Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski released the following statement in response to public conversations regarding recent public safety incidents at White Marsh Mall:
“Every person deserves to feel safe in their community. Chief Sheridan and I are actively discussing additional measures to engage residents and address concerns about crime. To that end, I will be talking with mall leadership and will ask them to develop a clear and specific policy on unsupervised youth. As we work to keep our communities safe, we will not point fingers but instead work in collaboration with our partners in the Baltimore region to address public safety concerns.”
Police Officer Assaulted at The Avenue in White Marsh
Baltimore County Police responded to The Avenue at White Marsh located in the 8100-block of Honeygo Boulevard in Nottingham on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. for a group of disorderly juveniles coming from White Marsh Mall.
As a result, one male juvenile was charged with destruction of property and disorderly conduct in the 7900-block of Honeygo Boulevard, two juvenile females were charged with assault which involved an officer, and an additional assault continues to be investigated. The officer involved did not suffer any injuries.
Police do not have any further information at this time.
Councilman David Marks, R-5, has been critical of the management of White Marsh Mall for not adopting a youth escort policy and said he is sad to see some of thire problems spilling over to the Avenue.
“Councilwoman [Cathy] Bevins, D-6, sponsored a resolution that I supported urging the mall to adopt a youth escort policy. The mall is owned by the same company that operates Towson Town Center, where a youth escort policy has been effective. Towson Town Center actually made the policy tougher during the week between Christmas and New Years. Why White Marsh Mall is ignored is inexplicable to me,” Mark said.
“Federal Realty owns the Avenue and the Giant across the street. Federal Realty has been very proactive, but the mall’s problems are affecting other properties.”
Police Investigating Domestic-Related Homicide in Essex
Baltimore County Police were called to the 100-block of Bennett Road, Essex for a disturbance involving a gun at 8 p.m. on Dec. 30.
Homicide detectives were able to determine the following details. Joseph William Principio, 62, of the 7600-block of Holly Ridge Drive in Glen Burnie, came to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Bennett Road, while she and her current boyfriend were inside the house. Principio forced his way inside the home when his ex-girlfriend answered the door. Principio, armed with a handgun, began to assault the current boyfriend once inside the house. During an altercation between Principio and the current boyfriend, the current boyfriend was able to hold Principio down until police arrived.
Joseph Principio was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased. Due to injuries to his upper body and arms, the current boyfriend was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He is expected to survive his injuries.
The handgun was recovered by responding officers. None of the individuals suffered any injuries from gunfire, it is believed that the weapon was not fired during the altercation. Detectives will continue their investigation and await the autopsy to be performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. No criminal charges have been filed at this time.
Woman Killed in Pedestrian Crash in White Marsh
Baltimore County Police responded to a pedestrian involved crash in the 11200-block of Philadelphia Road in the White Marsh area on Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m.
Crash team investigators determined that a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling west on Philadelphia Road when the vehicle struck a woman who was in the roadway in front of her home.
The woman was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where she was pronounced deceased just before midnight.
The pedestrian has been identified as Dorothy Jean Myers, 78, of the 11200-block of Philadelphia Road. Police are continuing their investigation of the crash at this time.
Chase Man Dies in Car Accident
Baltimore County Police responded to a single vehicle accident on Harewood Road and Sand Dollar Way in Chase on Dec. 27 at 9:30 p.m. Crash team investigators determined that a 2003 Mercedes XLK430 was traveling north on Harewood Road, past Sand Dollar Way, when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a pole. The vehicle overturned after hitting the pole.
The driver was the only occupant inside the car. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and was identified as Raymond Edward Vaughan, Sr., 74, of the 13200-block of Birdale Avenue in Chase. Police are continuing their investigation of the crash at this time.
Overlea High’s Zachary Clark named Maryland School Counselor of the Year
The Maryland School Counselor Association has named Zachary Clark, of Overlea High School, as the 2019 Maryland School Counselor of the Year.
He will be honored at the National School Counseling Week gala on February 8, 2019, at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt, and he will be nominated to the American School Counselor Association for the National School Counselor of the Year award.
Clark was recognized for creating and implementing an exemplary comprehensive school counseling program at his school. Reviewers noted that he uses data to inform his practice, advocates for the needs of all students, and continuously and proactively works to improve equity in his school. He was lauded for his contributions to the development of a 6 Year Plan process used systemwide to help students focus on their ambitions and goal setting, and to support them in exploring opportunities, selecting courses, and accessing resources.
Under Clark’s leadership as school counseling department chair, Overlea High has doubled its 4-year college acceptance rate in one school year and achieved a 90% graduation rate.
His efforts in growing the AVID program at Overlea High School have led to the implementation of a course for Grade 9 students, based on the AVID model, called Effective Learning for College and Career Readiness. In addition, Clark is working to bring restorative practices to his school.
In a letter of recommendation, a colleague wrote, “I have never once witnessed him put forth less than everything he has in service to students.”
Baltimore County Police Department Swears in New Recruits
Members of the 149th Recruit Class took the oath of office on Dec. 19. at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson
Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr. and Baltimore County Police Chief Terrence B. Sheridan joined family and friends as well as County dignitaries at the event. The recruits trained for 27 weeks and will spend the next two years in the field as they now apply the skills learned in the classroom.
The following is a list of the recruits and their assignments for the Essex and White Marsh precincts.
