From Jeffrey R. Gahler:
Dear Harford County Readers,
Not very long ago, Sheriff Bane attempted to publically lay the foundation for additional personnel when he stated “I don’t have that number to police the county” and “explained that the number of sworn deputies working for the Sheriff’s Office does not translate to the number of feet on the street.” A detailed review of the justification for additional personnel provided by the Sheriff was found to be factually incorrect. Sheriff Bane acknowledged that my challenge was indeed correct. As I have stated in the past, and consistently believe, as the chief law enforcement officer for Harford County, Sheriff Bane’s duty to our citizens is to ensure that every “foot” in the Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to fighting crime and disorder in our streets.
As a candidate for Sheriff in 2010 and now an announced candidate for Sheriff in 2014, I believe the basic mission for any law enforcement agency is to prevent crime and disorder. To meet this mission, ensuring an adequate patrol force exists to meet the needs of Harford County’s citizens is key.
Sheriff Bane has now announced that he will expand his command staff by moving sworn deputies from operational elements to administrative elements through promotion. Sheriff Bane is currently expanding his command staff with a round of “at-will” promotions by adding a new major position and two additional captain positions to his staff while also creating a Legal Advisor position. The elevation of sworn deputies to previously nonexistent positions causes voids at the lower ranks. The addition, at the tax payer’s expense, of a Legal Advisor causes me to question motivation at a time when Sheriff Bane is being challenged by decisions he has made internally. Not to mention, the citizens of Harford County already bear the expense of an entire law department, where there is a county employed attorney dedicated to the needs of the Sheriff’s Office.
The citizens of Harford County deserve the most effective and efficient Sheriff’s office available. The approximate cost of these new positions to the taxpayer amounts to $330,000 based on the enacted FY2013 Harford County Budget. This does not take into consideration, future promotions required to fill essential vacancies or overtime payments to ensure proper staffing. I question Sheriff Bane’s motivation and further seek to understand why the sheriff, who again recently told Harford County citizens that he didn’t have enough deputies to do the job, is now converting three other deputy positions to civilian positions ensuring three fewer deputies to address the law enforcement needs of Harford County.
While the sheriff was making adjustments to his organizational chart, I question why he did not go further and either appoint or hire a warden for the jail. The dedicated staff at the detention center deserves better, the citizens of Harford County deserve more, and the safety of the inmates should be strongly considered . We just witnessed the death of the ninth inmate at this facility under Sheriff Bane’s personal self-proclaimed first hand watch (more to come on this soon). In truth, the absence of a warden has allowed the detention center to place Harford County in a precarious position in terms of safety, negative public and financial exposure.
Personnel moves and modifications must be made in a deliberate manner so as not to negatively impact the patrol force. With the election just months away, the motivation for these moves gives me great pause. I only hope that Sheriff Bane’s administrative actions were done for the greater good and his failure to address issues at the detention center does not allow for further deterioration of the conditions.
I would like to make it clear that I know the men who have been promoted and I certainly do not begrudge them the rightful advancement they are due. Had Sheriff Bane operated his office effectively and without partisanship from the outset most, if not all, of those promoted would have long ago achieved the ranks they now hold. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the commitment and dedication of the women and men of the Sheriff’s Office and I applaud the great work done every day.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey R. Gahler
Every shift is severly short. Yes a new academy recently graduated and they will soon be on the streets on their own but its not nearly enough to cover the previous patrol deputy vacancies, much less cover the positions that he just created vacancies by creating Captain and Majors positions in. The county provides an attorney or two to the Sheriffs Office at the countys expense. There was no need to take a Major and create a legal advisor position, that when it trickles down is one less person on the street. This goes against what Sheriff Bane told his rank and file which is that he intended to civilianize several positions. What does he do? He takes another deputy off the street. But in his own words he doesnt make most of these decisions, Well then who does? On the bright side Southern Deputies are cheering, its about time they got a new Captain, one who has a backbone!
If there is anyone qualified considering running for sheriff, please give it some serious thought and toss your hat into the ring soon. Very few people within the HCSO are sold on Gahler and virtually everyone I know is beyond sick of Bane.
