The No BS Zone Going Forward

In recent weeks, I have been relying mostly on press releases to keep this blog going. While I enjoy the back and forth dialog, I often find it difficult to budget the time necessary to put all my thoughts into cyber-space. During election season, it's rather easy. I get so passionate and entrenched into the discussions, I cannot wait to make my feelings known. During the off season, it's hard to keep that enthusiasm at an equitable level.

That got me thinking. Why do I get so worked up over not posting anything for 3, 5, 7 or 10 days? The 2010 Primary Election remains a little less than a year and a half away. In other words, I intend to cover that election with as much vigor as 2008. Primarily, I will focus on the following races:

1) Anne Arundel County's 3rd Council District
2) Maryland's 31st and 32nd Legislative Races
3) Maryland's 1st Congressional District Race

To a lesser extent, I'll cover these contests:
1) Maryland Gubernatorial race
2) Maryland Senate Race (if Babs retires)
3) Any competitive Anne Arundel County-wide race

Additionally, I will continue to bring select Anne Arundel County Police press bulletins. The department likes the exposure and I have been told they even watch the anonymous comments when it comes to unsolved cases.

Like I said, I enjoy the good discussions we have here. That said, there's little sense in having filler talk in between election cycles. Therefore, don't be alarmed or encouraged if I am gone for any length of time. I am watching and will report things as I feel they are relevant.

Deviant Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Child

On March 20, 2009 at approximately 1554 hours, officers responded to the area of Greentree Court and Galaxy Drive in Crofton for a report of a possible kidnapping. The caller advised she was “babysitting” a seven-year-old female along with her younger brother at a playground near the babysitter’s residence when she took the younger brother to the bathroom. When the babysitter returned, the seven year old female was missing. The babysitter immediately began searching the area and located the young girl a short time later back at her residence, where the girl advised that an unknown male subject approached her and asked for “assistance” inside of his residence. According to the girl, the male sexually assaulted her inside the home. Shortly thereafter, the girl was able to leave the residence and that is when she fled back to her babysitter’s house.

The victim was transported to the hospital, where she was examined and treated for unspecified injuries. After an extensive investigation, the suspect was positively identified as a 17-year-old male who lives in the house the young female was lured to. A warrant was obtained in the early morning hours of March 21st for his arrest. The suspect has been arrested and is being charged as an adult with 2nd Degree Rape, 2nd Degree Sex Offense, 3rd Degree Sex Offense, 4th Degree Sex Offense, Perverted Practice and 2nd Degree Assault.

At this time, there is no information about other victims. There was no known prior association between the suspect and the victim in this case. The victim does not live in the neighborhood where this incident occurred. Anyone who might have information about this case or others is asked to contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Major Crime Section Special Crimes Unit at 410-222-3566.

Suspect: David Benjamin Raszewski, 17, of 1717 Granite Court, Crofton, MD 21114 is currently being held at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on $2,000,000.00 (2 million) bond.

Information Wanted--Attempted Sexual Assault

On Thursday, March 5, 2009, between 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., an unknown white male grabbed a resident of the 6900 block of Glen Ridge Circle in Glen Burnie, by her hair and pulled her into an apartment laundry room. The suspect attempted to remove a piece of her clothing, before he fled the area on foot.

White male, 20-30 years of age
5-9/6-0, 160 lbs.
Brown patchy beard and brown eyes
Wearing: gray hooded sweatshirt
And dark gray jeans.

If you have any information regarding this case (2009-708461)
or the suspect, please contact:

DETECTIVE TRACY MORGAN
410-222-3466

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION SEX OFFENSE SQUAD 41 COMMUNITY PLACE CROWNSVILLE, MARYLAND 21032

Wanted Anne Arundel Sex Offenders

The Anne Arundel County Police Department Criminal Investigation Division Sex Offender Registry Squad is seeking the public’s help in locating the following wanted Registered Sex Offenders.

George Carl Watson IV (30)
Last know address: 12 Ferdinand Avenue
Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061

John Melvin Brown Jr. (35)
Last know address: 915 Victory Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21225

Willie Floyd Brown (49)
Last know address: 614 Greenbriar Lane
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Mark Link Corbett (38)
Last know address: 403 Morningside Drive
Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061

The above Registered Sex Offenders are wanted for various warrants related to the Maryland Sexual Offender Registry Laws and can not be located at their last know addresses. If anyone knows the whereabouts of the above offenders please call (410) 222-3566

From the Anne Arundel's Dumbest Criminals File....

