safety of citizens

• Harford

Bel Air's mayor gets her pleasure from serving residents of the 'Heart of Harford'

Bel Air Mayor Susan Burdette, who is in her fifth year on the town board, spends her days and nights serving residents and representing the Harford County seat at the state and regional level. She's technically a mayor in name only, because the post is mainly ceremonial, but that hardly means she isn't constantly busy with town government related activities and decisions.

By David Anderson

Aug 5, 2016

• Opinion

Judicial presumption of guilt unfair to defendants [Commentary]

As long as judges continue to maintain that they must accept the accusations against defendants as true at pretrial release hearings, defendants who might have been released after a fair hearing will instead be detained for weeks, months or years awaiting trial.

• Maryland

Health Department: Get ready for National Preparedness Month in September

• Opinion

A victory for public safety [Editorial]

The ruling upholding Maryland's assault weapons ban is in line with other post-Heller cases.

• Opinion

Conscious leadership in public safety [Commentary]

Police, firefighters and other emergency responders occupy a special position of trust in their communities. They need to always be aware of the impact of their behavior.

• Maryland

Stephen Wantz, Republican [Profile]

• Politics

Federal court upholds mayor's pension overhaul

• Harford

Changes requested to Harford volunteer firemen's pension program

Harford County government and the county's volunteer fire and EMS companies are discussing proposed changes to a county-funded retirement program for the volunteer firemen, including lowering age of eligibility to receive benefits.

• Opinion

Youth placement is overused [Commentary]

Maryland uses incarceration and residential placement for youth too much. But there are solutions.

• News

Man who killed friend in bulletproof vest stunt is held without bail

The man who shot his friend of 15 years in the chest, missing the bulletproof vest he was wearing and killing him, will be held without bail on charges of first degree murder, second degree murder and two gun charges.

• News

Federal panel backs early release for drug inmates

A powerful judicial panel voted Friday to slash sentences for thousands of prison inmates — hundreds of them from Maryland — a significant move toward softening severe punishments for federal drug crimes.

• Baltimore City Paper

Crime Coordinator Charged With Crimes

• Anne Arundel

Johnson would consider current police, fire chiefs; Schuh says it's too soon for such talk

Anne Arundel County executive candidate George F. Johnson IV said Tuesday he won't fire the police and fire chiefs if he's elected. Rather, he'll take his time to evaluate the chiefs and all department heads.

• Maryland

Opening of movie multiplex is first test of Towson's readiness [Editorial]

With the opening this week of the 15-screen theater at Towson Square, Towson will get a look at the first wave of visitors drawn by nearly $800 million due in new investment that will transform the town center of the county seat of government. The theater is the first in a series of density-boosting projects. The county is preparing to fend off gridlock — and not just traffic jams in the street. We think pedestrian congestion looms as a problem requiring attention.

• Maryland

Correctional services van in two-vehicle crash

A state correctional services van carrying six inmates and a correctional supervisor to a work detail on Tuesday morning was involved in two-vehicle collision that sent the passengers to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, corrections officials said.

• Opinion

Exposing predators [Editorial]

Maryland's sex offender registry needs to be part of a larger crime-fighting strategy to protect vulnerable children and adults

• Maryland

Pre-release inmates join state effort to repopulate oysters at Glebe Bay

Clifton Wilson, an inmate at the state's Eastern Pre-Release Unit facility, spent Thursday in the great outdoors, relocating oysters from cages on private piers near Thomas Point on the Chesapeake Bay to a sanctuary nearby Glebe Bay.

• Maryland

Summer turns up heat on Howard County executive candidates

The two candidates running for Howard County's highest office have been locked in and focused for nine months so far, campaigning but laying comparatively low until the primaries had run their course. Now, it's their turn for the spotlight.

• News

Baltimore police consider using nonlethal tranquilizers in animal cases

Officers have not had the use of tranquilizer guns over the past few months including last week when police killed two animals

• Baltimore County

Kamenetz says county services are ready for Towson growth

Baltimore County will add additional police officers and offer special parking rates to handle new development in Towson, including the July 10 opening of the Cinemark movie theater, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said Friday.

• Politics

O'Malley policy draws criticism from immigrant groups

WASHINGTON — A policy unveiled by Gov. Martin O'Malley that was intended to reduce the number of non-criminal immigrants deported from the Baltimore jail is facing scrutiny from advocates who say it contains loopholes so large it will inevitably fall short of that goal.

• Maryland

Letter: Candidate seeks District 1 support

• Harford

Harford County Council endorsements [Editorial from The Aegis]

Primary election voting recommendations.

• Opinion

This ain't livin' [Commentary]

Dying is too easy in Baltimore, and neither death nor we should be proud. Even before summer officially arrives, nearly 90 people have been slain. Sages of street life here forecast long hot deadly days ahead.

• Opinion

Frosh for attorney general [Editorial]

Veteran Montgomery County legislator Brian Frosh has the experience, temperament and intelligence to excel as the state's top lawyer.

• Harford

Four in the hunt to be Harford's top lawman

Two Republican candidates are running for the GOP nomination in this year's race for Harford County sheriff, which will bring the eventual opportunity to challenge incumbent two-term Sheriff Jesse Bane, who is a Democrat.