The last thing the HCSO needed was more command staff positions. The new major is the “legal adviser” and would’ve done that job as a captain. Majors in the HCSO are supposed to be in charge of a bureau. Does this mean Bane creating an entirely new bureau that will pull yet more deputies from patrol? No one knows. No one knows where 2 of the 3 new captains are going (even though those promotions take effect as of 3/2 they aren’t being re-assigned until after the new academy graduates finish field training.) Who will be filling those vacant lieutenant spots? No one knows. One of the new captains will be doing virtually the same job he’s currently doing as a lieutenant, though from I heard he’s also going to be overseeing all the CALEA bullshit Bane is trying to push through to get that useless certification. All the money and resources currently being dumped into CALEA do absolutely nothing for the HCSO except cost millions of dollars, create a great deal of unnecessary headache and paperwork for everyone, and and give Bane something to put on his resume. There’s a reason why many large police agencies across the country have dropped their CALEA certifications in recent years. The benefits do not come even close to outweighing the cost. Meanwhile, patrol units continue to work at minimum staffing levels or are paying 1 or more deputies to work overtime virtually every shift in order to meet minimum staffing. Patrol’s overtime budget was virtually gone in December because of it and the fiscal year still has several months left. There are holes in the street level patrol supervisory ranks big enough to drive a tank through, but Bane thinks we need more command staff positions. It’s insane.
Funny how Bane has pushed the time line up for the CALEA certification, he wants it done in 18 months, just in time for the election as another “see what I did”. It is really sad that he has no clue, or has no cares of the negative impact it is already having on personel. I would be intersted in Jeff Gahler’s feelings of this waste of money and man power. This may just be the tipping scale in support from the boots on the street.
So the Sheriff feels like he needs his own personal legal adviser. He selects someone (a Deputy) and promotes them to the grade of Major from within his agency to fill that position. Someone who will give him unabashed, totally objective, legal advise. Really? LMAO!
Is the Major a member of the bar?
He just passed it in the last month or two.
So the employee in question expanded his professional capabilities, and received a promotion and change in his job duties as a result? How many other deputies are members of the bar?
Would you expect a hospital to continue employing someone as a nurse after they pass their medical boards and receive their license to be a doctor? Or a mailroom clerk keep pushing the mail cart after he’s received his CPA?
One would expect that that person would retire from the Sheriff’s Office and commence his new career. Instead, Bane created a fictitious position enabling his financial supporter to have the best of both worlds. This doesn’t help the deputies or the citizens of Harford County. It means the deputies are more over-worked and morale dips even lower and there is one less body on the street. But you know best.
Actually what most people thought was going to happen is that he was going to retire and then take that position. Instead, he’s going to collect major pay for 2 years and retire (thereby significantly boosting his pension), and if Bane is re-elected (doubtful at this point, but anything is possible) continue in that position as a civilian. If Bane isn’t re-elected then he has 2 years of experience to put on his resume for his post-HCSO career. Great deal for him, but a bad deal for the rest of us and does nothing to address the severe lack of personnel on the street or in the halls of the DC (and as bad as the staffing issues are on the LE side, they’re much worse on the Corrections side.)
There were a lot of surprised people when the promotion list came out and there were 3 captains and a major on it.
Kharn,
This would seem to make sense if there were a need for a legal department within the Office of Sheriff. As an agency of the County, the Office of Sheriff has the services of the County Law Department available for their necessary legal matters. The Sheriff could possibly make a case for having someone with legal training assigned for dealing with all of the internal disciplinary actions and trial boards that seem to be necessary under this Sheriff, however I fail to see how such a position would rise to the need of someone serving in the grade of Major to staff such a position.
Let’s face facts here, someone serving in the grade of Major who has just passed the bar, is making significantly more money than someone who has been practicing law for sometime and working in the Law Department or the States Attorney Office. Seems to add credence to another comment that the Sheriff is just rewarding his buddies. If the Sheriff needed a full time legal position he could have hired a civilian with more experience for less money than a Majors pay, and had them on board for longer than this man who already has 25 years with the agency and could retire at any moment.
Kharn, Point well taken but if I were the sheriff I would want legal advice from a seasoned and experienced lawyer not somebody who just passed the bar. Plus, the HCSO is part of Harford County. Harford County already has a legal department. Why does HCSO need a separate one? Does every ‘department’ in Harford County need their own legal department? No wonder government costs so much.