Legislation Would Repeal Soda Fountain Fee

Annapolis, Md. – On Friday, March 20, 2009 Delegate Nic Kipke (R-Pasadena) introduced legislation to repeal a 1916 section of Maryland law. The law, created around the turn of the century, created a fee for old-fashioned soda fountains that are affectionately associated with ice cream sodas, root beer floats, and the original cherry cola. The $27 fee has not been enforced for decades but a letter dated March 4, 2009 from the office of the Comptroller encouraged local governments to inform restaurants that this fee could be collected, and it was up to local governments to decide if it shall be enforced. A 1930s Attorney General’s opinion allowed for interpretation of soda fountains to include soda machines, bar wands, and other mechanisms to pour sodas at bars and restaurants but it has not been enforced until now.


Restaurants already pay a hefty licensing fee which varies in price based on the size and complexity of the operation. “I chuckled to myself at the thought of having to introduce legislation dealing with old-fashioned soda fountains,” said Kipke. “But with restaurants struggling to keep their doors open, I believe with certainty that we cannot allow the state to revive this archaic fee just for the sake of raising revenue.” The fee has the potential to hit an industry badly bruised by the ailing economy by at least $1,500,000 annually. “Though restaurants do everything they can to increase business, they just can’t magically increase their sales, especially in this economy. This archaic fee combined with an extensive mosaic of taxes, licensing fees, and sluggish sales is the perfect recipe to force many family owned restaurants out of business,” Kipke concluded.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is also astonished at the State’s suggested revival of the soda fountain fee. “[S]uch fountains were associated with drugstores, five-and-dime (variety) stores and soda shops. Such venues may not have been the fully-licensed foodservice facilities of today that fall under the control of local health departments,” wrote Melvin Thompson of the Restaurant Association of Maryland in a letter to the Comptroller’s office. He continued, “We question the legality of continuing to require such a license without clear legislative definition, especially since the current regulation of businesses operating fountain devices falls under the purview of a locally-issued foodservice facility license. We realize that there are literally thousands of obsolete laws that remain on Maryland’s books. Please explain the rationale behind the decision to re-enforce this law as opposed to others.”

There are over 9,000 restaurants in the state, directly employing 175,000 people. The industry reports almost $9 billion in Maryland sales with $479 million in state sales tax revenue.

Kipke appointed Ranking Member of HGO

Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell and Minority Whip Christopher B. Shank announced the appointment of Delegate Nicholaus Kipke as the Ranking Member of the House Health and Government Operations Committee.

Delegate O'Donnell stated, "We are very pleased to have Delegate Kipke serve as our leader on the Health and Government Operations Committee. He has been determined in his efforts to support our Republican caucus and his energy and commitment to our agenda will continue to benefit all Maryland residents."

Delegate Shank agreed and stated, "Delegate Kipke has proven himself to be a valuable member of the caucus. He has demonstrated both considerable knowledge of the issues before the Health and Government Operations Committee, and a natural ability to build consensus amongst differing viewpoints and priorities. His contributions have been, and no doubt will continue to be, appreciated greatly by his colleagues."

"It is a great honor to have been selected by the leadership of the House Republican Caucus for this position. I am eager to work collaboratively with my colleagues to ensure that Maryland continues to have a high quality, affordable health care system." said Delegate Kipke.

Delegate Kipke represents District 31, Anne Arundel County. He has been a member of the House of Delegates and the Health and Government Operations Committee since 2007.

Republican Announces Candidacy in District 32

Let the march for 2010 begin. Stephanie A Hodges has announced she'll seek a delegate as a Republican in District 32. Keep in mind, all four (including the Senate) of District 32's seat are currently occupied by Democrats. Therefore, any Republican challenger will have the difficult task of knocking off untainted incumbents in a year that should still favor Democrats.

As of now, Mrs. Hodges' website remains a little vague on her stances. Therefore, I am reserving judgment on her until she offers further details. I am impressed that she has highlighted endorsements from two of Maryland's more effective Republicans. So long as she continues to follow the advice of reasonable people such as Nic Kipke and James King, I think she can potentially make an appeal district wide.

Update: Suspect nabbed in Glen Burnie Robbery

On March 7, 2009, at approximately 1558 hours, a male subject entered the CVS store located at 7400 Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie. This subject approached the service counter and handed the on duty employee a note. This note indicated that the subject was armed with a handgun and that the clerk should surrender money in order to remain safe. The clerk complied with the demands and gave the subject an undisclosed amount of U.S. Currency from the cash register. The subject was then able to make his escape.

