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
The Baltimore County Ethics Commission should review the early-morning call, according to the government watchdog group.
A phone call from Councilman Todd Huff to Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson should be reviewed by the Baltimore County Ethics Commission, according to one government watchdog group. The call, made by Huff following his arrest for driving under the influence raises questions about whether or not the councilman attempted to use his office in order to get out of trouble. "You want to make sure when a case like this occurs that there is an appropriate response so other people don't think 'Here is my way out, too,'" said Jennifer Bevan-Dangle, executive director of Common Cause Maryland. County ethics laws prohibits public officials from using the prestige of their office for personal benefit. Huff made the call to Johnson following his…
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…
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Councilman Todd Huff's request for a jury trial in Circuit Court raises concerns because of family connections and recent zoning decisions, according to a legal scholar.
Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said Wednesday he will seek a prosecutor from a neighboring jurisdiction to handle the drunken driving case against Councilman Todd Huff. Huff, who was arrested Feb. 23, has requested a jury trial in Baltimore County Circuit Court—a move that a legal scholar says raises concerns because of Huff's relationship with the family of Circuit Court Administrative Judge John Grason Turnbull II and a recent zoning decision related to property owned by the judge. Shellenberger Wednesday said his decision to ask a prosecutor from a neighboring jurisdiction to handle the case "is not common but it's not unusual either" when the case is politically charged. "The County Council decides the budget for…
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Baltimore County police release voicemail Todd Huff left for county police Chief Jim Johnson on the night the councilman was arrested for drunken driving.
In the minutes after Baltimore County Council member Todd Huff was pulled over for driving without headlights, the first-term Republican apparently called Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson multiple times and said in one of the calls he had been drinking before operating his county-owned Jeep. "Apparently I was pulled over, I didn't have my headlights on and yes, I was drinking," Huff said in the voice mail left on Johnson's county cell phone that lasted less than 30 seconds. The call was released by the the Baltimore County Police Department under a Maryland Public Information Act request filed Monday by Patch. Huff was pulled over shortly before 3 a.m. on Feb. 23 after a police officer spotted the councilman's silver Jeep Grand …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The Baltimore County police chief decried gun violence on WYPR's Midday with Dan Rodricks radio show.
Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson continued his crusade against civilians owning assault weapons during a Thursday appearance on WYPR's Midday with Dan Rodricks. The police chief said opponents of assault weapon bans frequently cite home invasions as a reason to possess them, but pointed out that there is no "serious chronic problem with home invasions" in Baltimore County. "An assault weapon is an excessive weapon for the public," Johnson told Midday listeners. Johnson further noted that home invasions are commonly connected to drug-related incidents. "You see it from time to time," he said. Johnson caught the national spotlight Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing on gun violence. …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Nearly six dozen metal detecting wands bought in October have been used just three times.
Metal detecting wands purchased after a school shooting in Perry Hall have been used just three times since October and have not caught any students carrying weapons in Baltimore County public schools. County police used the wands in searches of students at Kenwood High, Sparrows Point High and the Western School of Technology since the purchase and implementation of the equipment in October. No weapons were recovered in any of the searches, according to Elise Armacost, a police department spokeswoman. "We don't have a lot of weapons in Baltimore County schools," Armacost said. "It's not surprising that we didn't recover any." County police were issued the wands in October. Officers use them only in the case of a suspicious circumstance, …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Police chief says alleged shooter was licensed to carry a gun and "had half a load on."
A shooting outside the Charles Village Pub in Towson is not drawing the same ire from County Executive Kevin Kamenetz as a brawl outside another Towson watering hole attracted in September. "I have consistently stated that the owner of a liquor establishment, a bar, have the responsibility for their patrons after they leave the building," said Kamenetz. Francis Minsung Kang, 26, of the unit block of Brook Farm Court in Cockeysville was charged early Sunday with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and use of a handgun in committing a felony. Kang was leaving the Charles Village Pub when he allegedly threw a bottle of Gatorade at a woman and a fight ensued. He pulled out a handgun and fired five shots into a crowd, striking …
Gun Club official asks elected leaders to "refrain from publicly exploiting this heartbreaking tragedy until after the victims had been returned to their families and loved ones."
UPDATED (3:30 p.m.)—Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Police Chief Jim Johnson Monday called for tougher gun laws in the wake of a shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 dead, including 20 children. "Such a discussion is not an assault on the Second Amendment," Kamenetz said. "This is an assault on assault weapons. The founding fathers granted Americans the right to bear arms but like other rights in the Constitution, that right is not absolute, and it is subject to reasonable limits." But a representative of the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore said it is too early to discuss stricter gun laws. Kamenetz Monday read from an open letter he said he was sending to state and federal officials. [A copy of the …
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
County spokesman calls owners of the Towson venue "good corporate citizens" two months after County Executive Kevin Kamenetz blamed them for a brawl.
Two months ago, Brian and Scott Recher were solely to blame for a highly publicized brawl outside their Towson bar and concert venue, according to county officials. But a day after the brothers were vindicated by the liquor board, county officials say the pair are "good corporate citizens" and that they now want to "move forward." "The Rechers are an outstanding family and they have a really outstanding record of being good corporate citizens in Towson," said Don Mohler, a spokesman for County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. "Moving forward, there's not an ounce of positive energy in regret or looking backward," Mohler said. Two months ago, Kamenetz stood in front of the media and declared the Recher brothers responsible for a Sept. 22 brawl …
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 ›