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Sheriff Steve Hall was the keynote speaker at the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce 2023 Business Awards ceremony on Wednesday |
St. Mary's County Sheriff Steve Hall was honored to be the keynote speaker at the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce 2023 Business Awards ceremony held at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall on Wednesday.
In his remarks, Sheriff Hall drew the parallels between the challenges and issues in running a small business and running a law enforcement agency.
In this post-COVID environment, "Total shutdowns, masks and sanitation, plexiglass workstations, temperature checking stations, curbside-pickup only and product delivery have given way to supply chain issues and inflation, complicated further by workforce expectations for working from home, shorter work weeks and demand for higher wages," the Sheriff said.
"I know this: The Sheriff's Office and local business community -- this community are tethered to one another and our success is unequivocally symbiotic," Sheriff Hall continued. "Everyone here works hard to sustain a vibrant and thriving county with a recognizable strong economy at its center. That center provides the 'fuel for the thrive' and revenue needed to fund amenities that attract new business and people to this community. The Sheriff Office role can’t be understated. To appeal to both commerce and customers, there has to be a sense of safety and security. Without it, people go elsewhere or leave all together and growth is stunted. I had a local real estate agent tell me, 'Steve people move out of St Mary’s for two reasons: Taxes and Crime.'”
"With our tethered relationship in mind, I have moved the Community Oriented Policing Unit from a specialized division in one area of the county to the Patrol Division which serves the entire county so that the mindset and precepts of community policing become second nature to every deputy. Every officer must be a problem solver, not a mobile investigative reporter. I want our officers actively engaged in the community they serve visiting neighborhoods, schools, parks and in your businesses. That’s where they build the relationships that prevent crime and help solve crimes already reported," Sheriff Hall said.
"To maximize the profits of this transition I have to franchise and move away from a headquarters-based operation to a broader district-based model. We need to take the Sheriff’s Office into the community. We have moved staff into our District stations in Lexington Park, Charlotte Hall and in California. Increasing our footprint increases visibility and our citizens accessibility to our officers and our services," he said.
The Sheriff reminded the audience of the agency's responsibility as the keeper of the county jail. "Ours is a progressive 321-bed facility. It represents 1/3 of our overall operating budget and is the largest percentage of our liability. It includes a robust rehabilitative component," he said.
"This has to be a priority for us. Incarceration without rehabilitation is a waste of everyone’s time and money. When an incarcerated person is released, they go home and where is home? A neighborhood near you. When they get there, I want them sober and supported, with a network of resources, so that instead of stealing from you or loitering in front of your business they are working for you. Some business owners in this room have given someone like that an opportunity. In doing so, the trajectory of a person’s life is changed. This reduces crime and benefits the community," the Sheriff said.