An anonymous tip was received indicating that 58-year-old John Raymond Heppding of no fixed address was responsible for having committed this robbery. Robbery Unit detectives were quickly able to confirm this information and an arrest warrant was obtained charging Mr. Heppding with having committed the robbery of the CVS store. At approximately 1545 hours, Mr. Heppding was located by Northern District officers and arrested. He is currently being held at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center awaiting trial.

Kratovil a Leader in E-Verify

A few weeks ago, I made a vow to stop responding to endless rants from anti-Kratovil/pro-Harris bloggers. For starters, I really lack the time to play around on the computer all day. Secondly, it just gets too frustrating debating a group of ideological-driven clowns, who constantly try to paint Congressman Kratovil as some far left winger.

Anyway, some have been suggesting that Mr. Kratovil does not support the e-verify system because he didn’t sign on to some silly letter from Rep. Bilbray of California. In essence, the letter requested Speaker Pelosi include e-verify in the omnibus, which it already was, so it was a pretty lame tactic.

Meanwhile, as Bilbray and his cronies were engaging in their dog and pony show, Kratovil took actual steps to continue e-verify. Along with 15 other Democratic and Republican Representatives, Kratovil co-sponsored H.R. 622, known as the Employee Verification Amendment Act of 2009. In essence, this bill seeks "to evaluate and extend the basic pilot program for employment eligibility confirmation and to ensure the protection of Social Security beneficiaries".

While I hate to engage and disappoint the usual suspects, I feel it's only right to correct an intentional distortion.

Robbery Suspect Wanted by Anne Arundel Police

On Saturday, March 7, 2009 at approximately 1558 hrs., a robbery occurred at the CVS located at 7400 Ritchie Hwy., Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

The pictured suspect entered the store and handed the clerk a robbery note announcing a robbery. The suspect was seen possibly getting into the passenger seat of a primer gray Ford Mustang with a loud exhaust.

If any one has information on the incident or suspect please contact:

Detective Clifford Van Hoesen #1000
Anne Arundel County Police Department
Criminal Investigation Division
Robbery Unit
41 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032
Phone # 410-222-3469 or
Phone # 410-222-3566

Andy Harris: Take a Hike

It's almost nauseating. And, I don't know what's worse: watching the desperate pro-Harris bloggers beg for their Messiah's return or watching Andy himself pander for attention. Either way, it's a pathetic attempt on both fronts to portray an ineffective State Legislator as some force to be reckoned with.

Recall, John McCain won all 12 District 1 counties. By comparison, Harris could only win 3. Still, Harris and his despondent ilk continue to pretend some anti-Republican sentiment prevented them from achieving their destined spot in the United States House of Representatives. All along, they mistakenly viewed the support of 40% of the GOP primary electorate as an overall pulse of the entire district.

Face it, Frank Kratovil won because people felt more comfortable with him as our leader. For years, Wayne Gilchrest stood independent of party. In turn, individuals of all ideological backgrounds took notice. When it came time to choose a successor, voters chose continuity over blind partisanship.

No doubt, Andy Harris has handled his defeat with little class. It started on election night when he walked out on his supporters without any acknowledgment. It continued days after his empty concession speech when he vowed to run again. In the interest of good taste, he could have waited until his opponent took office before essentially telling voters they made a mistake.

While I am throughly convinced Harris would no longer hold elective office if he decides to run for Congress again, I really wish he would bark up another tree. In reality, he poses little threat to a moderate Eastern Shore resident like Frank Kratovil. In the end, I prefer good competition to help keep our politicians honest.

House Judiciary to Hear Ammo Registration Bill

House Bill 1446, a bill requested by the Maryland State Police to require the registration of ammunition at purchase has passed out of the House Rules & Executive Nominations Committee and re-referred to the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing on March 19 at 1:00 pm.

This bill would require that any person engaged in the business of selling ammunition maintain extensive records on all, including the date of sale, purchaser’s full name, address, date of birth, description of the form of ID used as well as the type and quantity of ammunition purchased. The bill also forces a business that sells ammunition to allow the inspection of the sales record by a law enforcement officer upon request. HB 1446 is tantamount to firearm registration, will do nothing to stop crime and only increase the size and bureaucratic scope of the Maryland State Police. If they succeed, they will no doubt be back wanting a background check or license to purchase ammunition as well. This bill must be defeated. If you think ammunition is hard to find now, just wait and see how hard it is to get if this bill passes.

