Public Notice

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA®), will be conducting a virtual site-based assessment on July 13-14, 2020 to examine all aspects of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office policies, procedures, management, operations, and support services.

The team will verify the sheriff’s office meets the commission’s state of the art standards as part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation. Accreditation is four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continuing compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

Due to the restrictions in place because of the COVID-19 crisis, a contingency plan has been developed and the assessment is occurring remotely. Public participation will be accepted as stated below.

As part of the assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments to the CALEA Assessment Team by calling 240-313-2888 on July 13th from 2:00 pm -3:00pm.

During those times, callers will be able to speak directly to one of the assessors. If you get a busy signal, please try calling again or send an email to jgrimm@washco-md.net

Additionally, the sheriff’s office will be hosting a Public Meeting on Google Meet on July 14th. from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. To login into the meeting go to www.washcosheriff.com and follow the link provided.

Telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with the CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The local contact is Accreditation Manager James Grimm at 240-313-2172.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Washington County Sheriff’s Office ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc (CALEA®), 1375 Heathcote Blvd, Suite 320, Gainesville VA 20155 or email calea@calea.org with the subject line Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Media Release:

On May 31, 2020, just before 6:30 PM, Deputies were notified of a police pursuit emerging from the area of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. West Virginia officials reported that a vehicle rammed a police vehicle and then fled.

Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office pursued the suspect vehicle from the Sharpsburg area, into Hagerstown and onto the Dual Highway. The suspect fled from the vehicle and is believed to have gone into the Plaza Inn and Suites, 901 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, MD.

At approximately 8:00 PM, the suspect, identified as Terrell Adolfus Thorne, 37, of Martinsburg, WV, was taken into custody inside the hotel.

Thorne has been charged by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with the following:

• Failure to stop at the scene of an accident
• Driver failure to stop at red signal
• Attempt by driver to elude police by failing to stop
• Attempt by driver to elude police on foot
• Negligent driving
• Driving wrong way on one way street
• Failure to drive on right half of roadway
• Unsafe lane change
• Reckless driving
• Aggressive driving
• Driving vehicle in excess of reasonable speed
• Displaying expired registration
• Failure to stop at steady circular red device

Thorne is currently being held at the Washington County Detention Center on no bond.

Grant Solicitation/ Application

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and Bureau of Justice Assistance have announced that it is seeking applications for funding under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program Solicitation FY 2020 Formula Grant Solicitation efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.  See

https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553 for details.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is applying for funding in the amount of $55,015.  This funding is being sought for overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), supplies (such as gloves, masks, sanitizer), and the distribution of resources.

Public comment is invited.  Please respond to comiller@washco-md.net or write to Mr. Cody Miller, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, 500 Western Maryland Parkway, Hagerstown, MD 21740.  All Comments should be received by June 28^th, 2020.

Media Release:

Accident reports taken after April 1, 2020, can now be obtained through the Washington County Sheriff’s Office website, www.washcosheriff.com.

The link to obtain an accident report is found under the Patrol tab of the Sheriff’s Office website. Using the drop-down menu, from the Patrol tab, select the “Accident Report”.

The link will take the user to the Carfax website, users will be asked to select a State and Agency.

Additional information which is needed to locate an accident report is the following:

• Last name of the driver or involved party
• Date of accident
• Report number

Accident reports may still be obtained in person at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Please contact our Records Department by telephone, at 240-313-2106, for accident report requests.

There is a $5.00 fee to obtain a copy of an accident report using either method.

Media Release:

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has charged a Smithsburg woman with Theft from Smithsburg EMS.

On December 17, 2019, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was contacted in reference to possible embezzlement/theft from Smithsburg Emergency Medical Services (EMS), 8 Maple Avenue, Smithsburg, MD.

After a lengthy investigation, it was uncovered that Emily Beth Demmons, who served as the treasurer for Smithsburg EMS, had stolen funds from Smithsburg EMS.

Demmons had been in charge of finances at Smithsburg EMS since 2008. Based on the statute of limitations for the crime of theft, Detectives reviewed the accounts that Demmons had access to from the period of March 2017 until March 2020. Demmons only used a Columbia Bank Account for purchases during the times of March 2017 until she left Smithsburg EMS in May 2019.  

 After sorting through the charges from the Columbia Bank account, it was found that from March 7, 2017, until March 5, 2020 Demmons stole $36,145.06 from Smithsburg EMS funds.

The Maryland State Legislation changed the laws of Theft on October 1, 2017. Detectives reviewed the charges and were able to determine which charges were from March 7, 2017, until September 30, 2017, and from October 1, 2017, until May 1, 2019 (when Demmons was removed from Smithsburg EMS).  

 The theft from Smithsburg EMS by Demmons from March 7, 2017, until September 30, 2017, is in the amount of $9,518.16.  

 The theft from Smithsburg EMS by Demmons from October 1, 2017, until May 1, 2019, is in the amount of $26,626.90.  

It is believed that Demmons has stolen more than the allotted amount for charging purposes, however, those funds will be accounted for civil litigation between Smithsburg EMS and Demmons.

In reference to the thefts occurring prior to October 1, 2017, Demmons has been charged with Theft: $1,000 to under $10,000 and Theft Scheme: $1,000 to under $10,000

In reference to the crimes occurring after October 1, 2017, Demmons has been charged with Theft $25,000 to under $100,000 and Theft Scheme: $25,000 to under $100,000.

Emily Beth Demmons, 42, of Smithsburg was charged via criminal summons and was served on March 7, 2020.

SCAM ALERT

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has received several phone calls from community members in reference to a scam.

Scammers are spoofing the Judicial Division telephone number of the Sheriff’s Office and identifying themselves as an actual member of the Sheriff’s Office. Currently, the scammers are claiming to be Deputy Corey McCarthy, however, other deputies’ names have been used.

The scammer tells the victim they have a warrant out for their arrest for missing Federal Jury Duty. The scammer then instructs the victim to go Walmart, Office Max, etc., purchase gifts cards and relay the gift card information to the scammer. In the major of the cases, the scammer has tried to keep the victim on the phone while the purchases are made and instructs the victim not to talk to anyone in reference to the warrant.

THIS IS A SCAM!

Law Enforcement will NOT accept any payments in order to rescind warrants. All warrants must be handled in person at the court. No one will ever ask for payment of gift cards in order to settle any court payments.

If you receive a call and are concerned that you may have a warrant, please contact us in person at the Sheriff’s Office.