Police Group to Take Heated Rhetoric to Billboard

The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) alleges that Westminster city leaders are misusing taxpayer dollars, while the mayor says the city will no longer respond to allegations made by the FOP.

According to a recent news release distributed by the FOP, the organization will erect a billboard in downtown Westminster that will advertise a fraud hotline and ask citizens to call with information about any fraudulent spending by city government.

As previously reported on Patch, the Carroll County (FOP) in December accused the city and police leadership of misusing funds and questioned policing strategies. Since then the FOP has established a hotline so people can call and report any misuse of funds by city government.

Now, in what the FOP calls "Phase II of its campaign to uncover waste and fraud," the organization says it is erecting the billboard. The news release cites the following examples of waste and fraud: repainting police patrol cars that  were delivered in the wrong color, and a police cruiser escorting a bus containing the Winter's Mill girls state lacrosse championship team through town several years ago.

Mayor Kevin Utz and Police Chief Jeffrey Spaulding said in a previous interview with Patch that the FOP is using intimidation tactics to force a collective bargaining agreement.

Utz, a retired state police trooper, said he is not going to continue responding to the FOP's news releases.

"The City of Westminster will not be responding to any further releases from the FOP," Utz said.  "At this point, they are fishing in a pond with no fish. There is no need for us to play their game."