And exactly how much does a Major make? Seems like a duplication of efforts, especially since the County has an attorney already assigned to the Sheriff’s Office. Should we expect Craig to eliminate the county attorney position currently handling the Sheriff’s Office? This new position appears that Bane is trying to eliminate the small amount of accountability the county currently has in place. On the other hand, it seems like Bane may need a lot of representation over the next few months if he continues on this destructive path.
Pay scale for the individual who has been promoted to Major is between $122,346 and $126,027, annually.
Kharn’s rationale would have a Secretary in the States Attorney Office completing their law degree and passing the bar, then moving to a position which utilizes their new education as a prosecuting attorney, but moving to the top of the pay scale because they had 24 years service as a Secretary.
I say congratulations to the newly promoted Major. However, he is an Law Enforcement Officer who has completed an advanced degree in law. He should be assigned to a Command position with supervisory authority over a large law enforcement function within the Sheriff’s Office. To do otherwise is a waste of the extensive training and experience he has been provided.
This deputy just finished law school. What experience could he possibly have?
Jimmy…you got it all right with the last part of your comment. Insane. Hopefully other deputies will make comments to this article so the rest of us will have an understanding why these promotions are needed? Its the patrol deputies on the street that need help. How did Bane get away with this reckless decision making? Did this have to be approved by the county council and the executive? If so, the insanity is spreading.
Unfortunately for the citizen who realizes that this is wrong, there is no accountability for Bane except during the election. This type of disregard for public safety in order to fulfill his political agenda needs to be remembered in 18 months.
The detention center may not have an official Warden but we do have two unofficial ones. The Colonel as everyone knows has been checking in on the DC but we also have our psychologist Dr. Stallings running the daily operations of the facility. He has slowly taken over control of our policies on anyone housed in segregation whether they be there for physical ailments, mental issues, behavioral problems, or fighting. Despite the overwhelming statistics that incarcerated people are more likely to commit suicide in isolation, our own observations that all of our successful suicides have happened in solitary cells, and we’ve only had one attempt in general population Dr. Stallings has decided to ignore all of that and continue to move as many people from general population into isolation as possible. Dr. Stallings has opened his own housing area with a policy that gives him the ultimate authority on who stays and who leaves. So if you define a warden as the person who is responsible for the operation of the facility and who is the ultimate authority there, then we have one hidden in the Conmed contract in Dr. Stallings. The complaints in patrol are the same as the DC, our command staff is expanding while the only thing growing at the ground level is our vacancies.
Hello Mr. AndyRooneysFerociousEyebrows: Isn’t Dr. Stallings educated with a degree that entitles him to make the important decisions of who he sends to segragation? Isn’t it his responsibility to make those calls?
Now the question becomes, who looks out for those “high risk inmates” that are placed there? Are the co’s trained on what to look for? Do they have the appropriate PPE (person protective equipment)? Do they have the “life sustaining” equipment in case of an event? Are they trained in the usage of it? Or, are they expected to provide life saving services to an inmate, that they are not trained and prepared to?
Do you feel that a full time employee (could be a civilian) should be monitoring the cameras of the segragation cells so that a rapid response can be initiated and prevent death? That’s what many correctional settings have implemented, and they’re being successful. Have you heard any concerns or discussion about “upgrading” the monitoring in those cells -or- is the HCDC just going to continue to dump that responsibility on the co’s and continue to watch the films of inmates dying after the fact?
What do the co’s feel should happen to keep this from happening in the future?: A wise scholar once said: “to save one life, is to save the world”.
I don’t think The Dagger is the appropriate forum to be looking for this type of information and any information you do happen to get should be taken with a big grain of salt since you have no idea who is actually answering your questions. Maybe they actually are corrections officers who know what they’re talking about. Maybe they’re corrections officers who don’t know what they’re talking about. Maybe they’re actually law enforcement officers who’ve gotten most of their information 2nd hand at best (and more likely 3rd ot 4th hand at best.) Maybe they’re friends or relatives of corrections officers who are repeating things that were said to them by officers venting about what they’re dealing. Maybe they’re people who have no association with the HCSO at all and are just making stuff up or regurgitating things that have been said by others on The Dagger.
