Baltimore County leaders faced scrutiny Tuesday following a string of shootings over the past few days, including one that proved fatal. On Sunday, a woman was shot multiple times and killed on Whitelaw Place in Parkville. The next day, separate shootings left one man dead on Meriam Court near Reisterstown Road and another injured on Loch Hill Road near Loch Raven Boulevard.

“Certainly, it’s something to be concerned about,” said Israel “Izzy” Patoka, County Council member representing District 2, where the Meriam Court shooting occurred, according to Fox 45. Mike Ertel, who represents District 6 containing the Loch Hill Road incident, told Fox 45 “No one is going to feel good about three shootings.”

While acknowledging the concerning nature of the crimes, Ertel noted “Overall shootings and murders in the county have been either stable or down.” According to Baltimore County Police, there have been 9 homicides so far this year, up from 4 at this point in 2022. However, 18 people have survived being shot, lower than last year’s 22 by this time.

The council members believe the numbers are mostly trending positively, but recognized a disconnect between statistics and public perception of safety. “There’s a component of lawlessness…bad behavior that’s very in your face. I feel like that contributes a lot to the perception of crime,” Ertel told Fox 45.

When pressed by Fox 45 on what specific actions they are taking, the council members cited support for police efforts. “In Baltimore County especially the county police are proactive,” Ertel stated to Fox 45, while Patoka said “I’m in the community every night…on the phone with precinct commanders. We’re active, we’re present, we’re aware.” Patoka admitted to Fox 45 that officer staffing is insufficient but said “we do have a lot of eyes in terms of our ability to observe and share information.”