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WEBVTT IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE THURSDAY NIGHT AT ST. MICHAEL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PERRY HALL. CITIZENS FIRED OFF QUESTIONS AT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND POLICE OFFICIALS ABOUT ROBBERIES AND THEFTS IN AND AROUND T COMMUNITY INCLUDING RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE AT AND AROUND WHITE MARSH MALL. MANY WANTED TO KNOW WHERE WERE THE CRIMINALS COMING FROM INCLUDING SOME OF THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS. >> WHAT COULD WE DO TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING CRIME SPILLING OUT OF THE CITY INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE DO NOT LIKE IT. LOWELL: BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE SAID THEY HAD NO DATA TO SUPPORT THE INCREASE IN CRIME IS DUE TO THE PROXIMITY TO THE CITY. >> [INAUDIBLE] WE HAVE NOT HAD THE CRIMES THAT ARE BEING PERPETRATED OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY. WE JUST NOW THAT WE ARREST SOMEONE [INAUDIBLE] >> CRIME IS A UNIVERSAL THING AND IT GOES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN BOTH JURISDICTIONS. LOWELL BRANDON SCOTT VICE CHAIR : OF THE CITY COUNCIL’S PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND WHO LIVES ON THE CITY-COUNTY LINE SAYS CRIME IS A UNIVERSAL THING AND ITS UNFAIR TO JUST BLAME THE CITY. HE’S HOPEFUL THE COUNTY’S NEW EXECUTIVE AND THE CITY COUNCIL CAN WORK HAND IN HAND TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. >> WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT FOR MONGERING AND TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL IN REALITY. THEY SAID WE HAVE OUR OWN HOMEGROWN CRIME ISSUES SO WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IS REALITY. LOWELL: AND BALTIMORE COUNTY’S EXECUTIVE DID RELEASE A STATEMENT -- HE SAID HE WILL BE WORKING WITH HIS NEW CHIEF TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AT WHITE MARSH MALL

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Baltimore City officials are reacting Friday after some people who attended a meeting in Baltimore County raised concern that crime in the White Marsh area was coming from the city.Baltimore County officials and community members gathered Thursday night to discuss what they're calling an increase in crimes. County residents fired off questions at elected officials and police officials about robberies and thefts in and around the community, including recent incidents involving young people at and around White Marsh Mall.Many people, including some of the elected officials, wanted to know where the criminals are coming from."What can we do to protect our community? Because we are seeing crime spilling out of the city into our community, and we don't like it," Delegate Kathy Szeliga said.Baltimore County police said they had no data to support the contention that the increase in crime is due to the proximity to the city."Some of the crimes are occurring within the community, perpetrators within the community and conversely speaking. We have been having crimes that are being perpetrated by folks outside the community. There are no statistics that have been compiled per se, we just know when we arrest someone, where the address that they're coming from," Baltimore County police Capt. Lamont Martin said.Some officials at Baltimore City Hall said it's not inaccurate to say crime bleeds over from the city into the county and vice versa; however, they said it's unfair to just blame the city for any increase in crime in Baltimore County, and that both governments need to work together to tackle it."Crime is a universal and regional thing. It's not just a jurisdictional thing, in (that) crime happens and goes back and forth between both jurisdictions," said Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott, who is vice chair of the City Council's Public Safety Committee.Scott, who lives on the city-county line, said it's unfair to just blame the city. He's hopeful that the county's new executive and the City Council can work hand-in-hand to come up with a solution."We know that people are not fear-mongering and trying to stoke things out of people, and people have to deal in reality, and it is very critical to remember that the police, individuals that were there from Baltimore County police, said that, 'Listen, we have our own homegrown crime issues as well,' so we have to recognize that is reality," Scott said.Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski released a statement on the matter Friday, saying: "Every person deserves to feel safe in their community. (Baltimore County Police) Chief (Terrance) 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."