Regardless, I am sorry for your loss and I do hope that whatever changes are necessary to reduce the number of suicides at the HCDC and make it a safer environment for everyone do take place. I also have a feeling that you’re fishing for information for a lawsuit.
If you want to place all of your faith in the existence or lack of a degree so be it. Our last psych doctor had a degree as well. Under our last psych doctor we averaged approximately 4 inmates in isolation at a time, with a population around 400 that is 1%. We currently have about 450 inmates and we range from 20-45 inmates isolated depending on whether inmates are single or double celled in A or D Blocks. That is a range of 5%-10%, a huge increase. Many of the officers that worked under the last doctor are the same that are working under this doctor, but under the last one we average a death once every 6 years but under this one we have had 9 in the same period. I have personally witnessed the PPE being utilized to save inmate lives and I’ve seen the depression that results when we are unable to save a life and I assure you the officers are doing everything they can. The best monitoring system for someone who is depressed is general population, because he is in a dormitory with 19 other sets of eyes that aren’t going to just stand there and allow another inmate to commit suicide. The worst thing you can do is spread 45 people out in isolation cells across the facility in 7 different housing areas and hope a short staff can keep up with it. You can put all of your faith in a degree or you can use good common sense and statistics to tell him where to stick that piece of paper because it isn’t him that has to deal with the loss or pump a chest to sustain a life just to be scrutinized later.
Andy,
Twenty to Forty-five inmates in isolation at any one time. That would be a rate of 10% of population. The Detention Center’s problems are even greater than one would have imagined.
What kind of cell qualifies as an isolation cell? I had no idea the Detention Center had that many isolation cells.
Hello Mr. Hank: When I take my time and energy to post on here, I am speaking in honesty and out of concern; not only for the past deaths at HCDC -but- also out of concern for the future deaths, the staff and the families. If others choose to speak of what they don’t know and are speaking off the cuff — that’s on them. I seriously doubt that an attorney would gather their factual, proven evidence from a blog such as this. Further, our family has not, to date, filed a lawsuit toward anybody. Our priority from the beginning has always been to come to an understanding of what led to the death of a man we abundantly love. Would you do any less for someone that you love? I pray that you never have to find out.
Traveling this difficult path seeking knowledge, has forced us to take a good look at the HCDC and to listen with an open ear. Not a lot that is said in this blog can be accepted by anymore for anything more than “here say” because few people are willing to sign their name and stand behind what they are saying. Nevertheless, I fully understand their reasons and would not want one of them to be “scapegoated” when fault clearly does not point to them.
Everyone here can’t be lying or misinformed ; some of what is said has to come from somewhere with at least “part truths”. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine what is said in truth and good intentions from “spealing off at the mouth”. It’s like a puzzle: placing the pieces that truly fit and paying no attention to the ones that don’t.
I am interested in learning how a “broken” work environment contributes to the deaths of inmates -and- I’m very concerned about the co’s who walk away with that nightmare in their heads. Mr. Miller, Norm as we call him, was a great guy; he wasn’t a perfect guy, but he was an individual who cared about his fellow man and proved that many times in his life. The fact that he gave the “gift of life” to three other people after his death, speaks volumes about his character and who he was. So, why shouldn’t his death be questioned? Why wouldn’t we all insist on a better understanding as to what contributed to the deaths? The attitude of not discussing it only encourages the “lack of knowledge” and future deaths.
The HCDC’s mission statement says: “we stand for honesty and integrity”. I believe that the people that post on here, for the most part, are displaying their honesty and integrity and their candor is appreciated. Some of them are on the front line — and they are affected by these deaths. My encouragement has always been to “limit” the occupational hazard that they are experiencing and that’s speaking out in a “positive” forum.
I get the distinct impression that first responders are walking away from these events feeling that there should be more in place here to aid them in sustaining lives. My intent is to point out areas that should be of concern and encouraging those on the front line to discuss it and determine what they need to be more effective. We are talking about human lives here people — we are talking about standing up for the oaths of honesty and integrity that we took!
