Baltimore County police chief briefs delegation on Towson shooting, domestic homicide, juvenile crime, internal affairs reforms and drone pilot

Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough told the county delegation that investigators are continuing work on a recent mass shooting in Towson that left one person dead and eight others shot, and that the department is investigating a domestic homicide in Rosedale in which multiple family members were shot.

“We continue to work that investigation,” Chief McCullough said of the Towson shooting, and he said department investigators are coordinating with regional partners. He described the Rosedale case as a domestic homicide in which “a gentleman shot his girlfriend and his two children,” and said officers and the community remain traumatized by that event.

McCullough summarized 2024 crime figures for the delegation: 28 homicides in 2024 compared with 29 the prior year, and an increase in nonfatal shootings that he tied to a small number of high-profile incidents. “If we didn't have those simple two incidents, we would have ended the year below 2023 numbers,” he told delegates. He also said robberies and carjackings were down while assaults rose; burglary and vehicle thefts were lower than the prior year.

McCullough told the delegation that juveniles account for a substantial portion of property and violent crime, naming auto theft, theft and some assaults as frequently driven by juvenile offenders. He thanked the delegation for prior changes to juvenile statutes and recent bills addressing catalytic-converter theft and other measures, and said the department expects further conversations about juvenile interrogation laws and other reforms.

On internal accountability, McCullough said the department has revised its internal affairs policies to meet statutory changes, added investigative staff and elevated command review because complaint volume has increased. He raised concerns about the disciplinary matrix and statutory time limits, and said the department is discussing adjustments, including how certain minor departmental crashes are handled within administrative processes.

McCullough criticized a perceived inconsistency in how minor equipment or procedure failures are disciplined. He gave the example that officers can be disciplined for failing to activate a body-worn camera for a single incident while some other absences (for example, missing court) can be treated differently.

On staffing and recruitment, McCullough said applications are “up about 35%” and that the department is able to fill academy classes. He said community policing and improved outreach remain priorities.

The department plans a drone first-responder program under its Axon contract, McCullough said; he said drones will be launched for calls that meet defined criteria, with live streaming to an information center and to responding officers. He told delegates the pilot will begin in Towson and in Randallstown around Northwest Hospital, and he gave a target start date of February 1 for initial operations.

McCullough said the department will continue to work with the new county executive, Kathy Klausmeier, and that he is available to assist the delegation on legislation and to testify when requested.

Delegates asked questions about jurisdictional enforcement along county-city borders, homicide clearance rates, training on recent juvenile-law changes, and the drone program. On cross-jurisdictional issues at the Dundalk/Oliver intersection, McCullough said that while the specific parcels in question were in Baltimore City, Baltimore County officers frequent the area and county leaders have previously used the county executive’s office to press the city for action. On clearance rates, McCullough said the homicide clearance rate was above 70 percent for recent years and that the department continued to clear cases after year-end counts were compiled.

Several delegates recommended sharing best practices with other counties on the drone response program and suggested the department consider a statewide report-writing platform to improve information sharing among agencies.