Baltimore County police brief delegation on mass shooting, juvenile crime, body-worn camera discipline and drone plan

Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Chief of Police, briefed the Baltimore County delegation during its first meeting of the 2025 legislative session on recent violent incidents, internal affairs reforms, staffing and new technology the department plans to deploy.

McCullough told the delegation the department is still investigating a mass shooting in Towson that killed one person and wounded eight others. “I assure you, that our our investigators, our agency, is not only our agency, but we'll work with all our our regional partners to, to to solve that case,” McCullough said during his presentation.

Why it matters: The briefing outlined public-safety priorities the department plans to carry into the legislative session, and it flagged potential statutory and policy changes the department is tracking or seeking help with from state lawmakers.

McCullough said the department also responded to a December domestic homicide in Rosedale in which a man was charged after shooting his girlfriend and two children. He described the emotional strain those cases place on both victims and officers and said the department is providing victim services and officer support.

On annual crime figures McCullough said Baltimore County ended the reporting period with slightly fewer homicides than the prior year — “28 homicides compared to 29 homicides the previous year” — while nonfatal shootings rose relative to one previous comparison year. He noted other categories: robberies and carjackings are down, burglary and vehicle theft are down, and assaults have increased. He emphasized juvenile involvement: “Juveniles still, drive much of the crime in Baltimore County, whether it's, car theft, or whether it's just theft in general or assault.”

McCullough credited recent state changes on juvenile law, a catalytic-converter theft law and other reforms for helping enforcement but said more conversation is needed on topics such as juvenile interrogation rules and responses to threats by children ages 10–12.

Internal affairs and discipline were a major theme. McCullough said the department has revised internal affairs policies, added investigative staff and added command staff review because complaint volume has risen. He raised concerns about perceived inconsistencies in how discipline is applied, giving the example that an officer can miss court without discipline but can face discipline for a single failure to activate a body-worn camera. “We need to make some adjustments there,” he said.

The department has relocated its internal affairs office outside the Public Safety Building to improve public access and to reduce the chance that complainants encounter officers they may be describing in a complaint.

On hiring and retention McCullough said Baltimore County is seeing application increases (he reported applications up “about 35%”) and that the department is “doing better than most.” Community policing and training remain priorities.

Technology and operations: McCullough described plans to expand the department's Axon contract and to begin a drone first-responder program in February, initially in Towson and Randallstown (area near Northwest Hospital). He said drones will be launched by headquarters for calls that meet department criteria, stream video to an information center and to responding officers, and record potential evidence. “If there's a crime in progress, if there's a carjacking, we're immediately getting vehicle information, get suspect information,” McCullough said.

Delegation members raised local enforcement and interjurisdictional issues. Delegate Robin Grammer pressed the chief about chronic problems near the Holabird and Dundalk Avenue intersection, where the delegate said enforcement has been inconsistent and where drug distribution and robberies have occurred. McCullough said the location spans Baltimore City and Baltimore County and that the county has repeatedly attempted cooperative measures with the city; he said prior involvement by the county executive prompted action from city officials.

Members also asked about training and updates related to changes in juvenile law; McCullough described written bulletins, roll-call training, in-service training and supervisory briefings intended to keep officers current with changing legal standards.

McCullough invited the delegation to call on him to testify or provide assistance during the legislative session and said the department looks forward to working with County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s administration.

Ending: The chief opened the floor to questions after the briefing and remained available to delegation members for follow-up on use-of-force training, the drone rollout and legal or policy questions during the legislative session.