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TOWSON, Md. — Baltimore County has seen an alarming fig of homicides this year, including 2 wide shootings.
Though the twelvemonth is not implicit yet, the Baltimore County Police Department acknowledged it has seen a important increase. The bureau attributes portion of the elevated full to intelligence wellness issues.
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As of Oct. 4, the region has already seen 42 homicides. To enactment that successful perspective, the region had a full of 33 homicides past year.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said the region remains a harmless spot to work, unrecorded and rise a family. But helium said leaders are trying to spot resources wherever they’re needed to support residents safe.
“I’ll beryllium watching the quality and look and think, ‘Oh my God, Baltimore County. Really?” said metropolis nonmigratory Cathy Morrell, who has household surviving successful the county.
At this clip past year, the county’s homicide full stood astatine 24, compared to 42 truthful acold this year.
Authorities property portion of the accrued unit to situations involving intelligence wellness oregon home disputes.
“Twenty-four percent, astir a 4th of victims this twelvemonth for homicide hade a behavioral wellness nexus associated with them,” said Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt, who noted that 17 of 42 victims were killed arsenic a effect of an statement oregon home dispute.
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The region has besides seen 2 wide shootings — including 1 successful Essex wherever constabulary accidental a antheral killed 2 guiltless bystanders wrong a Royal Farms aft sidesplitting his ain household members.
“These incidents can’t beryllium prevented by instrumentality enforcement alone,” said Olszewski. “Which is wherefore we’re taking enactment to grow behavioral wellness supports, grow the mobile crisis squad and adding clinicians to our 911 center.”
Olszewski expects those changes to hap by the extremity of the year.
Residents and officials accidental the contented isn’t isolated to Baltimore County but alternatively a byproduct of the pandemic and economical uncertainty.
“This is not conscionable a Baltimore County Police issue,” Chief Hyatt said. “It’s a societal contented that we request to person much resources dedicated to behavioral health.”
Added Morrell: “With the pandemic, with things happening now, radical not having jobs, radical are hopeless and radical volition bash astir anything.”
Other residents successful the country spoke to WJZ and said they consciousness harmless surviving successful Baltimore County, saying they often spot constabulary patrolling neighborhoods time and night.
For intelligence wellness concerns successful the county, you’re encouraged to telephone 410-931-2214.
Rachael Cardin
English (US) ·