The Sheriff’s Office serves the public — not a platform. It’s time for Sheriff Hall’s administration to remember that.
UPDATE: Prior to publishing our recent article on transparency, SMNEWSNET.COM filed two formal complaints with the Maryland Office of the Public Access Ombudsman against the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for withholding public information.
The Ombudsman reviewed our complaints and found them valid for mediation — a process designed to resolve disputes through open communication between both parties. However, when given the opportunity to address these issues directly and transparently, the Sheriff’s Office refused to participate.
That decision forced the Ombudsman to close both cases as unresolved.
This refusal to cooperate demonstrates a clear lack of transparency and accountability from an agency that serves the public. When law enforcement avoids dialogue with both the media and the state office responsible for enforcing the Public Information Act, it raises serious concerns about what else they may be unwilling to share.
Public information belongs to the public — not to a select few.
SMNEWSNET.COM will continue to stand for transparency, fairness, and the public’s right to know.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Steven A. Hall, has increasingly chosen to distribute crime and public safety information through Facebook rather than official press releases — a troubling change that restricts how and when the public receives important updates.
Sheriff Hall’s administration has prioritized social media posts over direct communication with local media, effectively controlling the narrative while leaving the community and journalists scrambling to keep up. This approach not only undermines transparency but also excludes residents who don’t use Facebook — cutting them off from public safety information they have every right to know.
A clear example came recently when the Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that a card skimming device had been discovered at the Family Dollar in Leonardtown. No media outlets were notified, and no official release was distributed. The only way a citizen could have known was by monitoring the Sheriff’s Office Facebook feed — something no resident or journalist should have to do around the clock.
SMNEWSNET.COM has also experienced significant delays in obtaining booking photos and case information for criminal articles. In several cases, while the Sheriff’s Office delayed responding to our formal requests, it simultaneously published the same information on Facebook first — before sending the photos or confirming the details to the media.
In another instance, the Sheriff’s Office misspelled the name of a deceased victim in a press release. Rather than informing the media who had already published the incorrect information based on that official release, the agency quietly corrected the name on Facebook and its website — leaving news outlets to face questions from grieving family members and the public about why they “got it wrong.” That mistake, and the lack of communication that followed, perfectly illustrates why open, two-way communication between law enforcement and the press is critical for accuracy and trust.
These tactics create a controlled public image rather than an open flow of information. They turn what should be a public service into a public relations strategy — one that uses taxpayer-funded resources to “compete” against independent local media instead of cooperating with them.
Facebook post not shared with media outlets as a press release
The Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer, Alisa Casas, is responsible for releasing information to the media and public. Ultimately, these decisions come from the top. Sheriff Steven A. Hall and Major Clayton O. Safford, who serves as Assistant Sheriff, have both played roles in shaping the current information policy.
It is deeply concerning that the Sheriff’s Office is spending thousands of taxpayer dollars to boost and promote its own Facebook posts — effectively using public money to control the message and compete with local journalism. Public information is not supposed to be a marketing tool. It’s supposed to be a public right.
Residents of St. Mary’s County should not need a Facebook account to learn about crimes, safety issues, or police activity in their community. Government transparency should never depend on a social media algorithm or advertising budget.
It’s already hard enough for small, local news outlets to survive and maintain public trust in today’s media climate — without having to compete against a taxpayer-funded Sheriff’s Office with a multi-million-dollar budget and direct access to all the information first. When government agencies use those resources to control the news rather than share it, they aren’t promoting public safety — they’re suppressing it.
At SMNEWSNET.COM, we remain committed to keeping citizens informed — fairly, accurately, and without political filters. We believe the people of St. Mary’s County deserve access to all public safety information, not just what is chosen, edited, or timed for social media engagement.
Sheriff’s Office Post
Sheriff’s Office Post