Lots of good points here. But they are made buy the usual dagger suspects. And get the 5-8 “like” checks. You would think this article and comments would get more attention.
Mike, I was saying that when we are down to 20 inmates in isolation, that is ~5% and when we are at the high end of the range (45) that is 10%. I would consider any cell, room, or housing area an isolation cell if at any given time it only houses one inmate. You could take a dorm designed for 20 people and turn it into an isolation cell if you removed 19 of the inmates. Counting the true isolation cells and the cells designed for two people in the blocks/pods we could have 130 inmates isolated in single cells in the current facility and probably double that if we used the expansion.
Andy,
Not saying things are great, but by your definition things are much better than I envisioned them to be with up to 45 people in isolation. I would not term anyone who happened to be single celled as being isolated in an isolation cell. Thanks for pointing out that you don’t really have up to 45 people in true isolation conditions.
By your limited definition Mike we have never had a single inmate in isolation because all of our cells are in a position where one isolation inmate could talk through their cell wall to the cell next to them. I consider any inmate that is in a position where they are secured in a structure, unable to see or touch another human being as being in isolation. All of our inmates are within proximity to speak to others. A few of the recent suicides have occurred in areas that met my definition of isolation but not yours.
Andy,
My definition of a true isolation cell would be one where an individual was unable to have physical or visual contact with others, along with the cell being positioned so that there was no view of a window to the outside that provides natural light. I think the DC has some cells that meet that definition. Perhaps the DC has a different definition of what an isolation cell is. While the capability exists to “separate” inmates from one another by placing them alone in a cell, that alone would not qualify as isolation.
Hello LOL: Please clarify: What is a “usual Dagger suspect”? What are 5-8 type checks? As you post, it would be informative for us, if we knew what you meant?
Bane is allowed to run amok because he is accountable to no one. The deputies and co’s are running ragged–you can see it in their eyes and on their faces. Bane has set the stage for his re-election campaign by rewarding his supporters and financial contributors. He constantly creates unnecessary positions for his supporters. People who post on here condemn Gahler and his supporters for campaigning. At least they do it openly and not underhandedly like Bane. The agency has been top-heavy for years, and now it is ridiculously so. The citizens of Harford County need to wake up now. When they call 911, it’s a patrol deputy who will respond, not a Major, a Legal Advisor, or an administrative Captain.
BBC I totally agree with you about the manpower. They need more patrol deputies. I have been robbed 5 times in 5 years. Yes, 5 times in 5 years. The county police tell me that they do not have the man power to see things through or they lead me on with leads that go no where.
However, twice the state troopers responded out of the five times and they got the job done. There were convictions made after the troopers’ investigations. The other 3 times, county deputies just don’t have the time or resources. The sad thing is that it is neighborhood kids who keep breaking into my house.
its a little confusing what is going on in the sheriffs office right now! internally, a majority of the deputies are frustrated with the political ‘dancing’ that’s going on. making unnecessary positions for “old buddies” which creates domino effect of promotions. most of the promotions are well deserved….but some new supervisors don’t even go to units or shifts were theyd be sufficiently used! and unaware (or just don’t care) to the majors/captains/sheriff….moral is pretty low! they need to start caring about what the deputies LE/CO have to say!! manpower is an issue with most police depts. around the country, but at least use what you have in a capable manner…not just keep spreading them out to areas where they are not needed!! Christ….theres a committee for every little thing, and some how it still gets mishandled?? even new police cars….deputies were to have a say in just the markings on them….yet someone decided on the “campus security” look!! but more importantly….the manpower issue needs to be addressed!!
The Deputies Union financed Bane’s last election and will probably do it again. These whining deputies have nobody to blame for Bane except themselves…
I don’t believe there is a need for a high paid fitness instructor either, especially since the only deputies who use the new expensive state-of-the-art gym at the Southern Precinct are the ones who are already in good shape and who regularly work out anyway. Tantamount to free membership for them. The ones who need to be whipped into shape don’t go near the place, since taking part isn’t mandatory. Yet we have a retired captain, a Bane supporter, in a position solely created for him, making $60K, doing what? Making sure there are enough paper towels in the locker rooms? This is the kind of nonsense that Bane does and is obviously continuing to do.
$60K ? You’re kidding right?
