Wednesday, July 1, 2015
(Courtesy: WBOC.COM)
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. -- The Pocomoke City Police
Department is without a leader for the time being.
Pocomoke Mayor Bruce Morrison confirmed for WBOC
that police chief Kelvin Sewell is no longer with the
department.
Morrison would not specify a reason for Sewell's
departure but did say it is a personnel matter.
In an exclusive statement made to WBOC, former chief
Sewell says the mayor and city council voted to
terminate his position.
Sewell says that decision came Monday night during a
closed session meeting.
A meeting that Rev. Ronnie White of Pocomoke's House
of Love church says should not have happened without
the public's knowledge.
"None of the citizens were informed. We never knew that
this was going to happen. It was just like we were left
out of the loop," said White.
The community says it's not backing down from finding
out the truth behind Sewell's termination.
Several community leaders including Rev. White and
Rev. James Jones are holding a town meeting Thursday
evening at 6:30pm at New Macedonia Baptist Church.
There, the community will discuss the next steps toward
finding answers for Sewell's termination.
Jones says the work Sewell has done for the city since
he took office in 2010 is proof he is still needed in
Pocomoke.
"I've done my homework as late as today. Over the last
20 years, we are at an all time low in crime, drug
activity," said Jones. "I mean it still happens, but it's
almost nonexistent compared to the way it's been in the
past."
Some locals including Eremine Beckwith say she's
fearful of what Pocomoke might become without
someone like Sewell leading by example.
"I'm fearing that we're going to end up being like down
south. As far as police brutality, as far as the young
black men. I fear for their life. [Sewell] has been keeping
the town peaceful," said Beckwith.
Sewell says he does not know who will replace as police
chief or who will be assigned as the interim police chief.
In an exclusive statement WBOC obtained, Sewell says
that he has loved protecting and serving the city of
Pocomoke, working with the community and the city's
youth during his tenure as chief.
Although Sewell could not comment further as to why
he's no longer with the department, he wishes the best
for the city.
