Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler endorsed fellow Democrat Kevin Kamenetz for Baltimore County executive on Wednesday, saying the councilman's support for "innovative crime-fighting technology" had made the county safer.

The two attorneys, both former prosecutors, discussed crime prevention and video surveillance of shopping centers at a press conference near Towson Town Center. As a member of the Baltimore County Council, Kamenetz sponsored legislation that requires major shopping centers to install video devices.

Kamenetz is one of several candidates hoping to succeed County Executive James T. Smith Jr., who steps down at the end of his second term in December. Kamenetz will face council colleague Joseph Bartenfelder in a Democratic primary in September.