Annapolis Capital Punishment

Amid a banner welcoming the Class of 2011 and music broadcast courtesy of 1430WNAV, CP was pleased to attend the open house at Annapolis High for incoming ninth graders. The food and music and conversation was all good, and Superintendent Kevin Maxwell was on hand for a part of the evening. All this was great, but the entire atmosphere had a cloud cast over it by the presence of no less than five Anne Arundel County Police Officers. CP does not write this in any way to cast aspersions against the officers. In fact, the presence of one, two or even three would have been most appropriate and most welcome. But five? What were they expecting? Certainly if they felt five were needed, it sure made CP, as a parent wonder how bad is this place?

And, it must be noted, they mainly kept to themselves in a tight group off to one side. One of the officers was spotted among the crowds briefly, but other than that, the only time any of them seemed to pay any attention to the students, families and teachers was when a balloon popped. One was noted to glance around cautiously for a moment but since nobody else reacted to the loud "pop", the officer quickly resumed his otherwise disinterested distractedness--which meant he turned inward to rejoin the quarterback huddle.

Now, anybody who knows anything about local issues will not question why some police presence was welcome and appropriate. What bothers CP, if it's not already apparent, was the fact that five of them apppeared, and mainly just to let everyone else know they were there. Yet, why did only one of them and then only briefly, seem to be at all interested in or mingle with the crowd? The presence of five officers for 2 or 3 hours could have been used so much more, uh, intelligently.

For example, they could have had a table with literature about crime, youth involvement, the police in the schools etc. They could have had a sit-down or Q and A with students and families. Or geeze, maybe they just could have mingled in the crowd and talked with us. AND FINALLY, even though the school is in the county, considering that most of the students are from the city (and without any great stretch of imagination, so do the rivalries and this is where the school-related crime "incubates"), why did we not have one or two Annapolis PD officers there?

In summation, some police presence was most welcome but the heavy and distant presences cast a pall over the event.