My question involves police conduct in the State of: Maryland.
In Anne Arundel county Maryland - I was the victim of a road-rage incident where my vehicle sustained minor damage. I filed a police report that day. The officer assigned to the case was a 23-year-old officer in training.
It took the officer over 2 months to complete and close the report. During that period I made several phone calls to the officer only to provide additional information such as a damage estimate. When I read the final report I nearly fell off my chair laughing. In brief, it stated that the officer contacted the suspect who denied everything... so case closed!
This junior officer failed to do his duty in so many ways. He failed to ask for my dash-cam video. He failed to preserve the security camera video from a nearby store (I had to do that myself). He waited over a month before contacting the suspect. He waited over a month before asking me for a damage cost estimate. He lied about me not returning his phone call. I have phone records as well as actual phone recordings to prove otherwise. He failed to file any charges against the suspect. At best, he is an embarrassment to the force.
To be sure, I can certainly sue this suspect once I confirm the correct address. However, I would be concerned about collecting a judgment because a case search shows this suspect has over a dozen traffic-related incidents over a 7 year period. And one of them is a DUI. Regardless – the police should have filed some kind of charges, destruction of property, disorderly conduct, vandalism? That would have been my preference.
Based on this experience I don't have faith in complaints to police internal affairs. Is there a way to compel the police to file charges or hold them accountable in some way? The suspect needs to be charged. I fully understand this is not a high priority for them but I am entitled to my day in court. What does it take to make that happen?
In Anne Arundel county Maryland - I was the victim of a road-rage incident where my vehicle sustained minor damage. I filed a police report that day. The officer assigned to the case was a 23-year-old officer in training.
It took the officer over 2 months to complete and close the report. During that period I made several phone calls to the officer only to provide additional information such as a damage estimate. When I read the final report I nearly fell off my chair laughing. In brief, it stated that the officer contacted the suspect who denied everything... so case closed!
This junior officer failed to do his duty in so many ways. He failed to ask for my dash-cam video. He failed to preserve the security camera video from a nearby store (I had to do that myself). He waited over a month before contacting the suspect. He waited over a month before asking me for a damage cost estimate. He lied about me not returning his phone call. I have phone records as well as actual phone recordings to prove otherwise. He failed to file any charges against the suspect. At best, he is an embarrassment to the force.
To be sure, I can certainly sue this suspect once I confirm the correct address. However, I would be concerned about collecting a judgment because a case search shows this suspect has over a dozen traffic-related incidents over a 7 year period. And one of them is a DUI. Regardless – the police should have filed some kind of charges, destruction of property, disorderly conduct, vandalism? That would have been my preference.
Based on this experience I don't have faith in complaints to police internal affairs. Is there a way to compel the police to file charges or hold them accountable in some way? The suspect needs to be charged. I fully understand this is not a high priority for them but I am entitled to my day in court. What does it take to make that happen?
Police Conduct: Closed Case Needs to Re-Opened and Charges Filed
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