Harford County has remained free of the violence and riots that have been spreading across Baltimore City since Saturday, but the impact of those events still are being felt locally, from canceled school trips to the sheriff's deputies and other police officers who have been deployed to help.
Harford community leaders also have been reacting to the havoc that has come in the wake of the April 19 death of Freddie Gray, 25, who was arrested by Baltimore Police a week earlier. The protests began peacefully on Saturday but turned particularly ugly leading up to Gray's funeral Monday, after which looting and fires broke out at multiple locations in the city.
Harford County Board of Education member Cassandra Beverley, who said she has lived in Baltimore, urged people not to "judge the entire city by the actions of a few."
"Baltimore is a great town, full of great people, and they need our prayers now," Beverley said.
On Tuesday, the Aberdeen Police Department sent three of its officers to Baltimore to assist police as the protests continued, APD spokesperson Cpl. Shannon Persuhn said.
Bel Air Town Administrator Jesse Bane said Tuesday evening that some Bel Air Police Department officers could be deployed to the city at a later time, if needed.
Meanwhile, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company President Joe Price said his company sent a tower truck and crew to fill in at a Baltimore firehouse.
Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company posted on its Facebook page it also sent one of its fire trucks to the city.
Deputies actively deployed
After sending nearly two dozen deputies to Baltimore Saturday night, the Harford County Sheriff's Office deployed another 22 to the city Monday night, as Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency, activated the Maryland National Guard and sent troops to the city.
"Tonight, I responded to the call from the State of Maryland to provide deputies to assist with law enforcement efforts restoring peace and providing safety to the citizens of Baltimore. At this time the Harford County Sheriff's Office has sent 22 deputies to join with thousands of officers from around the state. We are prepared to stay as long as we are needed," Harford Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler posted on Facebook Monday night. "These deputies have offered to go to Baltimore, outside of their normal duties, so that other deputies can continue to patrol Harford County and keep our citizens safe. Please keep the communities that are impacted by violence and the law enforcement officers who are responding, in your thoughts and prayers."
On Saturday night, several deputies from the Harford County Sheriff's Office suffered minor injuries when they responded to the protests in Baltimore.
The Sheriff's Office provided 22 deputies after the Baltimore Police Department asked for assistance at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Four sustained minor scrapes or bruises on their legs from debris hurled at them as violence broke out Saturday evening, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Cristie Kahler said. The deputies worked side by side with Baltimore officers at posts in the Western District, she said.
The deputies who have been deployed are ones who were either off-duty or were in positions that they could called to a different duty, Kahler said.
"We don't want to pull our patrol deputies; we want to maintain safety in our community," Kahler said Tuesday.
'Incredible amount of restraint'
Gahler said the deputies showed "an incredible amount of restraint" Saturday night, when 35 people were arrested and six officers were injured, according to The Baltimore Sun.
"Our people were on the front lines, with helmets and shields, and we were subject to bottles, bricks and stones," Gahler said, noting his team was relieved at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
The Harford deputies did not make any arrests, he said. Although some police cars were damaged downtown, Harford's were not.
The Sheriff's Office took one large van as well as six or seven cars, including some take-home vehicles, and parked them in a secure location, Gahler said.
"I am disappointed with what I have seen in the city, not from a police standpoint. I think our police have done an outstanding job," he said.
"I think you have your peaceful protesters and then you have your people who are intent on causing civil disturbance," Gahler said about the situation in Baltimore and Freddie Gray. "Those people don't care about the issue at hand, they don't care about the death of this gentleman."
"We are not seeing people who are protesting this man's death. We are seeing people perpetrating criminal acts," he added.
Gahler said all deputies are trained to handle mass incidents but he will be re-evaluating their tactical response to ensure officers respond in an even more coordinated way in the future.
"Hopefully this is a rare occurrence, but I couldn't be more pleased with the way we stepped up and assisted a department in need."
Schools cancel city trips
Administrators at Meadowvale Elementary School in Havre de Grace canceled a planned field trip to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore that had been scheduled for Monday.
The Meadowvale administrator who decided to cancel "noted it was due to events that occurred in the city over the weekend," Harford County Public Schools spokesperson Jillian Lader said in an email.
After a violent Monday in the city, the school system announced it Monday evening all trips to Baltimore are canceled this week.
"We have continued to monitor conditions in Baltimore City today. Due to current conditions we are canceling all field trips to Baltimore City through Friday, May 1, 2015," Lader wrote in an email.
According to the school system's web site, "no Harford County Public School bus will provide transportation within Baltimore City" during the period.
Like Beverley, other school board members expressed their regrets about the violence during their Monday meeting.
"Baltimore is an amazing city, and they will come through this," board member Alysson Krchnavy said.
Board member Robert Frisch, a retired Baltimore police officer, asked members of the audience to pray for city residents and first responders "on the line of defense."
"I just hope that you keep everyone in your prayers, and let's get this over with as quickly as possible," he said.
Aberdeen Mayor Mike Bennett said at Monday's city council meeting he hoped residents and law enforcement would stay safe in light of the growing violence.
"I would ask our citizens to pay particular attention about the broadcasts going on," Bennett said. "This is not the time to go into Baltimore City to sightsee."
"Listen to your TV and act accordingly," he said, adding he wishes everyone well, especially "all our fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement. We certainly pray for their safety in this whole process." Bennett is a former Maryland State Police trooper.
The Rev. Dan Sheffield of First Baptist Church also mentioned the violence in his opening prayer at the Aberdeen meeting.
He asked those attending to "pray for peace in the city of Baltimore" and prayed that officers and officials would remain safe.