City Beat
- Diane Mezzanotte
- Jul 10
- 7 min read
A roundup of local news, events, and announcements
LPD Cracks Case of Car Break-ins, Cites Accountability Limits for Juveniles
Laurel made national news in early May for an unfortunate event: over 120 cars in the city and surrounding areas were severely damaged in overnight crime sprees, with the perpetrators smashing in windows and sometimes stealing items. Similar crimes had been occurring throughout the city for weeks, but on a smaller scale. A suspect was taken into custody three weeks later but had to be released because he was a juvenile—a situation which Laurel Police Chief Russ Hamill calls “an unintended consequence of recent reform” within Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services.
Hamill addressed the situation at a well-attended community meeting on May 5 at Laurel Police Department’s Fellowship Hall. Reassuring residents that police were working overtime to track down the culprits, he identified a major enforcement challenge. “These are minors doing this,” he said. “It’s called clubbing, and it’s about bragging rights. They smash as many cars as they can and brag about it in the school hallway the next day.” But he added, “There isn’t much we can do. They know we can’t chase them; we’ve even had kids taunt our officers because they know we can’t touch them.” Hamill explained that recent changes within Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) prohibit the pursuit of juveniles, except in violent offenses. Children under 12 cannot be arrested for theft, and police cannot even interview anyone under 18 without a lawyer present—a parent’s presence is not enough. “The law was passed for good reasons,” Hamill acknowledged. “We [police] earned some of the scrutiny. But in the quest to fix the oversteps, I think they went too far.”
A few weeks later, Hamill held a press conference to announce that LPD had arrested a 16-year-old male in Beltsville in connection with the crimes. Hamill said the suspect had been tied to all 121 events of the weekend in question and that credit cards, keys, and other stolen items were found at his residence, along with a stolen car. LPD had requested authorization to hold the suspect in custody because of the magnitude of his crimes; however, DJS ordered his release because of his age. “That’s DJS’s prerogative,” he said, “and I don’t think its nefarious on their part. But I do question that decision. We released him back to the same environment he came from, where he was out all hours of the night breaking into cars. I have little hope that he’ll face accountability.”
At least two juvenile accomplices were also identified, according to Hamill. He provided a postscript to the arrest story: LPD returned the stolen car to its owner, only to learn the same car was stolen again shortly after the suspect’s release. “We had 17 more smash-ins the next night after he was released,” Hamill said.
Hamill noted that the crimes committed were, legally speaking, “low-level crimes,” which guided the DJS decision. “But I know that these weren’t low-level to the victims,” he added. “Insurance covers the damage, but deductibles are pricey and some victims were hit multiple times.” Hamill expressed hope that the perpetrators could somehow be pursued legally for recourse. At the least, he said, “the victims should have their deductibles paid back to them. But I have little hope that will happen.”
City Council Passes Operating Budget for 2025–26
Laurel’s City Council on May 28 approved an operating budget of over $46 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Michelle Saylor, Director of Budget and Personnel Services, presented the finalized budget, noting that it did not include a property tax increase. “The tax rate is 71 cents per $100 [of assessed value], as it has been since 2009,” she noted. This was a goal set by Mayor Keith Sydnor, and Saylor said it was achieved even though the city must absorb $2.4 million in cost increases for payroll, health insurance, property insurance, disposal fees, and more. Sydnor praised Saylor and all department heads for producing a budget that was “balanced from the beginning.” He cited a 2.5% staff pay raise and a cost-of-living increase for retired city officers as two campaign promises he was happy to fulfill.
One line item caused much discussion and led to multiple changes. The draft budget listed a $24,000 allotment for the Laurel Independent, a monthly newspaper created in 2022 in which the city runs a four-page community outreach supplement. That marked a 60 percent cut from the $60,000 granted in each of the previous years. The Independent staff took to social media to gin up community support, saying they would be forced to shut down the paper if the cut took effect. Some City Council members agreed the cut was too sudden and steep; several citizens expressed similar views during public commentary. Mayor Sydnor, however, opined that the city should not be the primary source of funding for any non-profit organization. Ultimately, the budget was amended to restore over $26,000 to the Independent, for a total of $50,512. This came at a cost to other community programs: a STEM educational program was reduced by $12,000; over $13,000 of funding for special events, such as outdoor concerts, was realigned; and proposed increases of $1,000 each were withdrawn for the Laurel Pride Committee, the Juneteenth Committee, and an annual veterans breakfast.
