(6/5) The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office is to investigate several vandalism incidents involving a church food pantry that have occurred during the last week and a half of May.

County Deputy Ben Whitehouse told the town council at their June 1st meeting that the food pantry vandalized belongs to the Christ Community Church, 303 West Lincoln Avenue. He said the food pantry consists of an outdoor cabinet, in which free food-goods are placed, for those in need to take as needed.

Deputy Whitehouse told the town council at their June 1 meeting that there had been three incidents in which one or more unknown persons inflicted damage to the food bank structure, food products, and goods.

The officer stated that the suspects were “probably kids,” who opened up items, like spaghetti sauce, “pouring it all over the cabinet and throwing it all over the sidewalk, breaking some glass,” and other acts.

Whitehouse said, “We're taking measures to find out who that is, and we'll deal with that when the time comes, and we find out who that is.”

In other police actions, Deputies have been patrolling Emmitsburg water reservoir, otherwise known as Rainbow Lake, to eject boaters trespassing on the town property.

Deputy Whitehouse reported that in May, the deputies received trespassing complaints regarding kayakers on Rainbow Lake, and that the Sheriff's Office and the State Department of Natural Resources officers are monitoring the site.

He said officers were checking out the site during the evenings and on weekends, as well as “several times” during the day.

Regarding speeding on Route 140 in the area of the Flat Run Bridge, the town council considered the implementation of speed monitoring devices at the Bridge.

The Town Manager informed the council that the use of digital radar, which displays the speed of a vehicle as it approaches the radar unit, would have to be carried-out in conjunction with the state police.

Asked about ticket-generating radar, which would automatically issue a speeding ticket against the owner of the tag on the vehicle, the Town Manager stated that would have to be approved by the State Highway Administration (SHA).

The town manager said there were a number of options, some more expensive than others, but also said the SHA suggested not using digital radar on a regular basis, since drivers tend to ignore them if left in place for too long of a period of time. Additional information and options are still being gathering and for presentation at the Town Councils July meeting.