Editor's notebook

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? - Being a police officer is a hard job. Long hours, huge responsibility, dangerous work and comparatively low pay are a police officer's lot.

But as much as we respect good police work, we have to wonder what two county officers could possibly have been thinking when they ordered a Severn man to delete photographs he took at the scene of a fatal accident on Oct. 25.

It doesn't take a civil libertarian to see this as an abuse of police powers. If Antonio Amador's version of events is correct, then he was breaking no laws. He is a community activist building a case that this stretch of New Cut Road needs safety improvements.

But as much as we were disappointed by Amador's account of the officers' intimidating behavior, we're even more disheartened by the official no comment on Amador's complaint. A police spokesman said he was barred from commenting because this is a personnel matter.

This tired excuse might make sense if the officers involved had been identified. But Amador said he was too intimidated by threats of handcuffs and arrest to make note of them. When police make mistakes it is fair for the public to expect an explanation.

The department owes Amador an apology for these two officers' behavior at the accident scene, and should remind all its officers of the limits of their powers.

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IT'S NO SECRET - There are many people suffering the continuing effects of the recession. As we head into cold weather, however, there are concerns that we may see an increasing numbers of people putting their lives at risk by turning to unsafe means to heat their homes.

This was brought home when a Glen Burnie family was hospitalized after poisoning themselves with carbon monoxide from a generator in the basement.

Nearly 19,000 BGE customers who are trying to pay off last winter's soaring energy bills have defaulted on their special payment plans. And with a harsh winter forecasted, consumer advocates say they don't know how those struggling families will cope now that a new heating season is upon them.

As all this is happening, the Community Action Partnership has used a $500,000 government stimulus grant to open an office in Glen Burnie. They offer help with utility bills, among other things, and already are seeing a steady flow of requests for assistance.

The timing couldn't be better.

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A BIG CHECK - We have been quick to note over the last several years that north county schools aren't among the top performers when it comes to pulling down scholarship money.

So we were delighted recently to report that James Dougan of Chesapeake High School won a $10,000 scholarship from Nordstrom. Officials from the store surprised James in class with a giant mock up of the check.

The Pasadena senior plans to major in aeronautical science in college next fall. Congratulations on the well-deserved recognition are due both to the student and the school.