SALISBURY, Md. - Wicomico County State's Attorney Jamie Dykes is speaking out on what she calls a troubling trend: attacks on members of law enforcement.
In the past two years, there have been three notable incidents in our area.
In April of 2021, Delmar Police Corporal Keith Heacook was beat to death.
Just over a year later, Wicomico County Sheriff's Corporal Glenn Hilliard was shot and killed while responding to a call in Pittsville.
On Monday, a Maryland State Police Trooper was shot at multiple times while conducting a traffic stop near the Vienna bridge. Unlike the other two incidents, this Trooper survived and is expected to be okay.
State's Attorney Dykes says she is fed up with what she calls an assault on police officers.
"Family members, friends, neighbors, take accountability for each other. Law enforcement should be the last stop on the train," she said.
Dykes says law enforcement should not have to live with a constant target on their backs.
"Thank them right. The same thing that you do service members or veterans. Thank them for their work, acknowledge their sacrifice. It is a sacrifice for families, it's not just the officer, it's the entire family that sacrifices," she continued.
As for what can be done to stop this assault? Dykes says it comes down to state lawmakers.
"The bleeding has to stop at Annapolis. That's where most I believe the responsibility lies," Dykes said.
"Law enforcement is being stripped actively of the tools that can effectively help them do their work," she said.
Dykes says what is needed most right now is the entire community rallying around and supporting law enforcement.
She says she is troubled by a trend of negative attitudes toward local law enforcement due to national incidents.