Police Union

Two corporals made sergeant this week in the Anne Arundel County Police Department, fewer than expected after the agency had to rescind three planned promotions shortly after all five were told they earned the higher rank. “The personnel office made an honest mistake and moved quickly to correct it within 24 hours,” said county spokesman Dave Abrams. “Of course, the individuals affected were contacted and received a deserved apology from [the personnel officer].” He said the mistake came about due to differing promotion processes within the police department.

It's a sad day when the politicians turn their backs on the people who risk their lives each and every day for people ("Police union urges agency overhaul," July 11). Police officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty no longer get a cost-of-living raise of any kind until they are 55 years old, and even then it's a paltry 1 percent. While the politicians enhance their own pension packages and give themselves raises, the people who put their lives on the line each and every day are told to make do with what they have.

WEATHER The National Weather Service is calling for Wednesday to be mostly sunny in the Baltimore area, with a high near 90 and southeast winds 5 to 9 miles per hour. Wednesday night is expected to be partly cloudy, with a low around 76 and southeast winds 5 to 9 miles per hour. Thursday is expected to be mostly sunny, with a high near 88. TRAFFIC Check our traffic updates for this morning's issues as you plan your commute. FROM LAST NIGHT...

Baltimore's police union is calling for an overhaul of the department, describing the agency's management strategy as "outdated, ineffective and reactive" and proposing changes that it said would boost officer morale and reduce crime across the city. Though the study has been in the works for several months, it comes as the city seeks a replacement for Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III, who oversaw steep declines in gun crime after taking over in mid-2007. Robert F. Cherry, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the union wants the report to serve as a blueprint for improvements by the department's next management team.

A Baltimore city homicide detective has been accused by prosecutors shooting himself in a downtown parking garage last year and then lying about it, according to court records unsealed this week - a charge that conflicts with the police investigation. Anthony N. Fata, a 14-year veteran, has been charged with perjury, misconduct in office, and making false claims, records show [ Click here to view the document ]. He was shot Jan. 18, 2011 in a city-owned parking garage near police headquarters.

A Baltimore County police officer was indicted Wednesday in the death of a Randallstown teen, but the charges drew criticism from the boy's mother and the community, who continued calls for an outside investigation. James D. Laboard, a nine-year veteran, faces charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter in the asphyxiation death of 17-year-old Christopher Brown, whom police said he chased after a group of teens threw a rock at his front door on June 13. Each count carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.

The family of Christopher Brown — the Randallstown teen who died this month after an altercation with an off-duty Baltimore County police officer — is demanding the officer be charged. "An arrest needs to be made," Brown's mother, Chris, told reporters Monday afternoon at a relative's home in Randallstown, where numerous photos of the Randallstown High School junior were displayed around the room. She and the teen's aunt wore a picture of him on their shirts, with the words "Gone But Not Forgotten" written beneath.

The cops surely picked the wrong place to drink after work -- their chief's favorite morning hangout, Miss Shirley's, especially since they were in partial police uniform. But here's the other question this raises -- what were they drinking? The upscale eatery with locations in Roland Park and at the Inner Harbor doesn't have beer on the menu. Now, cops aren't limited to beer, but still, some of these drinks come with umbrellas. The “Wet your whistle” page offers the $5.99 Miss Mimosa - the classic champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice, garnished with pulp, and a $7.99 Spicy Shirely, a Bloody Mary with pickled okra, Jalapenos and lump crab.

It's no secret that Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld IIIis a frequent diner at Miss Shirley's, a breakfast, brunch and lunch spot with locations in Roland Park and at the Inner Harbor. He's partial to the omelet margharita. So it should be no surprise that the soon-to-be retiring chief headed for the Pratt Street bistro Wednesday morning to catch a quick breakfast. There, according to a police source, he stumbled on two city officers drinking alcohol. They had just come off the midnight shift and were off duty, but were either dressed in partial uniform or had their guns and badges displayed, said the police source and another person affiliated with law enforcement who is familiar with the incident.

Sgt. Richard Willard, who this week settled a lawsuit he filed against the city alleging he never got help after fatally shooting a man in 2005, sent me an email wanting to explain his situation further. I had talked to his attorney on Wednesday. The sergeant, who agreed to drop his litigation in exchange for the city dropping its bid to fire him, will retire July 1, giving him 20 years on the job and enough time to collect his pension, about half his $73,000 salary. His allegations raised questions about whether city officers who fire their guns suffer emotional distress and whether the department gives them enough help.