Precinct 9/White Marsh
Officer Andrew M. Dove
Officer Michael S. Mackert
Officer Joshua E. Oburn
Precinct 11/Essex
Officer Nicholas E. Greco
Officer Garrett M. Karr
Officer Allison M. Kraus
Officer Timothy M. Milich
Officer Emmanuel Nazario
Officer Tyler R. Nicholson
Officer Searra A. Reynolds
Officer Derek J. Sennett
Man Killed at Back River Wastewater Treatment plant
A 36-year-old Adelphi, Md. man has died of injuries sustained on Dec. 17 in a construction accident at the City of Baltimore’s Back River Wastewater Treatment plant.
The Baltimore Environmental Police have identified the victim as Transito Rodriguez Cruz.
Baltimore County Fire and EMS units were dispatched at 12:09 p.m. to a confined space rescue in the 8200 block of Eastern Ave, 21224. The victim was working in a large, secured trench on a construction project the at treatment plant when he was struck by the bucket of an excavator.
EMS crews immediately provided advanced medical care and transported him to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
The incident remains under investigation by both the Baltimore Environmental Police and the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Marks to Hold Public Safety Town Hall Meeting
Baltimore County Councilman David Marks will sponsor a town hall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 3 to discuss crime in northeastern Baltimore County.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Perry Hall (9534 Belair Rd, Baltimore, MD 21236).
The police captains for the White Marsh and Parkville precincts will be present to answer questions.
In the event of inclement weather that closes Baltimore County Public Schools, the meeting will be postponed with an announcement shared on Councilman Marks’ Facebook page,
Mark’s town hall was announced a few days after he released a Dec. 15 statement about crime after a robbery.
“Baltimore County has a serious, growing pattern of crime and it is time for elected officials to acknowledge and respond to it. Here are my thoughts.
* We surround Baltimore City on three sides. Crime is a metropolitan problem, and the city’s failure to improve public safety is affecting surrounding jurisdictions.
* We have gone, over the past two years, from crime reports largely about shed burglaries to news about armed robberies and, sadly, a police officer being killed in a quiet residential neighborhood.
* Crime is mobile – and no, not necessarily brought by bus lines. Drivers come and go and that is very tough to stop.
* When the same gasoline station is robbed three times in 18 months, that’s more than a random occurrence. I will be reaching out to the gas station owner and shopping center management over the next few days.
* The best solution I know is to increase our police presence, fill vacant positions, support any serious regional crime control efforts, and pass legislation that improves our broken criminal justice system.
I live here, too. I am angry at these incidents and will do all in my power to support our law enforcement professionals.”
Olszewski Urges General Motors to Retain White Marsh Manufacturing Jobs
County Executive John Olszewski, Jr. reached out to the head of General Motors (GM) to emphasize the value of the state-of-the-art White Marsh manufacturing facility, both to GM and to the Baltimore region, after it was announced that the White Marsh plant is closing. In a letter sent on Dec. 11, he called on GM Chairman and CEO Mary Teresa Barra to find a product or alternate use for the plant that will keep all of its 300 high-performing employees working.
“We know that Eastern Baltimore County is one of the most competitive areas for manufacturing on the East Coast with our highly skilled workforce and proximity to transportation networks,” Olszewski said. “I wanted to make sure that the leadership at GM understands the importance and value of this facility to their bottom line and to Baltimore County.”
The full text of his letter is below:
December 11, 2018
Ms. Mary Teresa Barra
Chairman and CEO
General Motors Company
300 Renaissance Center
Detroit, Michigan 48243
Dear Ms. Barra,
As the newly-elected County Executive of Baltimore County, I was shocked to learn about General Motors’ (GM) decision to cease production at GM’s White Marsh facility. This facility has been an anchor and source of pride within our County since it opened in 2000. The facility’s importance to the region became even more significant upon the opening of the $245 million electric motor facility in 2012. Hundreds of millions of federal, state, and local dollars have been invested since its opening and it has been lauded as a “state of the art” facility that embodied American resiliency in the wake of the great recession.
As you know, our region has strong and deep roots in manufacturing. Our proximity to major highway and rail networks and the Port of Baltimore has made eastern Baltimore County one of the most significant areas for logistics and manufacturing – and we continue to remain competitive. We attract talented and qualified workers and have demonstrated our commitment to embracing 21st century workforce solutions through bolstering trades, job training and workforce development. And we will continue to do so.
Therefore I respectfully request that GM find a product or alternative use for the plant that will keep all 300 of those employees working in Baltimore County. I understand that according to GM’s own corporate metrics, the employees at White Marsh are among the top performers across the entire company. Furthermore, I understand these employees have had very few grievances with GM management. The facility is both modern and effective, and I know these hard-working men and women remain committed to achieving high performance standards.
If GM does not reverse the decision to cease production in White Marsh, we must work collectively with our state and federal partners to do everything we can for the employees and families impacted. As such, I have asked my team to immediately engage with local GM and United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 239 in an effort to protect the career-paths of affected GM workers. At my direction, Baltimore County’s Department of Workforce and Economic Development will serve as the central agency responsible for communications, coordination with area employers interested in recruiting GM workers, and hosting career fairs. We will also offer workshops and direct career counseling, assist with resume development, interview preparation, and other unemployment essentials.
Earlier this week, a team of economic and workforce development professionals from my administration met with GM’s human resource manager, Erin Spitzer, to discuss collaboration on these efforts. I have every confidence that we will continue to have GM’s cooperation and partnership in these efforts.
While we are bracing for a possible closure, I would like to reiterate my strong request to maintain operations at the White Marsh facility. As soon as possible, I invite you and/or members of your senior leadership team to join me in a tour of the White Marsh operation to observe the world-class operation there firsthand. I am available to discuss this matter at your convenience. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
John Olszewski, Jr.
County Executive