Police commander retires
Some breaking news from the Baltimore Sun's police reporter Justin Fenton:
Baltimore police patrol commander John Dodson, a 27-year veteran, submitted his retirement papers Tuesday. His retirement is effective Nov. 1. Dodson oversaw the East Side patrol deployment, and his announcement comes after an unprecedented explosion of violence July 26 that saw 18 people shot in a span of five hours in the Northeastern, Eastern and Southeastern Districts.
Word around the police department was that Dodson was forced out (One officer described him as the “19th casualty” of last week’s violence), but police department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Dodson is leaving on his own terms.“
He put in 27 years with the Baltimore Police Department – there’s not much more anyone can ask of someone,” Guglielmi said. Dodson was appointed to his post in 2007 when Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III assumed control of the department.
The Sun's Julie Bykowicz tells me that when he was Eastern District commander, Dodson would hold prayer every Friday at Ashland and Luzerne, according to Elroy Christopher, who lives on Luzerne.
“He participated in everything around here,” said Christopher, a community leader for two decades. Christopher and another longtime Luzerne resident, R.B. Smith, told stories about how Dodson and the prayer group would play music and use speakers to project to the community. Occasionally, the men said, even the drug dealers who frequented Ashland would come join the group.
“It was our Friday evening ritual,” Smith said.
Comments
It saddens me to hear of John Dobson's retirement. I have not told my family and neighbors yet. I know some them will just stop in their tracks emotional-less - What! This is a day when you go sit down and remember all the pleasurable times with your family. That's right; John was a family member to us. Baltimore, just may have lost the most loving and kind person who ever represented the Baltimore city police department. He was a person who shares his expertise, his family - wife, children and officers. Everyone respected him because of how he was and commanded his staff. There has never been a time that he was called that he didn't answer within one minute - even if he was on vacation or helping a sick member of his family. This is another time that people don't recognize all the good work that people do in east Baltimore. We love John Dobson. You are always welcome in our community. Please continue to come visit us.
Big Chris
Elroy Christopher
Posted by: Elroy Christopher | August 8, 2009 7:08 AM
Bealfeld and Dixon are the ones who should be resigning. They have done nothing to stem the crime in Baltimore. The only thing they can hang there heads on is that Detroit has gained the title for having more murders. Dixon shoud resign immediately and a new mayor should take a careful look at what Bealfeld adds to the department. We had the right guy in there....Ed Norris!
Posted by: steve in seoul | August 8, 2009 8:22 PM
Baltimore City Police Department is losing a wonderful soldier for the community when John Dodson leaves. John treated everyone like they were his family and the Eastern District community will surely miss him. It seems that Patrol is always taking the hit when the murders go up, but it should be VCID since they ride around five people in a car. Take some of the people out of the specialized unit and put them back in Patrol so that Patrol can be staffed at 150%. Someone should ask what is wrong with our Police Department, programs or persons that has the community issues at heart are leaving.
Posted by: Charlene Bourne | August 10, 2009 9:45 PM