Congress has tried ammunition registration in the past, only to discover that it was not only ineffective for law enforcement, but also completely unmanageable due to the sheer volume of transactions. Ammunition registration creates huge record keeping requirements and provides no useful benefits for law enforcement; which is why it was repealed under the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986.

Proposed Bill Attacks Hunting in Maryland

On Wednesday, March 18 at 1:00 pm, the Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee will hold a hearing on House Bill 1309.

HB 1309 would arbitrarily expand the hunting “safety zone” from 150 yards to 300 yards from any occupied building. HB 1309 is sponsored by Delegate Barbara Frush (D-21) and Delegate James Hubbard (D-23A), two anti-hunting legislators whose goal is to end all hunting in Maryland . This legislation is the first test on a full slate of anti-hunting bills in Maryland and we must make our voices heard on this bill if we are going to defeat this anti-hunting measure and protect the future of hunting in Maryland.

DUI Checkpoints in Severna Park This Weekend

Colonel James Teare, Sr., Chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, announced today the locations of their seventy-seventh and seventy- eighth DUI Sobriety Checkpoints. The seventy-seventh will occur FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009 between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and midnight on Northbound Ritchie Highway near Arundel Beach Road in Severna Park. The seventy-eighth will occur on SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2008 between the hours of 12:15 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Southbound Ritchie Highway near McKinsey Road in Severna Park and will support the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “Checkpoint Strike Force” impaired driving interdiction initiative.

Anne Arundel Police Launch Facebook Page

The Anne Arundel County Police Department is pleased to announce the creation of its very own Facebook page. This page was originally launched on February 20, 2009, and is formatted in a user friendly manner that allows visitors to easily navigate and view pictures, watch videos, read press releases and public service announcements and network by becoming a fan of the department. Additionally, the department posts crime posters and will explore the option of adding surveillance video in the future. The page is updated on a daily basis.

How's Leopold Going To Explain This One?

Today, the Capital carried an article regarding last night's County Council meeting. Buried in the article is the following excerpt:

From the council dais, Middlebrooks linked the county executive, who is single, to an unnamed female county employee, saying "we know" that her car was parked next to Leopold's in the parking lot and that Leopold's cell phone records show there were several calls between the two that day.

Records obtained by The Capital show the county executive has spent as much as 90 percent of his monthly airtime on calls to one phone number. That number belongs to a female county employee who formerly worked in his office and since then was transferred to another department.

Within 10 months of her taking a job in the county executive's office suite, that employee's pay increased by one-third to $16.92 an hour, according to county records. Her phone number is the same one the county executive called multiple times on Jan. 30.

During the two weeks before and the two weeks after the incident, 39 of the 47 phone calls on one of Leopold's county cell phones were made to or received from that same number.

I would love to hear Leopold's explanation of this one. It's time for a change in Anne Arundel County.

Confiscating Guns Without Due Process

Last month, the following bills dealing with domestic violence were introduced in both the Maryland State Senate and House: Senate Bill 144, Senate Bill 210, Senate Bill 267, Senate Bill 268, House Bill 214, House Bill 296 and House Bill 302. These bills may be voted upon as early as Thursday, March 5 and it is imperative that you contact your State Legislators and express your concern about these bills.

Simply put, these bills require subjects of final and temporary protective orders to surrender their firearms to law enforcement until the order expires. Unlike the federal law that prohibits gun possession in these circumstances, these bills would require law enforcement to seize someone's firearms, even if the subject of the order had no opportunity to participate in the hearing; federal law allows a person to find other places to dispose of his guns while an order is in effect.

Information from the governor's office, as reported by WBAL TV, states that there are in excess of 6,700 final protective orders and 382 temporary orders on file with the state. Only 75, barely over 1%, involve gun owners.

Though domestic abuse is undeniably tragic and deplorable, these bills are an unnecessary and unfair overreaction. Under these bills, a victim of false allegations who had no opportunity to contest those charges in court cannot defend himself at home or simply possess his own guns for any other lawful purpose.

While domestic violence is a deplorable and despicable crime, these bills trample upon Marylanders' due process rights. Please contact your State Legislators and respectfully express your concern regarding SB144, SB210, SB267, SB268, HB214, HB296, and HB302. Contact information can be found by clicking here.

