A small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has suspended its entire police force and hasn’t explained why.
The crackdown on law enforcement in Ridgely is pending the results of an investigation by state prosecutors, but residents are shocked over the decision, not being told why.
Other public agencies have agreed to fill in the void as the Ridgely Police Department is temporarily defunct.
However, residents are concerned about response times in times of need and haven’t received information as to why their entire police department was shut down.
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In a statement on the town’s government website last week, officials said Ridgely’s three-member commission had “suspended with pay the entirety of the Ridgely Police Department”.
They said the Office of State Prosecutor is investigating. The office handles cases of public misconduct, ethics law violations, election fraud, and more.
The department also faced the spotlight in 2018 when its then-chief was involved in the death of Anton Black in Greensboro.
Black passed away after officers pinned him down for more than five minutes as cops wrestled him into handcuffs and shackles.
Black’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit and received a settlement to the sum of $5m, from three Eastern Shore towns, including Ridgely. The off-duty chief helped restrain the 19-year-old before he died.
Officials have said arrangements have been made with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office to respond to calls for now, as well as Maryland State Police pitching in.
Ridgely, home to 1,600 residents, is a small town, with a history rooted in the expansion of the American railroad in the late 1800s.
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