I don’t know if he’s actually making $60k or not (and if he is actually making that much it’s probably in line with what someone in a similar position would make in the private sector), but that’s about the only thing Bane’s done since the election that I think was a good idea. He’s not a fitness instructor giving individual deputies personal training. He’s basically building an overall wellness program from the ground up for the agency and coordinating with various outside medical professionals to provide health screening services for agency members and incentives for living healthier lifestyles. The goal of all that is hopefully prevent us losing another officer because of a preventable medical condition and hopefully for all of us to enjoy a long retirement instead being like way too many officers and dying within a few short years of retirement. Of course there already are a lot of deputies bitching about it for various reasons (the most common being that if you get injured doing the PT test you’re not covered by worker’s comp.)
It’s long overdue and is at least a step in the right direction of being mandatory. As part of it, all future LE and CO hires will have to pass an annual fitness test. It’s also step towards lowering health insurance costs for the county and individual deputies. This isn’t one of the areas I would pick to criticize Bane on, other than it taking so long happen.
Jimmy,
If the annual fitness test is mandatory why would you not be covered by workers compensation if you were injured during the test?
It’s not mandatory except for anyone hired after 7/1/13. Since for them it’s a requirement I’d expect that they’d be covered by worker’s comp if something happens, but that wasn’t covered in the informational meeting I attended. I’d expect that if/when it becomes mandatory for everyone then worker’s comp would have to cover it.
It’s voluntary for all current employees, though I don’t see any real reason not to do it. If you’re that concerned about getting injured while doing some push ups or a 1.5 mile run then you should probably be doing some other line of work. I know anything can happen (trip during the run and twist your knee, etc) it’s not very likely if you’ve bothered to properly prepare for it. There’s no penalty if you don’t do well on it, just better incentives for better performances and I don’t think the incentives are good enough to get most people to push beyond what they’re really capable of. I actually expect most people will take it a little easy on the test so that they don’t injure themselves.
In any case, it’s a good change for the HCSO and it’s the first step in a bigger cultural shift within the agency. All anyone has to do it take a look around and you’ll see plenty of deputies who need to be in much better shape and lose weight (in some cases significant amounts of weight.) Just like the rest of American society.
Jimmy,
You are correct, there are many who need to be in much better shape. If this new program achieves that end, then great.
If it is simply a wellness program at this point, then why wouldn’t it be mandatory?
Mr. Gahler, You might want to look into the rumor that Sheriff Bane is scaling back the number of lateral officers so he can hire people like the new PIO assistant. Sacrificing even more cops on the street for his election effort.
just curious …… how many on here are either employees (or have family members) of the HCSO and have a first hand understanding of the inner workings?
Bane never has “trusted” the legal advice by the county attorneys or the States Attorney. He has taken actions in the past despite the objections of the attorney’s. He does not want anyone “telling” him what not to do. So he promotes a deputy (one that does not have sufficient real-world experience, just like Bane) to provide legal advice? He would be better server tracking down criminals and actually doing some police work.
The title probably should have read “every foot in the Sheriffs is decicated to raising revenue for the State of Maryland”. We all wish they were dedicated to fighting crime, but my experience has been if there is no money in it, they have no interest.
Maybe it’s time for another Moyer.
although he probably couldn’t take the pay cut
I’m really tired of the Jesse Bane attacks. I’m a registered republican and I’m not interested in Mr. Gahler; I’ve seen him do is attack the current leadership. Maybe if Mr. Gahler spent more time supporting the leadership and less time being insubordinate and stirring up drama we would all be better off.
Mr. Gahler, a declared candidate for the office of Sheriff in the next election, has every right to state his opinion on the performance and leadership qualifications of the current Sheriff. He is apparently not alone in his observations/thoughts as many (including current Deputies) concur.
