Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Crime dropped in nine of 10 precincts in the county but increased in Towson. Rapes and some arson, robbery and assault cases also increase.
Baltimore County was a little safer in 2012, according to crime statistics released Wednesday by the Baltimore County Police Department. Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson Wednesday said all crime in Baltimore County decreased 6.7 percent compared to the previous five year average. Violent crime including homicides decreased by 11.1 percent in the same period. "These are some of the best numbers I've seen in my career," Johnson said. "You have to go back 30 years to find crime numbers this low," Johnson said. [Crime statistics released by the Baltimore County Police Department are attached to this article.] Last year, the county recorded 23 homicides. Over the last five years the county average is 29 homicides. There were 30 in 2011…
Monday, April 29, 2013
Both departments will use the social media site, along with Twitter, to disseminate information to the public.
You can now "like" the Baltimore County Police and Fire Departments. County officials announced Monday afternoon that the departments now share a page on Facebook. The page will be used to distribute information from the two departments as well as the county Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "We know how much people care about police news in their communities," said County Police Chief Jim Johnson, in an emailed statement. "Social media helps us provide information when significant news is breaking. It also helps dispel rumors in an era rumor spreads instantly." The page is the latest foray into social media by the county. The police and fire department already have a presence on Twitter. The Office of Homeland Security…
This is the seventh year for the program.
The Baltimore County Police Department is accepting applications for its youth leadership academy. The six-day program offers teens an opportunity to build leadership skills while learning about the police department. This is the seventh year for the program. The deadline for all applicants is May 31. Students will visit a number of facilities including: The academy will culminate with a graduation ceremony at Baltimore County Public Safety Building/Police Headquarters in Towson. The six-day program for youth ages 14-18 will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, June 24 through Saturday, June 29. Applicants must have good grades and in addition to an application must write an essay explaining why they want to be in the program. Each applicant …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Three county police precincts will host the events Saturday, part of an annual nationwide effort.
County police and Drug Enforcement Administration staff will be on hand at three county police precincts Saturday to collect prescriptions and medications from county residents. The collections will occur from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following precincts: The disposal is part of the DEA's National Take-Back Day. Residents who choose to dispose of drugs Saturday will not be asked any questions or for identification, according to a county police press release. The release advises residents to bring medications in their original packaging or to remove them from the packaging and put them in the disposal box. Liquid medications should be sealed in their original containers, and any identifying information should be removed. No illicit drugs or…
Monday, April 15, 2013
A county police spokeswoman said officers will patrol local critical infrastructure sites.
Following explosions near the site of the Boston Marathon, Baltimore County police are conducting local patrols as a precautionary measure. Specifically, Police Chief Jim Johnson has ordered precinct commanders to immediately direct officers to check on critical infrastructure sites in the county, according to a statement. "These checks are a precaution reflecting heightened awareness following the Boston incident," according to Elise Armacost, a department spokeswoman. "There is no information at this time to indicate any threat to the Baltimore region." Spokeswoman Cathleen Batton previously said the department has been monitoring the situation to determine what actions are necessary. The expolosions have left two dead and more than 100 …
The Baltimore County executive praises county employees but asks employees to "stay the course" because the proposed budget contains no cost of living salary increases.
UPDATED (10:29 a.m.)—Baltimore County residents will not have to dig deeper for local taxes again this year under a budget proposed by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. Kamenetz is expected to introduce his third county budget to the Baltimore County Council at 10 a.m. The proposed $2.8 billion operating budget will contain no increases in property or income taxes for the budget year that begins July 1. The county has not raised property taxes in 25 years. The county income tax rate has not been raised in 21 years. But Kamenetz's spending plan is larger than the limit set in January by the County Council's Spending Affordability Committee. That committee in January set the limit for ongoing costs subject to spending guidelines at $1.675 …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The department's Youth Leadership Academy is in its seventh year.
The Baltimore County Police Department is giving teens curious about police work a chance to find out what it's all about through an upcoming leadership academy. Teens ages 14 to 18 are encouraged to apply for the Youth Leadership Academy which will be held June 24 to 29 at locations around Baltimore County, according to a news release. The program is limited to 25 students and applications, which can be found on the county website, must be submitted by May 31, the release states. In order to be considered for the program, applicants will have to complete the application, pass a background check, write an essay about why they should be in the program and have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian, according to the release. More …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A attorney for Baltimore County, in an email, writes that federal agencies have unjustly "hounded and harassed" the county.
Baltimore County officials believe a recent spate of federal investigations that have gone against the county is driven by bias rather than evidence. The claims are part of an email written by Paul Mayhew, an assistant Baltimore County attorney. The message was sent to a private list of other county government litigators in Maryland. The Maryland State Bar Association manages the list. "For the last five years or so we have been hounded and harassed by the EEOC and the DOJ," Mayhew wrote in the April 4 email. [A copy of the email is attached to this story.] Baltimore County Attorney Michael Field confirmed that the email, obtained by Patch from a source who requested anonymity, was authentic. "We don't feel like we get anything close to a …
Friday, February 15, 2013
The trio allegedly held up Royal Farms, 7-Eleven and High's stores in the city and the county.
(UPDATED, 1:14 p.m.)—Three men have been arrested and charged with robbing 24 convenience stores in both Baltimore City and Baltimore County. The men were arrested following a high-speed pursuit into Baltimore County after robbing two convenience stores in North Baltimore. They were taken into custody in a parking garage at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson. "There is no doubt that these three men would have continued victimizing businesses and store employees if our robbery detectives in the County and the City had not used solid police work to put the pieces together, and then relentlessly pursued this case," Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson said in the news release. Omar Hance, a 31-year-old resident of Better …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The remark was made during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Wednesday in Washington.
Conservative bloggers took issue with a comment made Wednesday in Washington by Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson. "I find it very scary, creepy, and just not based on logic," said Johnson—referring to comments made at the hearing by National Rifle Association executive Wayne LaPierre—during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence, according to a report by The Guardian. LaPierre, in remarks at the hearing, tied the Second Amendment to the "tyranny of King George and they wanted to make sure that these people in this new country would never be subjugated to tyranny," he said, according to the report. The four-hour hearing also included testimony from former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was injured in a 2011 …
CP
10:21 am on Friday, May 3, 2013
Yes Steve they do as with Light Rail. You are way out of touch dude. more ›