Chief Teare Hammered By Council

Seriously, I went into tonight with an open mind. After all, my busy schedule disallows me time to blog about many things I wish to talk about. So, I turn into tonight's Council meeting. In the end, I am left convinced that Chief Teare should no longer serve as the head of Anne Arundel County Police.

Teare started his testimony by reading a prepared statement that attempted to confuse the uneducated. While "geek speak" may sway the layman, I would have told Teare to cut through the crap and answer the questions at hand. Thankfully, Ed Middlebrooks got around to questioning.

To be fair, I have never been an Ed Middlebrooks fan. That said, he hit a homerun tonight. He made no secret that, despite false reports to the contrary, he knew another person was in the County Executive's vehicle. In turn, Middlebrooks showed that he wouldn't take the word of the Chief at face value. Also, Councilman Benoit grilled the Chief at length over this incident. In response, Chief Teare stubbornly tried to defend the indefensible.

In the end, I found Chief Teare to be woefully unprepared and easily rattled. As an experienced police professional, I expected him to remain calm. At times, he looked clearly flustered. Likewise, he admitted that he lost his temper with Capital reporters. Anne Arundel County citizens deserve a Chief that will be level headed, candid and calm when discussing police matters. Tonight, Chief Teare expressed his loyalty to one man while leaving the rest of us to float down a river. We desrve better.

Must See TV

Tonight's County Council meeting will be broadcast live on Anne Arundel Community Television, Channel 98, beginning at 7pm. I'll certainly be watching. Hopefully, there won't be a bunch of soft-ball questions. That being said, I have been informed that Chief Teare will face a barrage of "exhausting" questions. Stay tuned.

Self-Defense Bill to be Considered on Wednesday

On Wednesday, March 4 at 1 p.m., the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 420, sponsored by a substantial number of Maryland's Democratic and Republican Senators.

SB420, would clarify that law-abiding citizens are justified in using force, including deadly force, against intruders in the home when there is reasonable belief that the intruder intends to commit crimes, such as first, second, or third degree burglary or a crime of violence under § 14-101 of the Criminal Law Article.

10 Questions The Council Should Ask

When Chief Teare goes before the Anne Arundel County Council tomorrow evening, I would like to see the following questions asked:

1) Sir, would you be willing to voluntarily go under oath?

2) Would you explain Anne Arundel County Police Standard Operating Procedure for approaching a vehicle where alleged sexual behavior has just taken place?

3) Why did the responding Officer drive past the County Executive's vehicle several times before stopping?

4) Do you believe it's sound police practice to simply drive past a vehicle when sexual activity may be taking place?

5) Why did the Officer seem hesitant to approach the vehicle in question?

6) From the 911 tape, it sound as if 4 police vehicles were in route. Why do so many vehicles typically respond to a call such as this?

7) Why did you deny to the Baltimore Examiner that more than one party occupied the vehicle in question?

8) Did the Officer fill out the required field contact form that's supposed to be given to anyone that has any contact with Anne Arundel County Police?

9) Were there any telecommunications between you and the County Executive, or any one acting under your respective commands, concerning the details of this incident?

10) Why is the County Executive allowed to operate a vehicle with tinted windows that clearly violate Maryland law?

Chief Teare Needs to Feel the Heat

"Honesty is the best policy". "Always tell the truth". For many people, these simple values were instilled in us as children. Of course, we have all lied in some form or fashion during some point during our life. When exposed, there's two roads a fibber can travel. First, s/he can fess up and admit their distortion of the truth. Conversely, liars could also dig themselves a deeper hole by angrily and defiantly sticking to their original story.

Much of the hoopla surrounding the John Leopold mall incident matters little in the grand scheme of things. Since I wasn't there, I cannot bear witness to anything that might have happened in Leopold's vehicle. Still, it's clear the County Executive received some form of preferential treatment by the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

Therefore, why doesn't the Chief just fess up and admit the obvious? By simply acknowledging his officers violated established protocol, Mr. Teare could do his part to help this story go away. After all, the Police Department's handling of this episode looms as the biggest political issue.

If Chief Teare goes before the Council tomorrow evening and wants to stick to his lame story, someone needs to turn up the heat. Perhaps Chief Teare can be reminded that the County Charter allows for him to be removed from office by the Council. Thus, if he thinks his loyalty to Leopold is the only thing he needs to save his job, then he better rethink his strategy. With 20+ years in Law Enforcement, I hope Chief Teare would place more value on his integrity. We'll see.