It's a story becoming far too common in small American towns. Town officials hide facts while the public expresses the right to know.
Commissioners of the town of Ridgely, Maryland, suspended the town's entire police force without explanation. Citizens are left to wonder what happened and how they will be protected without town police.
The lack of transparency has led citizens to question the integrity and truthfulness of their commissioners as well as the suspended cops. Many are outraged.
"What's concerning is that they didn't communication with us in an open and honest way," Cline said of the commissioners." Treat us with respect. We're adults-thinking, rational adults who deserve truth."
The town of 1600 has six police officers; all have been suspended with pay "pending investigation by the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor," the town said in a new release dated March 13.
Until the situation is resolved, the Caroline County Sheriff's Department will provide additional patrolling inside town starting April 1. Caroline County has a very low crime rate with only four reported homicides in the entire county since 2000. But many say that criminals are opportunists and residents fear they will take advantage of this event.
While each of the police officers deserves privacy and a fair hearing that transcend the public's right to know, sometimes official hiding the facts makes the situation worse for them. The officers may be subject to rumor and innuendo. Secrecy only helps those in power.
The situation in Ridgely mirrors events in other small towns across the state. Citizens fight for the truth; governments fight to hide the truth. Is this a change in how we govern in America? Are we becoming more like totalitarian governments who don't believe citizens have the right to know?
Only time will tell.