Tam,
I certainly respect your support of Mr. Bane; that is certainly within your right. There are many people, as the last election has shown us, that like Bane personally; after all, if he likes you, he is a nice guy. However, the majority of the people that like him have not worked for him. They know him from his days in crime prevention or community action, which again is something for him to be proud of as he built many relationships. Certainly there are those that work for him and like him as well; but I would challenge that most of these people have had some type of personal gain while working for him. However, this is not about Bane the man; this is about Bane the Sheriff. The Sheriff, which is the highest law enforcement officer of the county and has personally destroyed morale by his actions. Tam, I agree that sometimes the attacks on this page do seem personal; however, I would ask that you look at it more as frustration, or maybe desperation, of the men and women of what used to be a great police department. That being said, I would encourage you or anyone else that reads these postings to do your own homework and seek the truth. Are the accusations of low morale true? Are the crime numbers presented by the Sheriff accurate? Are certain employees that do not support Bane passively punished or not promoted? Is there a shortage of correctional and law enforcement officers on the street? Have there been several EEOC complaints against Bane and command staff? Have there been more lawsuits or settlements in the 6 years he has been Sheriff than any other Sheriff? Is it good business practice to spend tax payer money on positions that will not directly support law enforcement in the community? And I could go on and on.
In John Maxwell’s book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he discusses the ”law of the lid;” which in summary says if someone does not learn how to lead effectively, there will be a limit to their success. I would suggest that Sheriff Bane reached his lid as a Major, and some would argue even as a Captain. Again, this is not against Bane the man; it is reality about Bane the Sheriff. Tam, and all the others that think this is just forum to promote Gahler or bash Bane, do your own homework. I am confident that if you seek the truth, you too will be amazed and disappointed at what you learn.
I would like to see a candidate run for the people of Harford County and not against the opponent. I didn’t say I was supportive of Sherriff Bane. If Mr Gahler has the leadership, commitment, and best interests of the community, I hope he prevails. I haven’t seen evidence of anything other than rants and attacks. I guess my expectations of class, respect, and dignity aren’t realistic in politics.
Tam: You expect class, respect and dignity–well that is something that is missing from the Sheriff’s Office since Bane was elected. This isn’t bashing, ranting or attacking–this is merely the truth.
Tam,
To be clear, I am in complete support of Mr. Gahler’s campaign and have spoken on here of the issues with Sheriff Bane. I don’t feel that Mr. Gahler’s thoughtful and well researched letters amount to a rant in any way. To be fair, even Sheriff Bane has had to admit that Mr. Gahler has called things right. We have seen far to many politicians get by with no more than a friendly smile and no substance and Sheriff Bane is the shining example of it.
Tam – Insubordinate? Really? Politicians work for the citizens… Jeff Gahler is doing the tax payers and voters a service by holding Jesse Bane accountable. The rest of us should do the same with all elected officials…
@Tam,
Regardless of your part affiliation if you are not outraged by the current Sheriff’s actions than something is seriously wrong with you. If Sheriff Bane does not want Mr. Gahler to have any material than he should stop being the vindictive spendthrift who has been caught lying and hiding facts repeatedly.
Hello Tam: How can you expect Mr. Gahler to “support” what he does not agree with? He has clearly explained what he considers poor decisions on the part of the existing sheriff:
i.e., HCDC needs a full time, qualified WARDEN! He has explained his reasons indicating the many problem areas of employee morale, staffing, transparency to the public, appropriation of funding, that need attention and he has taken a public stance affirming his opinion on how it should and could be done differently.
I don’t see Sheriff Bane explaining his stance on these important issues. Nor is he sharing his insights on securing the needed changes. If he’s standing completely on “his time in grade, and the record of his watch”, he is lacking -or- he needs better “PR” people to explain why these unacceptable situations have been permitted to exist and plummet to the degrees they have over the “long term”.
If taking a good look, pointing out what is wrong and suggesting viable solutions is being “insubordinate” then that type of insubordination is overdue and should be welcomed by the citizens of Harford County.
As we all know, political campaigns can get nasty. But, during the process, a lot of truths can emerge to the public eye. If those truths shed light on things that are wrong, including the ways to fix them: as citizens we become knowledgeable about the decisions that have to be made; thus we the citizens are empowered to make the “best” choices, the best decisions available to us. We would never want either candidate to give up their right of “free speech”; that’s how we become informed.
When it comes to the county government, we must become very attentive to what is said, watching ever so carefully for the truth in what is said. Both of these men have a history, a background — when we look at the existing problems — we must ask ourselves — what caused the problems? who played what part? whose proposing the best solutions, viable solutions? who could have secured positive change by now but didn’t? who is going to represent me in going after what I think is right in fixing it? who will I support, who will I align myself with — and why?
