A political ally of the sheriff schedules evictions in Prince George’s — for a fee

A legendary figure in Prince George’s politics, community organizer Elsie Jacobs plays an unusual role in the county sheriff’s office.

Jacobs, 85, is not an employee of the office but helps organize and schedule evictions — one of the sheriff’s primary responsibilities. She also has what she called a security detail made up of sheriff’s deputies, she said during a recent interview with The Banner.

The evictions typically happen twice per month and have been dubbed “Elsie Jacobs days” by sheriff’s deputies. In exchange for her eviction services, Jacobs said, she charges landlords a fee.

How much?

“That’s none of your business,” she said.

The arrangement raises ethical and legal questions about whether a private citizen should be profiting from government functions, said David Jaros, a law professor at the University of Baltimore.

If apartment complex owners were inclined to pay for their evictions, Jaros said, they clearly felt it was in their interest.

“They thought they would get better service from the government if they were to pay a private party with connections,” Jaros said. “And that’s not how the system is supposed to function.”

In an interview last month, Sheriff John Carr acknowledged that Jacobs’ influence in the office and the resources she received had rankled some deputies. He described her role in evictions as part of a community policing partnership, but said he had no knowledge of her receiving payments.

“If that’s the case, please let me know,” Carr said.

His office did not respond to a follow-up email after Jacobs acknowledged that she was paid.

Carr and Jacobs say complaints about their relationship are coming from the deputies’ union, which recently endorsed Carr’s opponent in his first primary election as an incumbent.

Jacobs, a political supporter of Carr, is also the president of the Suitland Action Team, a community group that has become a mainstay in county politics. She said any perks she enjoys support her work and deep connections in the community.

She said they have nothing to do with her political connections to Carr, adding that she has had a police escort for years — first from the Prince George’s County Police Department and later, since Carr’s election, from the sheriff’s office.

Responding to complaints from deputies that they had to escort her on routine errands, Jacobs said any stops were made on the way to or from her office. She said she needs a security detail because her work in the community could put her in dangerous situations.

“Why should I be out here, dealing with people on drugs, dealing with homeless people, why should I not have somebody be with me?” Jacobs said.

Garry Yancy, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 112, which represents Prince George’s sheriff’s deputies, said local law enforcement has long partnered with Jacobs in Suitland.

But he said her role in evictions since Carr took office in 2022 has been atypical.

“I will just say that, traditionally, we would not have a person come in and meet with a private citizen to schedule evictions,” he said.

Politics and payments

In the spring of 2022, Jacobs stepped up to a lectern at a campaign event in support of Carr’s bid for sheriff.

“He’s the best kid I have; he is. He’s very obedient,” said Jacobs, drawing laughs from the crowd. “He’s fair. And he cares about people.”

Four years later, Jacobs’ remarks provide a window into her relationship with Carr.

Carr said he was questioned about their relationship during a debate in the lead-up to this year’s primary election.

In that race, the union backed another sheriff’s office veteran, Ron Oliver, in an uphill effort to unseat Carr.

Carr won handily, but opposition within the office remains, and murmurs of Jacobs’ influence circulate in at least some circles of rank-and-file members.

Earlier in the year, a group of deputies stood inside an apartment unit and chatted about Jacobs with a woman who appeared to be overseeing an eviction.

In police body-camera footage of the conversation, which was reviewed by The Banner, the woman, who could not be identified, asked the deputies if they worked for Jacobs.

“Well, uh, if you want to call it that,” responded one deputy, who also could not be identified from the footage. “Do you?”

The woman acknowledged that she had worked with Jacobs in the past. When asked by one of the deputies if she pays Jacobs, the woman replied: “Yeah.”

Yancy, the union president, said he was aware of the video and confirmed its authenticity. He said he had not verified whether the information shared with deputies was accurate.

Typically, Carr said, the sheriff’s office coordinates evictions directly with apartment complex owners or landlords. That is no longer the case in Suitland, where apartment complexes have expressed a preference to schedule through Jacobs rather than deal directly with the sheriff’s office, Carr said.

“Now, the ones in Suitland, for some reason, they all say, ‘Hey, we’ll all wind up going together. Ms. Jacobs, hey, can you try to do that?’” he said.

Carr, who came into office facing a massive backlog of evictions that was worsened by staffing issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, said the apartments may be using Jacobs to “expedite their evictions.”

“You’d be surprised how many times people want to expedite their evictions, or move it through,” Carr said.

Jacobs said her work with apartment complexes to get their evictions scheduled essentially amounted to helping with paperwork and streamlining the process. It’s unclear if those who pay her a fee are prioritized over those who don’t.

Yancy said his understanding is that Jacobs helps the sheriff’s department identify and schedule evictions in certain cities.

“My understanding after having a conversation with my members is they are now coordinating evictions on her behalf in Forestville, Suitland, Oxon Hill and now Laurel,” Yancy said.

Jaros, the law professor, said Jacobs’ role in evictions could violate Maryland’s ethics codes.

“At minimum, it’s something that may be an issue for the Maryland State Ethics Commission, which would look at whether or not the sheriff was using the prestige of his office for the private gain of another,” Jaros said.

He added that criminal offenses such as bribery would require evidence of a quid pro quo and a higher burden of proof, but ethics violations don’t require proving the sheriff received anything in return.

“It’s sort of a fundamental part of our system is that everyone is treated equally and that everyone has equal access to the resources of government,” Jaros said. “If it becomes a pay-to-play scheme, that really undermines the institution and our faith in good government.”

‘Security’ details

On Tuesday, a day after answering questions from The Banner, Jacobs invited a reporter to a weekly community policing meeting she holds at the Windsor Crossing apartment complex in Suitland.

Eight local law enforcement officers — some from the county police department and others from the sheriff’s office — sat around a table and shared general crime information with Jacobs. Local residents also stopped in for the gathering.

At one point, Jacobs questioned whether the county police had enough mobile surveillance cameras in their district, implying that she could help secure more.

The county officer demurred, telling Jacobs he’d prefer her to “save your juice for the s--- that matters.”

At another point, Jacobs suggested she knew which deputy had spoken to The Banner about her role and opined that he had made a poor career decision in doing so.

Jacobs gets escorts to these and other meetings, she said. Carr said the meetings are critical for helping his deputies understand the community. But some deputies still question why Jacobs requires an escort to attend them.

Yancy said he was aware of concerns from the rank and file that Jacobs was receiving a private security detail.

“We have at least one representative present at her monthly meetings,” Yancy said. “Any time she has an event, we are offering staff or some type of sheriff’s office resources.”

A review of the sheriff’s social media page revealed two such events: a Christmas celebration and a luncheon in support of local law enforcement.

One sheriff’s deputy, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation for speaking publicly, told The Banner they had personally driven Jacobs about five times on what they described as a security detail.

Those days with Jacobs, the deputy said, required long hours of idle time in Jacobs’ office while she held meetings with various county and sometimes statewide elected officials.

Carr said in June that the transportation Jacobs received was limited to community policing issues, such as driving her to a homeless encampment.

“It’s not a security detail,” he said.

The sheriff described Jacobs as a “godmother” of the Suitland community who has long had relationships with local law enforcement.

“They call her the mayor of Suitland, right?”

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