After the budget passed by unanimous vote, Sydnor stated: “I had no desire to cut off the Independent; my desire was to allocate the money to other areas. We should support them, but we should not be their sole funding source. I adjusted the budget based on council and community input, but going forward I’ll be working with them to find a way so we won’t be their primary budget source.”
(Full disclosure: The City’s budget awarded Voices of Laurel a $4,000 grant.)
City’s Election Code Revised in Response to Issues from 2023 Elections
The City of Laurel’s 2023 elections were memorable for many reasons, including a bit of controversy surrounding fines levied on some candidates. Their appeals brought to light some vague wording and gaps in the City’s election code.
City Councilmember James Kole, who was re-elected in that race and named Council President for 2023–24, pushed for election reform right after the new council was seated, stressing the need to “get things in order” before the 2025 elections. “Everyone involved in the last election wanted changes,” he said. “So it should be a priority to get it done before the next election.”
Board of Elections Chairman Bill Wellford called the 2023 elections “quite interesting and hectic,” citing the unprecedented number of candidates and confusion over the rules. “People interpret things differently,” he said. “The goal is to simplify and better clarify some of the verbiage that’s been in place for decades.” According to City Administrator Christian Pulley, the city’s legal team took over a year to carefully review the election code, word for word. “This review came at the request of the Board of Elections. When the proposed revisions went to City Council, they had lots of concerns and questions,” she said.
Most of the proposed changes were straightforward, such as correcting typographical errors or page references, but some bigger issues were also addressed. For instance, the existing code set a maximum of $1,000 for fines, but did not list other penalty levels or distinguish between minor and major infractions. (One 2023 candidate had asked why all the fines imposed—including for seemingly minor issues—were set at the maximum $1,000.) Regarding timeframes, opening and closing dates for candidate filings were not specified; the timeframe was merely called “discretionary.” And there was no clear guidance on when candidates could begin to campaign and display signs. According to Councilmember Kole, “The [Prince George’s] County code says 45 days before the election. While the county code doesn’t cover the city, it was always just an unspoken thing that you waited. But there was no actual guidance on it.”
In the 2023 race, the City Board of Appeals was called upon to resolve some matters, which Wellford stressed should not have happened. “It’s not in the Laurel Board of Appeals’ job title to oversee the Board of Elections,” he said. “Their job is to hear appeals on building and construction permits. Not elections.” Revisions stated that appeals should be heard at the county level to ensure unbiased review. While one councilmember raised a concern that this would prolong the appeals process, multiple city officials have stated that it would actually streamline it, since the PG County Court must become involved anyway if a candidate challenges a city ruling. “The PG Court is a standing body, they know the timeline, and they can easily expedite election-related cases,” Wellford said. “Our Board of Elections is all-volunteer and we can’t always meet spur-of-the-moment.” And, he adds, “Using the county reduces the chance of bias against a candidate” that could occur, consciously or not, at the city level.
Councilmembers pored over revisions at multiple work sessions throughout May 2025. A key issue was still the filing timeframe. Councilmember Adrian Simmons advocated for a 90-day period, with dates specified, but City Clerk Sarah Green expressed concern that her staff would be overwhelmed by the resulting workload. Ultimately, a compromise was reached for a 45-day period, to take effect in the 2027 election.
On June 9 the council approved a partial code revision, agreeing to wait until after the elections to finalize sections on the appeals process and treasurer requirements. Simmons hailed the revisions as “fair, clean, equitable, and good for our city.”
Diane Mezzanotte is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for The Laurel History Boys. In addition to covering Laurel city municipal news, she also reports on all things from South Laurel.
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