow of passenger vehicles and put some drivers in position to navigate areas beyond their skill level.
By creating truck routes around the warehouse areas, they will be restricted to those roads that guide them to the interstate. This will reduce traffic congestion for passenger vehicles, reduce impact on local infrastructure, and give law enforcement the ability to enforce the designated routes.