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March 20, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

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Lt. Dolgos Offered Contract for CPD Chief

February 4, 2020 by Daniel Menefee

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The Chestertown Council voted unanimously Monday to offer acting Chief John Dolgos the job of Chief for one year; the contract gives the town the option to extend the contract for six months, which would end at the time of Dolgos’ mandatory retirement in October of 2021.

Dolgos was in the council chamber during the announcement and would not comment after the meeting. He said he would wait to see the details of the offer.

The offer to Dolgos is made a week after the town council voted to recommit to Chestertown keeping its own police force, as opposed to handing policing over to the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, an idea hatched last October by Mayor Chris Cerino and outgoing Ward 1 Councilman Marty Stetson to cut ballooning public safety costs that had reached 43 percent of the town’s annual budget.

The costs should come down since staff strength has fallen from 14 to 12 officers. The council voted Monday, Jan. 27 to keep the number at 12, including Dolgos.

Citizens and other officials told the Spy they believed the town raised the specter of nixing the police department to force the Kent County Commissioners to pay a tax differential, or grant-in-aid, to the town.

But the Kent Commissioners have been steadfast that they support the town in ways that equate to a differential.

The differential is a rebate on property taxes town residents pay the county for services like police, street cleaning and planning & zoning, which the town provides and pays for out of its own budget. The differential exists in the vast majority of counties in the form of a lower county tax rate to town residents or a direct cash payout to the municipality, but not in all cases.

It became apparent since last fall that uncertainty was driving CPD officers to look elsewhere for employment.

Mayor Chris Cerino said at Jan. 27 Council meeting that the fate of CPD and Dolgos’ inability to replace staff was hurting morale.

“The uncertainty is not helping us with retention or morale or anything that makes a workplace a positive place to be,” he said.  “Right now [Dolgos] is in limbo where we’ve kind of undercut cut his ability to do his job well. I feel bad about that and I want to try and rectify it.

Dolgos has been with CPD for over 28 years and has served under a handful of police chiefs. He is the longest-serving officer in CPD history.

Former CPD Chief Adrian Baker promoted Dolgos to second-in-command shortly after his arrival in 2012. 

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Filed Under: Archives, News, News Homepage Tagged With: Chestertown Police

Council’s Re-Commitment to Local Policing Restores Force Morale and Public Confidence in CPD

February 3, 2020 by Steve Meehan

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Ward 4 Councilwoman Meghan Efland

The Spy applauds the vote of the Mayor & Council to support the Chestertown Police Department. The vote comes four months after Mayor Cerino raised the prospect of shuttering the CPD to rein in town operating costs. Had that occurred, the County Commissioners would be required to fund public safety for Chestertown by default. 

We also encourage our readers to heed Mayor Cerino’s conciliatory, but cautionary words:

“The public sentiment has been very overwhelming that we really like having our own police force,” Cerino said at last Monday’s meeting. “As long as people understand it’s one of our biggest line items.”

We applaud Councilman David Foster calling for consulting with law enforcement management experts and Councilwoman Meghan Efland for calling for an efficiency study to improve management and reduce overtime. 

It is no secret that town tax receipts are flat and CPD costs continue to grow. The town’s cash flow challenge is exacerbated by the added burden of the Chestertown Marina Purchase Bond payments. Important projects have been delayed to fund the marina payment, such as completing the Rails Trail extension to Foxley Manor, an improvement long-awaited by the neighborhood’s residents seeking a safer route to walk or bike to downtown than navigating the traffic of Md. Rt. 213.

Ward 1 Councilman David Foster

We encourage the Council to focus on finding efficiencies throughout the Town’s administration, not just CPD. 

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: Chestertown Police, Chestertown Spy

White Male, 17, Referred to Juvenile Services for Racial Slurs

January 24, 2020 by Daniel Menefee

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A juvenile white male, 17, was referred to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services for shouting racial slurs at people of color on the Washington College campus on the evening of Nov. 22, said Chief John Dolgos of the Chestertown Police Department in a brief phone interview on Jan. 17. 

