Maryland
Angela Alsobrooks under scrutiny for Maryland police reforms – Washington Examiner
Former Maryland State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks is under fire for controversial police reforms she implemented that critics say instigated a spike in crime.
In 2020, George Floyd’s death while in police custody galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking nationwide and widespread calls to defund the police. Around the same time, Prince George County’s Police Chief Hank Stawinski resigned after a report was released alleging a history of misconduct, discrimination, and racially charged comments.
Fresh from Stawinski’s resignation and Floyd’s death, Alsobroooks fell in line with activists’ calls to implement police reform.
Alsobrooks, who is now running against former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to replace retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), created the Prince George’s County Police Reform Working Group in July 2020. In December, the group released a report with close to 50 recommendations for addressing “many of the local and national debates about racism and policing.”
The former state attorney accepted 46 of the police reform recommendations in 2021, saying, “I believe that our families deserve to live in places where they have both justice and freedom.”
Alsobrooks is facing criticism for enacting one recommendation in particular: reallocating $20 million in funds designated for a police training facility to a mental health rehabilitation center for prisoners.
“We feel if we focus on restorative approaches and restorative practices to prevent some of the low-level crimes that occur throughout our county and within our school system, that we can reallocate those dollars for mental health and other services … that are much needed within our county,” then-state Del. Alonzo Washington, one of the co-chairs of the working group, recommended in 2020.
Alsobrooks agreed, saying during a 2022 interview with Ebenezer AME Church, “And so one of the things that we’ve done during our administration is, I decided that we were going to reallocate $20 million away from a police training facility. Now, we still have a training facility, but this one was going to be very expensive. And I have decided that you can’t heal people in jail.”
“I have reallocated, with the support of the County Council who had to vote to approve it — and it was also on your ballot in 2020. You had to approve it as well — but we instead have reallocated $20 million. And we are now opening the doors to a new mental health care and addictions care facility that will be opening the doors this July, in partnership with luminous health care, so that we can actually heal our loved ones and not treat them in jail,” she added.
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Alsobrooks made the reallocation as Prince George’s County saw a 16% increase in overall violent crime from 2019 to 2020, a 58% increase in reported homicides, a 19% increase in reported robberies, and a 15% increase in reported aggravated assaults. According to FBI statistics, violent crime in the county has increased 30% through 2022.
During her primary campaign, Alsobrooks faced criticism for not being progressive enough. Challenger David Trone criticized her for supporting the death penalty in a murder case during her time as state attorney, while Prince George’s County Councilwoman Krystal Oriadha claimed that Alsobrooks as county executive hadn’t shown enough support to the LGBT community.
Maryland
Severn scratch-off makes player a millionaire as Maryland Lottery pays $31.8M in prizes
SEVERN, Md. (WBFF) — A scratch-off ticket sold in Severn turned one Maryland Lottery player into a millionaire, leading a week in which the Lottery paid out more than $31.8 million in prizes statewide.
Maryland Lottery and Gaming said it paid more than $31.8 million in prizes from Feb. 23 through March 1, including 36 tickets worth $10,000 or more.
The top scratch-off prize claimed during that period was a $1 million winning $1,000,000 Crossword ticket sold at the Walmart at 407 George Clauss Boulevard in Severn. Another top winner was a $100,000 Red 5’s Doubler ticket sold at the Carroll Motor Fuel station at 2535 Cleanleigh Drive in Parkville.
Other scratch-off prizes claimed Feb. 23 through March 1 included two $50,000 winners: a 200X the Cash ticket sold at the Wawa at 7501 Pulaski Highway in Rosedale, and a $5,000,000 Luxe ticket sold at the Spring Hill Lake Mini Market at 9240 Spring Hill Lane in Greenbelt. A $30,000 Diamond Bingo 6th Edition ticket was sold at Tempo Lounge at 402 Back River Neck Road in Essex.
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The Lottery also reported three $20,000 scratch-off winners, all on $1,000,000 Crossword tickets sold at Geresbeck’s Food Market at 8489 Fort Smallwood Road in Pasadena; Hillandale Beer and Wine at 10117 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring; and Paddock Wine and Spirits at 7627 Woodbine Road in Woodbine.
The Lottery reminded players to sign the backs of tickets and keep winning tickets in a safe location.
The Lottery said the last dates to claim scratch-off tickets are posted on the scratch-offs page at mdlottery.com.
More information is available at mdlottery.com.
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For confidential help or information about gambling problems, visit helpmygamblingproblem.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Maryland
SUN: Dozens of vehicles moved to planned Maryland ICE facility; advocates concerned
Advocacy groups are raising concerns over a warehouse in Washington County that is slated to become an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility after dozens of black SUVs were moved to the warehouse’s parking lot on Sunday.
“When federal enforcement vehicles begin lining the warehouse lot, it sends a clear message about what’s taking shape in our community,” said the organizer of Hagerstown Rapid Response, Claire Connor. “We refuse to let ICE quietly plant roots in Washington County without transparency, accountability and community consent.”
The 825,620-square-foot warehouse is located at 16220 Wright Road in Williamsport. Access to the facility was blocked by orange traffic barriers and signs outlining regulations and “governing conduct on federal property” with the Department of Homeland Security emblem at the top of the page.
In late January, Washington County issued a news release stating that on Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to the county’s historic district commission and department of planning and zoning regarding the property.
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Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun’s website.
Maryland
Howard County police investigate fatal officer-involved shooting in Columbia
COLUMBIA, Md. (WBFF) — An adult man was killed in a police-involved shooting in Columbia early Sunday, prompting an investigation by the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division.
Howard County police said officers were called on March 1, at about 12:09 a.m., to an apartment building in the 6400 block of Freetown Road for a report that involved an adult male threatening to harm himself.
According to police, at about 12:22 a.m., officers encountered the man outside the building. The man approached officers while holding a knife and ignored commands to drop the weapon, police said. Officers then shot the man.
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Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officersrecovered a knife near the man.
No officers were injured, and the officers were equipped with body-worn cameras.
The Independent Investigations Division is investigating.
Anyone with information about this incident, including cell phone or private surveillance video, is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576–7070 or by email atIID@oag.maryland.gov.
The IID willgenerally releasethe name of the decedent and any involved officers within two business days of the incident, although that period may be extended, if necessary,pursuant toIID protocol.
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TheIID willgenerally releasebody-worn camera footage within 20 business days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 20 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.
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