The Cecil County Detention center is plagued with serious problems. The current administration has been aware of these problems for quite some time. These are issues that cause serious officer safety issues, as well as security issues for the facility.
Currently only 22 of the 64 cells in the male housing unit have door locks that secure and cannot be opened by the inmates. Correctional Officers frequently recover shanks and other weapons made by the inmates however, the officers are not issued stab vests for their safety. Correctional Officers that are assigned to the transport team are issued firearms but they are not provided with ballistic vests.
The Detention Center currently has 3x26 tazers however they have not been issued to the Officers. They are stored in the armory. The officers should be provided with the proper training and these tazers should be issued to insure the officer’s safety not left in storage.
Staff with the rank of Lieutenant and above are provided with “take home cars”. This means each of them is assigned to a vehicle that they can not only drive to and from work but also have the authority to use the vehicle for personal use while off duty. There are very few instances that anyone from the administration of the Detention Center or Community Adult Rehabilitation Center return to the facility after leaving for the day, therefore it would be more economical for the tax payers to pay these individuals mileage for the use of their personal vehicles if they are required to report to the facility other than their regularly scheduled shift. This would eliminate the cost of the vehicle, maintenance, repairs, fuel, insurance and other expense associated with these vehicles.
The men and women who serve as correctional officers are tasked with a great deal of responsibility. It is their job to maintain the security of the facility to make sure the inmates do not escape, injure another inmate or correctional officer. The correctional officers must maintain this security to keep the citizens of Cecil County safe from these individuals. These officers work in difficult conditions and must be alert at all times. We owe it to them to provide them with the equipment and training to insure their safety and the security of the facility.
