LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Watermen find devices on boats
Bomb technician gives oneto DNR, but state agency won’t comment on devices
By KELLEY L. ALLEN Staff Writer The Star Democrat
MADISON
A Dorchester County waterman found a suspicious device on his boat Jan. 14 that a bomb technician later gave to the Department of Natural Resources, but state officials won’t talk about what the device is or how it got there.
Six other Dorchester County watermen found brackets mounted to their workboats, docked in Hudson, Cambridge, Wingate and Hooper’s Island. More than two weeks later, the device and the brackets remain a mystery, but two things are confirmed the device is not a bomb, and it was turned over to the DNR.Dean Price called 911 after finding two small boxes attached to a bracket mounted on his boat, docked at Madison Bay Marina. One device, about 6 by 4 inches, looked like a battery pack. The second, about 4 by 5 inches, had an antenna.
“There was a metal plate screwed up under my stern deck,” Price said. “Then the devices, which are magnetic, were attached, side by side, to the metal plate. I wasn’t sure what it was or how it got on my boat.”
Chris Weber, who docks his boat at Horn Point, found brackets mounted on his boat and called the sheriff’s office.
“A sheriff’s deputy removed the bracket and was supposed to fingerprint it,” Weber said. “It had a barcode on it. It was a generic bracket, like those used in building houses.”
Weeks later, Weber said he hasn’t heard back from the deputy. Dorchester County Sheriff James W. Phillips Jr. said he is not familiar with that incident.
“They’re identical all the plates are the same,” said Price, who also hasn’t heard anything about the device found on his boat.
“I’m really frustrated,” he said. “A lot of people in this community are frustrated.”
When Price called 911, Maryland State Police, the state Fire Marshal’s office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s deputies and Natural Resources Police responded. Price said NRP Sgt. Randy Bowman sent the police and deputies away.
Both agencies confirmed their responses were canceled.
“We were told it wasn’t a bomb and were canceled,” said MSP Easton Barrack Commander Stephen Elliot. “NRP handled it.”
Phillips said his agency’s response also was canceled.
“Myself and two deputies responded, however a DNR officer came up and said that he would handle it and that it wasn’t an explosive device,” he said. “It’s a sensitive issue, with DNR, it’s an ongoing investigation.”
But the fire marshal’s bomb technician stayed, and removed the device from Price’s boat.
“I told the bomb tech I wanted it sent to a lab to find out where it came from and why it was on my boat,” Price said. “I haven’t gotten anything out of anybody. When I contact DNR, they tell me they don’t know where the device is.”
Bruce Bouch, with the fire marshal’s office, said the bomb technician turned the device over to the DNR. He referred questions to that agency.
Sgt. Art Windemuth with NRP, the enforcement arm of DNR, offered little information.
“The device was not a bomb,” he said. “There is an ongoing investigation and we don’t comment on ongoing investigations.”
State Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, said DNR should say what the device is and what authorization the agency had.
“I’m not an attorney,” Colburn said, “But I think the question is if they got a judge’s order that allowed them to do that. And there is no way to know that right now. It does raise constitutional problems.”
Easton attorney David Thompson said the devices are not unconstitutional, if the agency had a warrant.
“But I would expect them to say it if they had one,” Thompson said.
Dorchester County State’s Attorney William H. Jones said he had limited knowledge about the device and has had no communications with DNR. Jones said generally speaking police can apply for search warrants for a lot of things.
Colburn said he is looking into the issue, and hopes to get answers.
“The whole thing seems bizarre,” he said. “My question is do they have the right to do it? What kind of device is it and what authorization do they have to do this?”
If the DNR does not already have the authority to track watermen, it hopes to soon. The department likely will seek legislation that would let NRP officers use devices to track offenders.
“We’re not putting in legislation, it will probably be one of the legislators, and we’re not able to talk about it yet because it hasn’t been filed,” said DNR spokesman Josh Davidsburg.
The filing deadline is Friday, he said.
Both Price and Weber have had several Natural Resource violation convictions, with the most recent in May 2009, when both men had convictions for having too many rockfish. Bowman issued those citations, according to court records.
Still, the men say they haven’t had tickets in a while, and the situation is frustrating.
“Maybe they have supreme power with no checks and balances and can do whatever they want,” Price said of the DNR. “What can they do to everyone else? Where does their power stop?”
Reply With Quote
