EDITORIAL: SPIN BY FLACK FOR ST. MARY’S SHERIFF NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CLAMPING DOWN ON CRIME

EDITORIAL: SPIN BY FLACK FOR ST. MARY’S SHERIFF IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CLAMPING DOWN ON CRIME

Editorial by John E. O’Connor
THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department is in full meltdown mode. After weeks of mounting pressure from local news outlets—doing exactly what the free press exists to do—the department has rolled out a laughable series of weekly video updates. These videos, supposedly designed to “inform the public,” are nothing more than a desperate PR stunt aimed at distracting from their failure to provide actual crime data. Instead of addressing the skyrocketing crime rates and the public’s demand for answers, these videos highlight meaningless “productivity reports” like traffic stops and safety equipment repair orders. It’s pure spin—cheap theater to make people think they’re doing something while avoiding the truth at all costs.

Public Information Officer Alisa Casas, who’s been hiding throughout this fiasco, has finally been dragged out to front these propaganda pieces. But don’t be fooled—these are scripted videos with zero accountability—no questions allowed, no interaction, no answers. And instead of addressing the real issues, they focus on a cherry-picked “notable arrest” here and there, trying to paint a picture of competence. Let’s be clear: one arrest doesn’t fix the growing violence and lawlessness in St. Mary’s County. These videos are a joke, and the people see right through it.

And here’s the kicker—on social media, where the public should be able to voice their concerns, the Sheriff’s Office is actively censoring critics. Negative comments asking for actual crime stats are hidden, deleted, or ignored. Residents who dare to ask tough questions are being blocked. It’s outrageous! This is not how a transparent government works—it’s how scared politicians and failing administrations operate when they have something to hide. They’re silencing the very taxpayers they’re supposed to serve. It’s an attack on free speech, plain and simple.

Why are they doing this? Because the pressure is working. Local news outlets are holding their feet to the fire, exposing this mess for what it is. That’s what the media is supposed to do—shine a light on corruption and incompetence. And the Sheriff’s Office, instead of cleaning up its act, is doubling down on deception.

Let’s not forget why we’re here in the first place. The department charges $8,276 for access to historical crime data that used to be free on CityProtect—a taxpayer-funded platform. Instead of fixing CityProtect, which Motorola offered to do for free, they shut it down and switched to Citizen Connect, which conveniently doesn’t include historical data. It’s a blatant effort to hide what’s happening in St. Mary’s County. Internal emails and text messages prove that Sheriff Steve Hall, Clay Safford, and Shawn Moses made the call to control the narrative and keep the public in the dark. This isn’t leadership—it’s a cover-up.

The videos are nothing more than a shiny distraction. They focus on traffic stops and safety equipment repair orders while ignoring shootings, burglaries, and violent crime. It’s all about optics, not results. Sheriff Hall and his senior staff hope people will forget the real issues if they throw enough fluff their way. But the people of St. Mary’s County aren’t buying it.

The backlash has been swift, and it’s growing. Residents, journalists, and even local leaders are demanding real answers. County Commissioners are fed up, with one even saying anonymously, “This is the height of mismanagement. They’re spending more time controlling the narrative than fixing the problem.” And they’re right. This isn’t just lousy leadership—it’s a betrayal of public trust.

THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY journalist John E. O’Connor’s lawsuit under the Maryland Public Information Act is gaining steam, and more people are joining the call for an independent investigation. The St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Department can’t keep hiding behind its staged videos and censorship forever. The people of St. Mary’s County deserve better—real accountability, real transparency, and authentic leadership. No more spin, no more excuses, and no more propaganda. It’s time for Sheriff Hall to face the music.

Just like he had to face the music when he was arrested and convicted of a violent assault in Gunnison, Colorado—a conviction that saw him spend three days in jail—or when his son was caught buying cocaine in St. Mary’s County and was later arrested for cocaine possession in Calvert County, Sheriff Hall’s past is a sobering reminder that transparency and accountability have never been hallmarks of his leadership. The people of St. Mary’s County deserve better than those who dodge responsibility and rely on PR stunts to distract from their failings.