A string of violent attacks near the Towson Circle have Baltimore County residents on edge and calling for change.
“You see a lot of people doing things they shouldn’t be doing,” said Towson resident Pamela Collins.
“It’s becoming a very unsafe place to live,” said another resident.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski is responding by upping patrols within Towson’s central entertainment district along with a slew of new crime fighting strategies.
“I will do whatever it takes to make sure we both are safe and people feel safe in their communities,” said Olszewski, “We did step up our patrols both on foot and we’re looking at bike patrols, more camera’s more lights, additional license plate readers. So, we’re really taking proactive measures.”
But what about backing bills in Annapolis designed to address violent crime across the state?
The Gun Violence Accountability Act would increase penalties for illegally possessing a firearm from three years to five years. The Gun Theft Felony Act would change the consequence of stealing a handgun from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Earlier this week, FOX45 asked if Olszewski supports those bills. His answer was vague.
“I don’t know that we’ve weighed in specifically on those pieces of legislation, but we support legislators taking action to make sure our communities are safe,” said Olszewski.
On Wednesday, FOX 45 sent Olszewski the specific legislation and again, asked if he supports the bills. His office is still not taking a clear stance. Olszewski’s spokesperson Erica L Palmisano sent FOX 45 the following statement:
Public safety is among the most important responsibilities of local government, and we’re proud to have supported commonsense measures to combat violence, keep deadly weapons out of the hands of criminals, and save lives. That’s why we passed the SAFE Act to keep stolen guns off our streets, advocated on behalf of similar statewide efforts, and supported Maryland’s ghost gun ban. While we have not taken a position on these specific efforts, we’re closely monitoring discussions in Annapolis and welcome the opportunity to work with legislators to ensure appropriate and effective consequences to prevent violence and keep our neighborhoods safe.
However, according to political analyst John Dedie, the opportunity is there, it’s Olszewski’s choice to stay silent. A move Dedie is calling a mistake.
“If I was giving political advice, I would come out in favor of this type of legislation because people in Baltimore County are scared of crime in Baltimore City coming into their communities,” said Dedie.
Dedie says right now violence is top of mind for most voters, many of whom are tired of waiting for progressive policies to make an impact and are ready for a crack down on crime.
“Social justice is a wonderful idea and wonderful concept, but people want to see action that seems quicker and immediate. They don’t want to see something that, ‘well in ten years we’ll have an idea of how well this worked’,” he said.
