RIDGELY — The town of Ridgely has sold seven vehicles and three firearms once belonging to the Ridgely Police Department since the police department was disbanded, according to records obtained by the Star Democrat.
The vehicles and firearms were sold to the the Caroline County sheriff and other Eastern Shore municipalities.
Residents in Ridgely have been without the service of the Ridgely Police Department since a state investigation into the town’s police chief was opened in March. Ridgely’s commissioners suspended Eckrich and the entire department on March 12.
The town entered into a short-term agreement with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office to provide police coverage in place of the suspended officers. When the Ridgely officers were officially laid off at the start of the fiscal year on July 1, the town entered into a new memorandum of understanding with the county sheriff’s office for fiscal year 2025.
Caroline County Sheriff Donnie Baker says he is committed to ensuring his office provides Ridgely residents with adequate police coverage.
“We have had positive feedback from a large number of residents who are happy with the service,” Baker said. “I am absolutely here for the citizens of the Town of Ridgely and the citizens of Caroline County.”
A July report said state investigators found no “sufficient evidence of criminal activity” looking into “suspected” perjury and misconduct by Ridgely Police Chief Jeff Eckrich.
Transaction records from Ridgely show the town began to sell and transfer vehicles and equipment in the weeks before the release of the investigation’s report and before officers were officially laid off.
In June, the town transferred three pistols and three radios to the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office with no charge associated.
Three police vehicles — two 2022 Ford Interceptors and one 2020 Ford Interceptor — were sold to the Sheriff’s Office for $1 apiece on June 18, transaction records show.
On July 12, the town sold a 2023 Chevy Tahoe to the Town of Denton for just over $44,000. On July 27, Ridgely sold three vehicles to the City of Salisbury — a 2014 stripped K-9 Ford Interceptor for $1,000, a 2015 Ford Interceptor for $4,000 and a 2017 Ford Interceptor for $8,000.
Ridgely Town Commissioners did not respond to questions from the Star Democrat regarding the vehicle and equipment sales. Commissioners have maintained that a statement provided at a Sept. 9 town meeting, which did not address the vehicles and equipment, will be the town’s final statement regarding the police department.
COUNTY COVERAGEBaker said the vehicles and equipment acquired by the county are being used by the deputies providing coverage to the town. The vehicles and equipment those deputies previously had will go back to the Sheriff’s Office inventory to be used by county officers.
The current memorandum of understanding between the town and county outlines that the Sheriff’s Office provides 480 hours of coverage per month.
Baker said the end goal is to have three full-time deputies providing coverage in Ridgely. At this time, there are only two full-time deputies, with a third in the police academy.
Sgt. Keith Collison, a former Ridgely officer, is overseeing daily operations in the town. The second full-time deputy is Cpl. Tracy Ferguson, who has more than seven years of law enforcement experience.
When the deputies stationed in Ridgely are not working, the Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police are supplementing that temporary gap with patrol checks, Baker said.
Baker added that at one point during the current agreement, there were two officers training in the academy that were planned to be stationed in Ridgely. During that time, the county brought an “experienced” officer to serve as the second full-time deputy and assumed the cost of one of those officers in training at the academy.
By February or early March, Baker says he plans to transfer a third full-time deputy to Ridgely, which he says will “more than fulfill the agreement set out in the MOU.”
The Ridgely Police Department office within the town hall building is serving as a substation for the Sheriff’s Office deputies, Baker said. It is “up and functional” with fiber optics, computer systems and phone lines.
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