A small Maryland town of only 1,600 people has suspended its entire police force, prompting shock from local residents.

Commissioners of the town of Ridgely announced the suspension in an online statement last week without any further explanation.

“The Commissioners of Ridgley … suspended with pay the entirety of the Ridgely Police Department … effectively immediately, pending investigation by the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor,” the statement published on the town’s website reads.

“The Commissioners are currently developing a temporary agreement with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Department to guarantee uninterrupted public safety services for the citizens of Town of Ridgely,” the statement continues.

The good news is that Ridgley is extremely safe.

A small town suspended its entire police force. Residents want to know why https://t.co/hbzRzluYBq

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 21, 2024

“Crime in the county has been notoriously low for decades,” the Associated Press notes. “According to federal crime data, Caroline County, which includes Ridgely, has reported four homicides since 2000. And in Ridgely, violent crime peaked in 2010 with a total of 41 incidents reported.”

Furthermore, city officials have recruited help from nearby.

“Ridgely officials said they’ve made arrangements with the nearby Caroline County Sheriff’s Office to respond to calls for service within the town’s boundaries for now,” according to the AP.

Local residents are nevertheless a little freaked out.

“Some residents worried that slower response times and a reduced law enforcement presence could make them targets for would-be criminals,” the AP notes.

“What’s very concerning is that they didn’t communicate with us in an honest and open way,” resident Laura Cline told the AP. “Treat us with respect. We’re adults — thinking, rational adults who deserve the truth.”

“We were blindsided,” resident Holly Justice added. “It makes you question the integrity of people who are supposed to protect and serve.”

Justice’s business is reportedly located across from the police station, so she often exchanged greetings with local officers.

“Like I knew those guys,” she said. “It just makes you wonder.”

“It doesn’t add up,” said Gennie Woo, whose family owns a general store in town, told D.C. station WRC. “Everybody is skeptical about what happened. We just want to know how and why.”

According to the AP, the last time Ridgely made the news was when its then-police chief took part in detaining black criminal suspect Anton Black in neighboring Greensboro.

“Black died after officers pinned him down for more than five minutes as they wrestled him into handcuffs and shackles,” the AP notes. “His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit and received a $5 million settlement from three Eastern Shore towns, including Ridgely, whose off-duty chief helped restrain the 19-year-old.”

Never mind that Black had abducted a 12-year-old boy and later resisted arrest.

Watch bodycam footage of his arrest below:

Regarding the police’s suspension, the last time something similar occurred was in 2018, when an entire police department in North Carolina was suspended.

The suspension specifically came after Southport Police Department Chief Gary Smith and Lt. Michael Christian Simmons were arrested for corruption.

“The men’s arrest prompted city officials to suspend the entire Southport Police Department, which consisted of six other officers,” Newsweek reported at the time. “The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office was asked to assume all law enforcement functions after the Southport Police Department was suspended.”

Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David said at the time that investigators had begun looking into the two, Smith and Simmons, after receiving a tip that they were working overnight shifts for a trucking company.

“David said on Thursday that the two men would leave Southport and travel out of state. The two officers were charged with obtaining property by false pretense. Smith also faces charges of willful failure to discharge duties and obstruction of justice,” according to Newsweek.

“Smith was booked into the Brunswick County Detention Center under a $10,000 unsecured bond. He was released after posting bail. Meanwhile, Simmons was taken into custody during the news conference,” Newsweek reported.

Town Mayor Jerry Dove was left “shocked” by the allegations against Smith and Simmons.

“It was a shock to me to hear all these, being a former chief and knowing the officers that worked in that department and hired at least half of them,” she said.

The department’s other officers meanwhile were placed on administrative leave. Dove stressed however that the other officers weren’t necessarily in trouble and hadn’t necessarily done anything wrong.

“A lot of these officers have done absolutely nothing wrong,” he said. “Some of them are the ones that first came forward. This stain should not be extended to the officers who take seriously their duty to serve and protect.”

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Vivek Saxena

Senior Staff Writer
Vivek@bizpacreview.com

V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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