The Town of Ridgely claims it acted lawfully when it disbanded its police force in 2024, according to a federal court filing made last week. The Star Democrat reports responding to a lawsuit filed by former Ridgely police officers in U.S. District Court in August, attorneys representing town commissioners and employees submitted a motion to dismiss claims made against the town by eight plaintiffs — former Police Chief Jeff Eckrich, six other officers and one civilian employee. In the motion, submitted Friday, attorneys for the town argued Ridgely acted within its charter when eliminating the police department, a decision made for “legislative and budgetary” reasons, the motion states.