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At their May 6 meeting, the Ridgely commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding for fiscal year 2025 that will ensure the sheriff’s office provides law enforcement services to Ridgely in the absence of the Ridgely Police Department.

This is a longer term arrangement than originally conceived.

On March 13, the commissioners of Ridgely suspended the entire Ridgely police department with pay, effective immediately, pending an investigation by the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor. No reason for the investigation has been indicated publicly.

“To guarantee uninterrupted public safety services, the Commissioners initiated a temporary agreement with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office,� said Ridgely in a press release. “Now, building upon this temporary arrangement, Ridgely and the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office have established a long-term partnership through an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU will provide the Town of Ridgely with complete law enforcement coverage, by the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, for the fiscal year 2025, with the option to renew service annually. This agreement includes a provision for maintaining 480 hours of coverage per month.�

According to the first amendment to agreement for law enforcement services, a document between the town of Ridgely, the Caroline County Commissioners and Caroline County Sheriff Donald L. Baker, the estimated annual cost of this service is $474,971.44.

According to two versions of the town’s proposed FY2025 budget, one with the town’s police department and the other with the sheriff’s office providing policing, posted to the town website Tuesday, the MOU with the sheriff’s office cheaper the cost of maintaining a town police force.

“This partnership underscores our shared commitment to safety and community well-being,� Baker said in the press release. “By working closely with the Ridgely community, we aim to build trust and ensure seamless law enforcement services to all residents. The updated MOU will take effect July 1, 2024, with the current MOU remaining in effect until then.�

This matter was also addressed during the May 7 Caroline County Commissioners meeting.

“At this point in time, I plan on signing it if the County Commissioners sign it, and the (Ridgely) commissioners signed it last night,� Baker said about the agreement at that meeting. “Frank Bartz was there. There was a lot of heated discussion, but that is to be expected. I look forward to the continued efforts by the county, the town and the sheriff’s office. So I think that only good things are on the horizon.�

Many Ridgely residents, like Lakia Harris-Pierce, who went to the meeting, are concerned about what they feel is a lack of transparency. Harris-Pierce said she is still wondering who gave the orders to suspend the police force in the first place.

Commissioner Larry Porter said, “I know there has been a lot of social media discussion about this, but basically this is going to provide 120 hours per week.�

Then he asked the sheriff, “Just for clarification, how much coverage was the Ridgely Police Department providing when they were there?�

Baker said originally they were supposed to cover the town 140 hours a week. Vacancies and sickness kept them from reaching that number. The sheriff’s office will cover the town as much as the police department had under the new agreement.

“Just so everybody knows, the sheriff’s department is constitutionally obligated to handle and provide law enforcement services in Caroline County,� Baker said. “Even if we back up the towns of Federalsburg, Greensboro or Denton, who have their own police departments… we are obligated to go in there… I do that in cooperation with the commissioners and your staff.�

Baker said he takes the responsibility seriously and that he wants to give the citizens of Ridgely some peace of mind.

The county commissioners’ motion unanimously passed to approve the MOU.