LIVE BLOG: Police Tells Community Council Burglaries Are Up

The Cockeysville Police & Community Relations Council invited community members to meet with Precinct 7 officers, including Capt. J. Martin Lurz at the Bank of America building off Shawan Road in Hunt Valley.

UPDATE (7:09 p.m.)– Capt. Lurz starts of the meeting by honoring an officer for exemplary work. He then mentions that copper burglaries have decreased, but burglaries overall have increased because of the recent thefts from laundry machine coin boxes at apartment buildings. The police are now doing spot checks at the apartments. 

UPDATE (7:15 p.m.)– Lurz said the police arrested a juvenile trying to burglarize an apartment on Gelding Drive last week. He said that it's not uncommon for kids to break into vacant apartments. 

UPDATE (7:48 p.m.)– Lt. Steve Troutman of the Baltimore County Police Department's K-9 unit is tonight's guest speaker. He's here to thank the Police & Community Relations Council for providing $1,000 for the K-9 unit to purchase beacons. Troutman said beacons transmit infrared rays, which are seen through specialty goggles, and officers, who may be lost or fallen, can be more easily found if they are wearing the devices. 

UPDATE (8:18 p.m.)- Pam Rutledge, director of the council, delivers closing announcements:

• Officer Appreciation Day is on July 2 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Precinct 7. Food and drinks will be provided, but donations are also welcome. 
• Public Safety Day is on Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hunt Valley Towne Centre.
• Precinct 7 requested funds for cameras in two supervisor cars. The council approved the request.

Correction: Gelding Drive was misidentified. Patch regrets the error.