Third time’s a charm for newly elected sheriff, Rex Coffey. After more than a decade, Charles County has changed sheriffs. As a senior member of the Charles County police force and a long-time resident of the county, Coffey felt certain his experience and knowledge of the county’s strengths and pitfalls would allow him to do a better job of running the county police force than the previous administration. Although disappointed by the failure of two hard-fought campaigns, he was committed to do his best for the county and ran again.
By electing him, the voters of this county, in essence, promoted from within – a strategy which the sheriff believes delivers the best management in most organizations. In fact, one of his first decisions upon taking office was to promote Captain Pamela W. Dottellis from her position among the county detention center’s ranks to director of the center. Captain Dotellis has served with the Corrections Division for nearly 25 years. Her work experience and demonstrated ability have earned her both the sheriff’s trust and the approval of the Corrections Division staff. Coffey thinks her appointment is working out to be a very good thing.
Sheriff Coffey has called Charles County home since he was thirteen years old. He’s physically, financially and emotionally invested in the county; irrevocably committed to the safety of its citizens. From his office, Coffey spoke to The Bay Net at length about four issues (three current and one future) he feels are vital to ensure safety in the county.
First, Coffey and his force are working on the seemingly increased number of assault and robberies. Small groups of teen boys and young men have been victimizing businesses and individuals for whatever valuable items they could get away with, sometimes with weapons, sometimes without. Coffey feels strongly about guaranteeing the safety of people about their business or relaxing at home. To combat these thugs, the sheriff and his officers are setting in place a series of undercover operations designed to make offenders think twice about whether their would-be victims are police or not. These are the first undercover operations in thirteen years.
The second issue for Coffey is that of drugs, cocaine in particular. The distribution of cocaine has evolved from ‘crack-houses’ to irregular rendezvous at a variety of locations as mobile phones have become commonplace. The crack problem in this area is entrenched and the increased use of mobile phones has made it much more difficult to find and stop. But, the officers in place in the county Narcotics Division are working to do so. Sheriff Coffey used to work within that division, and keep tabs on the progress of those officers.
The third issue is one of the biggest changes the sheriff has instituted so far. He was certain that the traditional manner of staffing the county police force was backwards. More resources and focus were spent on smaller specialized departments instead of on the patrol officers. To Coffey’s thinking, patrol officers should be of first consideration and boosting their ranks is his staffing priority. Patrol officers are the most visible members of the force in the county. They are the first to arrive on any crime or accident scene. More officers more frequently seen by the public should (combined with the sheriff’s plans mentioned above) have a curbing effect on other county problems. Therefore, Coffey beefed up their ranks and visibility. Fourteen new patrol offic
