Howard County police recently doubled their Taser stockpile. While this might not seem to be the ideal time for spending money, the county’s Taser pilot program showed the benefits increasing their quantity: A drop in injuries seen in both suspects and officers. The Tasers themselves are even a deterrent. Officers said merely seeing the device was enough to stop some suspects. Hey — it’s better than gunplay, right?
OUTRAGE: Closed for business
Who: Bill Henry, the Baltimore City Council representative from District 4.
What: Henry is proposing a new licensing requirement to make it even more difficult for businesses in Baltimore City to operate. He wants to equate staying open all night with having a liquor license — business owners have to apply and reapply frequently, and if neighbors complain, the city can pull the license.
Why it’s a bad idea: Need cough syrup for your child at 3 a.m.? We bet there’s a place in your neighborhood where you know you can go. Just because some of these businesses may or may not attract crime is no reason to make it difficult for all of them to operate.
Where to vent: Call Henry at 410-396-4830.
Quote of the day
“She asked Santa to only bring her daddy home. … She said, ‘I was good last year, and Santa brought me a kitchen — why can’t he bring me Daddy?”
– Jeremie Weston, mother of 5-year-old Natalie Weston, who asked Santa for her father — a soldier serving in South Korea — for Christmas.
