(July 27, 2017) Snow Hill Police Sgt. Rob Burnett appreciates that life occasionally comes full circle.
After more than 30 years with the Maryland State Police, Burnett returned in February to the same agency where he launched his career 40 years ago.
“My first time in law enforcement was with the Snow Hill Police Department back in 1977,” he said.
Burnett, who graduated in 1974 from Overlea High School in Baltimore, worked in the construction field for a few years before his father encouraged him to pursue steadier employment.
“When I turned 21 my dad told me, ‘You’ve got to get a job with the government,’ because I kept getting laid off from jobs,” he said.
Focusing on a law enforcement career, Burnett applied with police departments in Baltimore City and county, as well as the Maryland State Police.
An inroad appeared when his half-brother, James Courtney, who was then chief of police in Snow Hill, called him with good and bad news.
“I said what’s the good news?” he recalled. “He said, ‘I have an opening for you if you want it.’”
The coin was flipped when Burnett asked how much time he had to make the decision to accept the offer, which would involve migrating his family from the Western Shore.
“He said, ‘that’s the bad news, you’ve got to decide today whether you want it or not,’” he said.
To complicate matters further, Burnett said his wife of two years was initially hesitant.
“She was, I think at first, kind of against it,” he said. “She knew I wanted to get into police work, so she’s like, ‘OK we’ll see what happens.’”
Burnett said he knew, early on, he was in for a challenging start.
“When I came down it was like, here’s the key to the car, here’s your gun, here’s your badge, there’s your uniform, have at it,” he said. “I just went and got every possible book I could find and started reading about laws.”
Eventually Burnett’s self-instruction was bolstered with additional training.
“Ten months after being here they finally sent me to the police academy,” he said. “It was ten months of knowing nothing.”
Following a few years patrolling the streets of Snow Hill, Burnett ventured back into the construction field, but continued pursuing opportunities in law enforcement. He finally landed a spot with the Maryland State Police in January 1982, which kept him occupied for the next three decades.
“I primarily worked the roads and got promoted to sergeant when I retired,” he said.
Although Burnett was stationed at a number of state police barracks, he said the bulk of his career was spent in Salisbury.
After retiring from the state police, Burnett jumped at the opportunity to return to Snow Hill and work with an old cohort, Police Chief Tom Davis.
“Actually, if you talk to Chief Davis he’ll probably tell you I was his mentor when he first came on the state police,” he said.
The pair became acquainted in the late 1980’s when Davis was a rookie officer assigned to the same state police barracks as Burnett.
“When he came out of the academy he came to Salisbury,” Burnett said. “When he got cut loose we were in the same work group for a while and that’s when we first met each other.”
Since rejoining the force in Snow Hill, Burnett said despite the intervening years things seem reasonably familiar.
“The town itself is pretty much the same,” he said. “Not a whole lot has changed.”
Where Burnett would like to engender change is within his department.
“We’re trying to get the police department up to par of where it should be,” he said. “It needs to brought up to modern times.”
With a background working around state police facilities, Burnett said the Snow Hill department could use a building upgrade.
“It’s the old fire station, which in it’s time was OK, but now we need something more modern and more up to date,” he said.
Since joining Davis, who took over as chief in December, Burnett said the pair of Maryland State Police veterans is reshaping the department in their vision.
“It’s all starting to come together and the guys like it and are adjusting to it,” he said. “They’re getting more training and more education than they’ve ever had before.”
After more than 30 years with the Maryland State Police, Burnett returned in February to the same agency where he launched his career 40 years ago.
“My first time in law enforcement was with the Snow Hill Police Department back in 1977,” he said.
Burnett, who graduated in 1974 from Overlea High School in Baltimore, worked in the construction field for a few years before his father encouraged him to pursue steadier employment.
“When I turned 21 my dad told me, ‘You’ve got to get a job with the government,’ because I kept getting laid off from jobs,” he said.
Focusing on a law enforcement career, Burnett applied with police departments in Baltimore City and county, as well as the Maryland State Police.
An inroad appeared when his half-brother, James Courtney, who was then chief of police in Snow Hill, called him with good and bad news.
“I said what’s the good news?” he recalled. “He said, ‘I have an opening for you if you want it.’”
The coin was flipped when Burnett asked how much time he had to make the decision to accept the offer, which would involve migrating his family from the Western Shore.
“He said, ‘that’s the bad news, you’ve got to decide today whether you want it or not,’” he said.
To complicate matters further, Burnett said his wife of two years was initially hesitant.
“She was, I think at first, kind of against it,” he said. “She knew I wanted to get into police work, so she’s like, ‘OK we’ll see what happens.’”
Burnett said he knew, early on, he was in for a challenging start.
“When I came down it was like, here’s the key to the car, here’s your gun, here’s your badge, there’s your uniform, have at it,” he said. “I just went and got every possible book I could find and started reading about laws.”
Eventually Burnett’s self-instruction was bolstered with additional training.
“Ten months after being here they finally sent me to the police academy,” he said. “It was ten months of knowing nothing.”
Following a few years patrolling the streets of Snow Hill, Burnett ventured back into the construction field, but continued pursuing opportunities in law enforcement. He finally landed a spot with the Maryland State Police in January 1982, which kept him occupied for the next three decades.
“I primarily worked the roads and got promoted to sergeant when I retired,” he said.
Although Burnett was stationed at a number of state police barracks, he said the bulk of his career was spent in Salisbury.
After retiring from the state police, Burnett jumped at the opportunity to return to Snow Hill and work with an old cohort, Police Chief Tom Davis.
“Actually, if you talk to Chief Davis he’ll probably tell you I was his mentor when he first came on the state police,” he said.
The pair became acquainted in the late 1980’s when Davis was a rookie officer assigned to the same state police barracks as Burnett.
“When he came out of the academy he came to Salisbury,” Burnett said. “When he got cut loose we were in the same work group for a while and that’s when we first met each other.”
Since rejoining the force in Snow Hill, Burnett said despite the intervening years things seem reasonably familiar.
“The town itself is pretty much the same,” he said. “Not a whole lot has changed.”
Where Burnett would like to engender change is within his department.
“We’re trying to get the police department up to par of where it should be,” he said. “It needs to brought up to modern times.”
With a background working around state police facilities, Burnett said the Snow Hill department could use a building upgrade.
“It’s the old fire station, which in it’s time was OK, but now we need something more modern and more up to date,” he said.
Since joining Davis, who took over as chief in December, Burnett said the pair of Maryland State Police veterans is reshaping the department in their vision.
“It’s all starting to come together and the guys like it and are adjusting to it,” he said. “They’re getting more training and more education than they’ve ever had before.”