The 17-year-old’s name can not be released because of the legal protections afforded juveniles.

The Nov. 22 incident was similar to one that occurred on Nov. 11 involving the same white Ford pickup truck that marauded around the campus looking for trouble. In the second incident a dark colored SUV caravanned with the white Ford tuck.

Five white males had been identified in the incident and were issued “no trespassing” orders by CPD at the request of Washington College. Two of the individuals were over 18 but no other individuals were charged.

CPD Cpl. Bert Piasecki investigated the Nov. 22 incident and was able to identify the owner of the pickup truck and confront him. No arrests were made at that time. The 17-year-old was not the driver.

Throughout the investigation, CPD had consulted with the Kent County State’s Attorney Office to determine what charges could be brought in the incident, Chief Dolgos said.

The Department of Juvenile Services can charge the 17-year-old or mete out some other remedy, like community service.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

Filed Under: Archives, Local Life Tagged With: Chestertown Police, Public Safety

Uncle Charlie’s Robbery Suspect Apprehended by CPD

January 16, 2020 by Daniel Menefee

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Vontay’e Lamonte Gilbert, 40, was arrested by Chestertown Police at his home in Church Hill on Tuesday for the alleged armed robbery of Uncle Charlie’s Bistro on Saturday, Jan. 4.

He is being held without bail in the Kent County Detention Center.

CPD Chief John Dolgos said multiple felony charges against Gilbert include two counts of armed robbery and three counts of first-degree assault. Misdemeanor charges include reckless endangerment, theft and firearms violations.

Gilbert was charged in a string of armed robberies in late 2013 on the Eastern Shore and Delaware. In a month-long robbery spree between October and November that year, Gilbert and an accomplice hit seven locations that spanned from Easton, Centreville and Chestertown. This did not include robberies in Delaware.

Dover City Police arrested Gilbert on Dec.19, 2013 and in March of 2014 his accomplice was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Rankin County, Mississippi.

Gilbert was released on Mandatory Supervision in April of 2019 and found work at Uncle Charlie’s Bistro where he worked as a busboy. He later left on his own accord to work for Reeb Mill Corporation.

He allegedly wore the work gloves provided him at Reeb to commit the robbery.

The robbery was caught on the restaurant’s video surveillance. The video showed a black male matching Gilbert’s size and build wearing camouflage pants and a black hooded sweatshirt — holding two female employees at gunpoint. Uncle Charlie’s owner, Charles Ministero, immediately identified Gilbert as the suspect. Gilbert made off with roughly $500 in cash.

The robbery came a day after his girlfriend had quit her waitressing job at Uncle Charlie’s.

In his investigation, Det. Chris Pavon of CPD learned that the two employees had identified Gilbert on social media even before he interviewed them. One of the employees claimed that the glasses worn during the robbery were identical to the glasses Gilbert wore in a Facebook photo.

The Kent County Drug Task Force was also able to identify Gilbert through communications with two certified confidential informants.

Dolgos credited the Maryland State Police and the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office for assisting in the investigation.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Filed Under: Archives, Local Life Tagged With: Chestertown Police, Public Safety

Armed Robber Hits Uncle Charlie’s Bistro

January 6, 2020 by Daniel Menefee

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At 9:40 pm Saturday an armed robber entered Uncle Charlie’s Bistro at 834 High St. with a handgun and demanded money. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect was described as an African-American male between 5’8″ and 6′. No injuries were reported.

PFC Marty Heinefield and OFC Stacey Shockley of the Chestertown Police Department were first to arrive at the scene.

The restaurant was closed and only two employees were on duty.

A K-9  unit was brought in to track the suspect, but the scent was lost after a few steps, said Chestertown Police Chief John Dolgos.

Det. Chris Pavon will take over the investigation.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

 

Filed Under: Archives, Local Life Tagged With: Chestertown Police

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