OCEAN CITY, Md. – Crime in Ocean City isn’t highly publicized — and neither is much information about the resort city’s police force.
Officer Michael Levy, spokesman for the Ocean City police, acknowledged the number of officers on the force “doubles in size” for the summer. “Because of security reasons, we can’t give exact numbers,” he said.
Once the recruits get their badges, lawyer Andrew Albert told The Examiner, their oversight is not as strict as that of many agencies in the area.
“Ocean City police do not have cameras in their cars. Maryland State [Police] does, many counties and lots of municipalities do,” said Albert, who has been practicing in Maryland for nearly 20 years.
“They say [they don’t use cameras] because they are concerned about people’s rights — but really, it is because they are concerned about scrutiny. [Cameras are] the only way to keep honesty and integrity in the system.”
Evan Shultz, an Ocean City native who works at a liquor store on Atlantic Highway, said the Ocean City police are “ all rookies just looking for some action.”
A reporter on Wednesday evening witnessed four officers pretending to arrest a teenage girl outside the H20 club. The officers picked the girl up off the ground and shoved her in the police vehicle while she and other officers laughed. The officers also bent the female over and pulled her hands behind her back, pretending to handcuff her.
On Thursday morning, a deputy from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office was told of the incident involving the Ocean City officers. He said that type of behavior was “not acceptable,” but didn’t want to discuss it further.
Of his own agency, he said: “We go by the books.”