We must all take part in choosing the best leadership that we can in all areas. We research, we read, we educate ourselves — then we determine. It’s called “The Power of the People”!
Vic – 9 must be Jeff Gahler. Your entire comment looks more like a political platform, than a post from a grieving family member. Lay this article to rest.
Hello Bill Paxton: I assure you, I am a close relative of Mr. Miller who was at the HCDC in January 2013 — and died. I do not know, nor have I ever had the pleasure of meeting
Mr. Gahler. What I have laid to rest Sir., is the body of our beloved family member — not the memory and the insight I have of what happened at the HCDC.
I have made my comments how I honestly see it — I have been as “objective” as I could, and I have expressed a caring nature toward ALL involved in doing so. I am just as involved and concerned as anyone — so why wouldn’t my opinion count? Why does it hit such a nerve with you? Is the truth just becoming too close to you? Specifically, just what did you not want to hear in my post? What offended you?
Speaking out is what this blog is all about. Why would you want to stifle anyone from speaking out in truth? You don’t have to agree with what is said –but- as an American, you should be willing to defend their right to say it! It’s called “FREEDOM OF SPEECH”.
And yes Bill, I grieve very deeply over the death of my loved one — but that doesn’t mean that I have lost my “good reasoning” skills or the ability to voice my opinion especially where it may do someone else some good.
Hey man, it’s the dry heat!
Bill, there are about 4-5 names that appear on every Sheriff article in the Dagger. They think they are slick, appearing to be in the know about everything that goes on in the HCSO. All they are doing is campaigning and they think everyone is too dumb to recognize it. Some even pretend to be deputies in the hopes of sucking in support against Bane, which is saying support for Gahler.
Has Mr. Gahler or others who are posting regarding this article said things that are untrue? Feel free to point out where and how their comments fall short of the truth. Nothing like a healthy debate using truthful facts to provide others information.
J Edgar: Your reasoning is illogical. Just because someone doesn’t support Bane doesn’t automatically make them a Gahler supporter. You come across as smug and superior. Yeah, you know something the rest of us don’t. Get over yourself and find another blog to post on.
I find this very troublesome as a citizen because I want to feel as though I can rely on the local police to help when I am in need of their assistance. It does help explain why I cannot get any resolutions to the robberies that have occurred in my home the past few years. There should be more patrol deputies than administrative positions in place. Worrisome. I have been robbed 5 times in 5 years. Three of those time the county police responded. They pretty much told me that they did not have the resources, man power, or time to find out who it doing it. Twice the state police responded. They told me thy would find who is responsible and work to the best of their ability to bring about an arrest. They did! There were convictions made very quickly. The kids that were arrested were found guilty. Same kids broke in the other times but were not arrested, the county responded to those calls. Something needs to change if man power is not there to help its citizens.
Your house has been robbed 5 times…..LOL get a dog, or a dead bolt.
If you got robbed in your home 5 times in the past 5 years you might want to rethink who you’re letting into your home.
If your home was burglarized 5 times in the past 5 years then you should probably look for ways to make yourself less of a target, especially if the same people did it multiple times. Criminals generally look for the easiest target with the highest reward and if they keep coming back to your house then that should tell you something.
Don’t take this as a “blame the victim” comment as it is not intended that way, but there are some simple ways to make your house less attractive to criminals and many of them don’t cost much and if the same people keep coming back then it’s pretty obvious you didn’t take those steps.
Oh, I have. I have 2 very intimidating dogs, dead bolts, neighbors who keep an eye out since all this started. My house is very tiny and run down. I wish I could afford a security system or some sort of camera to get these jerks. I am open to suggestions. The police department made me feel as though it is my fault and that I am inviting these kids in. Frankly, when they made that comment it was very upsetting. I am not the one asking to be burglaried. I work 3 jobs to maitain what I do have, as little as it is.
Houses aren’t robbed, they are burglarized. If you really had this happen to you and the courts/police were involved then you should know that.
Why thank you Mr. King of Common Sense. I am now better informed and have improved my vocabulary today. It is a true story.