The Connection

Morrill “Bud” Marston is one of the residents who’d expressed dissatisfaction with the Old Colony Inn redevelopment, sometimes more vocally than his neighbors, but that’s never been uncommon at meetings surrounding new development in Old Town Alexandria.

At meetings surrounding EYA hotels at Robinson Terminal South or even as recently as food trucks in North Old Town, residents have been known to oppose development or violate rules of order in protest, usually ending with a warning by the chair or a sharp rebuke. Where they don’t usually end is with a police officer at the resident’s door.

On May 18, Lt. Delton Goodrum arrived at Marston’s residence. What exactly was said is unclear, but Marston says Goodrum stated that he’d been sent by the City Council and was warning Marston about speaking out about the Old Colony Inn redevelopment.

Like a game of telephone, Police Chief Earl Cook said that somewhere in the process, Goodrum’s instructions had been made unclear. Cook said that Marston was the first private citizen to be visited by police in a circumstance like this, where the call came as a result from concerns about behavior in public and private meetings. Cook recognized that things had not been perceived the way he’d thought they would be.

“We’re not there to accuse him … I don’t see [sending an officer to someone’s house] as a threat and I was hoping no one would feel threatened,” said Cook. “I hoped we could mitigate a problem in the future.”

In the future, Cook says if a similar situation occurs, he would ask the resident to meet with police at their headquarters or at a neutral location, making it clear that it was a request and not a command.

“There was no intention to correct his behavior,” said Cook. “We had gotten complaints that he had gotten angry, but he had made no threatening motion and broke no law.”

Cook says the department had received complaints three times before Cook decided to try and mediate.

“Given the persistence of the complaints, it didn’t seem responsible to ignore it,” said Cook. “If he said ‘I don’t see it that way’ then things would continue as they are … The idea was to talk about it in a quiet moment, with no shackles or strong arming ... I may have too casually thought it wouldn’t create a perception.”

But after the meeting, Marston wasn’t convinced.

“I am not satisfied with the Police Chief's reply,” said Marston in an email. “The fundamental problem is that police showed up at my residence. Should we as citizens of Alexandria start fearing the police showing up at our door when we express our opinions in public?”

Cook said his response was the same as any repeated conflict between two citizens. Cook used the examples of quarrelling neighbors that involve the police: if no law is being broken, the officer can still talk to the residents and try and settle the dispute.

One alternative, Cook said had been proposed by the City Manager’s office, was to have officers posted at every board and commission meeting, but not only did Cook say this would be an irresponsible use of police resources but that it would send the wrong message. Cook said, if at any point during a meeting someone begins to feel threatened, they can still call the police and an officer will be dispatched.

Debra Collins, deputy city manager, said the requests for police presence was specifically a response to Marston. Collins said the complaints came in from Director of Planning and Zoning Karl Moritz and members of the Planning Commission, who said Marston’s anger made them feel uncomfortable and concerned. Collins said complaints centered around concerns that Marston’s anger could escalate and that they had hoped the police visit would just be a risk assessment.

“They were just supposed to make sure [he] was staying on the right side of the line,” said Collins.

“I want to make it very clear that this had nothing to do with the city manager or the deputy city manager,” said Cook. “If there was fault, it was mine.