It was a false alarm.
Maryland?s new state police superintendent, Col. Terrence Sheridan, reinstated Lt. Dean Richardson as commander of the Westminster barracks last week, saving Richardson from a 325-mile round-trip commute from his home in New Windsor to the McHenry barracks in Garrett County.
“It?s a great thing,” Richardson said. “[Sheridan] called me and asked if I wanted to stay in Westminster, and I said absolutely.”
It remains unclear why Sheridan?s predecessor, Col. Thomas Hutchins, ordered Richardson?s transfer in April to replace a commander in McHenry who was transferred to Hagerstown to fill a vacancy due to a retirement. Richardson had worked at the Westminster barracks for nearly three decades.
Richardson had considered moving to Western Maryland for the transfer, retiring or commuting.
Sheridan, a Gov. Martin O?Malley appointee, officially took over as head of the state police last week and reviewed personnel as one of his first orders of business, state police spokesman Greg Shipley said. Sheridan previously was the police chief in Baltimore County.
“[Sheridan] saw that Lt. Richardson?s roots and relationships in Carroll County were very valuable and important to the mission of the Westminster barracks,” Shipley said.
Commanders who live near their posts also do a better job of leading the barracks and responding to major incidents, Richardson said.
First Sgt. Ernest Leatherbury, who had been the acting Westminster barracks commander, will return home to work at the Princess Anne barracks in Somerset County on the Eastern Shore.
“This will save taxpayers that amount of money for the commute,” Richardson said. “It?s also a good morale booster for the state police, because they are going to try to keep commanders relatively close to assignments.”