• Opinion

Cardin best choice for attorney general [Letter]

Delegate's efforts on behalf of children and families make him suited to be attorney general

• Maryland

Letter: Responsible leaders needed

• Maryland

John Culleton: Primary brings a time for change

• Opinion

Scofflaws on two wheels (and sometimes one) [Editorial]

Police need to take a smarter approach to combating the threat posed by illegal dirt bikes

• Maryland

Doug Howard: A record of accomplishment

• Harford

The public's business isn't so public anymore in Harford [Editorial]

The public's focus on public business ain't what it should be, or at least what it needs to be in Harford County and many other places.

• Maryland

Stephen Wantz: Invest in our future

• Harford

Dozens of Edgewater Village homes get new smoke alarms

Members of the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company went door-to-door in the Edgewater Village Community of Edgewood on Saturday morning, checking smoke alarms and installing many replacements, free of charge.

• Law Enforcement

Frustration with crime evident at public safety summit

The mayor and city state's attorney attend a public safety summit for north and northeast Baltimore, at Morgan State University, but city police Commissioner Anthony Batts is not there.

• News

U.S. drug clemency plan could reduce sentences of 200 Md. inmates

WASHINGTON — The U.S Justice Department on Wednesday invited thousands of federal convicts to request their release from prison, a measure that could have an outsized effect in Baltimore where U.S. prosecutors have worked closely with local authorities.

• Howard County

Ulman releases operating budget with focus on mental health, education spending

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman released on Monday a $1.026 billion operating budget proposal for fiscal year 2015, his last before his second term ends in December of this year.

• Politics

O'Malley takes aim at deportations

Gov. Martin O'Malley announced today that the Baltimore City Detention Center will no longer automatically honor requests from the federal government to hold immigrants for deportation — making it one of a handful of jurisdictions in the country to take a more discerning approach on the issue.

• Opinion

Patching a broken immigration system [Editorial]

President Obama is right to use his executive power to give suspected illegal immigrants their day in court

• Maryland

Columbia Election Candidate: Suzanne Waller

The Columbia Association will hold elections on Saturday, April 26. During the elections, Columbia residents who pay the Columbia Association assessed fee can vote in their respective village for their village's representative to the 10-member Columbia Council, which becomes the 10-member Board of Directors.

• Anne Arundel

Police search for leads in kayaker shooting

Maryland Natural Resources Police continue to investigate the unusual case of a man who was shot while kayaking on a Pasadena creek Saturday night.

• Anne Arundel

Annapolis hosts Neighborhood Watch session Tuesday

The Annapolis Police department will host a Neighborhood Watch meeting tonight, Tuesday, April 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Annapolis Police Headquarters, 199 Taylor Avenue.

• Howard County

After 48 years in public service, it's 'Sine Die' for James Robey

State Sen. James N. Robey claims no grand ambition, no plan to arrive where he now sits as majority leader of the Maryland Senate, or to have made the unusual leaps from Howard County police chief to county executive to legislator. Things happened, he said, one thing led to another, people egged on a sometimes reluctant candidate.

• Politics

Speed camera reform bill passes General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly approved legislation Thursday that will provide new protections for motorists from erroneous tickets and other speed camera abuses, sending the bill to the governor for his expected signature.

• Politics and Government

Council candidate hopes third time's the charm

Devin Tucker is no stranger to Anne Arundel politics. The Russett community advocate and owner of a philanthropic consulting business has run for office twice before – once, in 2006, for County Council and then, four years later, for a state delegate seat. This time around, the Democrat is running for an Anne Arundel County Council seat in District 4, which represents parts of Laurel, as well as Crownsville, Gambrills, Crofton, Odenton, Maryland City and Russett.

• Howard County

New Wilde Lake Middle in Ulman budget

On Tuesday, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman released his capital budget for fiscal year 2015, a $259.9 million spending program that prioritizes funding for schools, parks, water quality improvements and expansion of a new intercounty broadband network.

• Maryland

Police catch inmate who scaled razor wire at Dorsey Run facility

A minimum security inmate escaped from Dorsey Run Correctional Facility in Jessup on Monday morning and was later captured in the home of an acquaintance.

• Opinion

Up in smoke [Commentary]

A Maryland Senate bill to decriminalize marijuana is unnecessary, because, in fact, most Maryland counties are already not criminally charging for possession of small amounts, but rather putting offenders into a program that includes drug education and community service. Also, while there were 19,828 violations in Maryland in fiscal year 2013 for possession of less than 10 grams, there were only four convictions.

• Opinion

Isolated confinement [Editorial]

Maryland claims it does not use solitary confinement to discipline inmates, but isolating convicts either alone or with another inmate in the same cell for prolonged periods amounts to the same thing

• Harford

Harford implements 'closest unit' policy for ambulance dispatching

Harford County public safety officials, working with the county's volunteer fire and ambulance companies, implemented a "closest unit" strategy for EMS dispatching this week, which could result in residents seeing ambulances from neighboring jurisdictions in their communities if the crews happen to be close by.