It’s election season in Howard County, and one of the offices that probably gets little attention is that of State’s Attorney.
Victor Broccolino is moving on and he’s not running to keep his position as the County’s top prosecutor. That mantle will be passed to either Rich Gibson or Kim Oldham. Gibson is the Democrat and Oldham is the Republican. Gibson has never worked as a prosecutor in Howard County, but his credentials are credible. Oldham has served Howard County for years in her post as a prosecutor. Her credentials are also credible.
This race is worth watching and it’s worth studying. Howard County is growing and so is the crime rate. There are not many shootings or murders here, but violent crime and particularly crimes committed with handguns are quite prevalent.
Today’s lead story is particularly disturbing. We can watch the entire crime on video, hearing the commands of the perpetrator to the victim. We see how an ordinary pizza delivery turns into a harrowing event. More disturbing is that the assailants look like kids.
These violent children wreak havoc on society, but often, they get a slap on the wrist because of their juvenile status. There is a fine line between the juvenile justice’s attempts to save children and protect law-abiding residents who want and expect safety.
This year, voters should ask themselves where they stand on such issues and choose a state’s attorney who agrees with them. Juveniles enjoy unprecedented immunity in the 21st Century and this immunity often ties the hands of those men and women who are charged with protecting us.
Just this week in Baltimore County a 16-year-old boy was charged with first degree murder in the death of a female police officer who had been on the force just shy of four years.
This violence occurred as a result of a home burglary. The other children involved are 15, 16, and 17 according to the Associated Press. The child charged with murder (by running over the police officer with a stolen Jeep) was technically on house arrest in Baltimore City because of other crimes committed.
The kicker is that he had been in juvenile detention in the past and he escaped those facilities. Why was he now on home detention? Might we have similar situations brewing here?
The question is, what do we want in Howard County? How do we protect ourselves from criminal activity and save our children at the same time? We should decide what we want and vote according to what we believe. But first, we must be informed. Only by reading crime reports, as disturbing as they are, will we know how our judges sentence and how our prosecutors perform.
As for the upcoming ballot bonanza, we must study the records of those running for office and ask direct questions at forums to ascertain who is the best fit. It’s work, but it’s worth it.
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