Wes Adams, the newly elected State's Attorney of Anne Arundel County, spoke before the Northern District Community Relations Council on February 4th, 2015. He outlined his plans to improve the State's Attorney's office by proactively fighting crime with law enforcement, addressing the heroin epidemic in schools, and updating the office's technology. Adams also emphasized the importance of community partnerships and input to help law enforcement address crime and improve the quality of life. He is committed to excellence, integrity, and fairness in his approach.

1. Anne Arundel CountyState’s Attorney, Wes Adams, speaking
before the NorthernDistrict CommunityRelation’s Council onFebruary4th, 2015
Recently inauguratedAnne Arundel County,State’sAttorneyWesAdamsspoke before afull crowdas
the NorthernDistrictCommunityRelationsCouncil conveneditsmeetingthispastWednesday,at7:30
p.m.,at the North DistrictPolice StationinBrooklynPark. The council,headedbyPresidentCarl Brooks,
servesasa liaisonbetweenthe communityandthe police andhelpscitizenshave adirectline of contact
betweenthe police andthemselvesinaddressingareasof mutual concernanddevelopingplansthatcan
helpdecrease crime andincrease the qualityof life inthe community. Adams,aformerPrince George’s
Countyprosecutor,defeatedincumbentAnneColtLeitessforthe toplaw enforcementpositioninAnne
Arundel CountylastNovember.
Openinghisremarksbystatingthatcriminal casesinthe past had sometimesbeenmishandledand
that too often "repeatoffendersare notbeingsentencedtojail," resultinginahigherrate of recidivism,
Adamsbothoutlinedhisplansforimprovingthe office andtookseveral questions. He alsomade
mentionof the fact thathe wasverywell acquaintedwithBrooklynPark,citingthathe hadprosecuted
manymurdersin Baltimore City. "Iknow andunderstandBrooklynParkandhow the problemsfromthe
citycan bleedover,”Adamssaid. AdamsalsonotedthatAnne Arundel County,hadinthe past,acted
withtoo muchhaste in takingjail time outof the equationwhenenteringpleabargainsandintimated
that wasgoingto change.
Asto the role of hisoffice,Adamssaid, “Iwantmy office tobe a communitypartnerandwhat’s
differentaboutme isthat I am a state’sattorneywhowill sitdownwiththe police tofigure outhowto

2. pro-activelyfightcrime ratherthanonlyreactto it.” Then,makingnote of the heroinepidemicrecently
announcedbyCountyExecutive SteveSchu,Adamsspoke of how he hadbroughton a community
liaisonandhowhisoffice would pro-activelybe goingintothe school systemtotalktokidsaboutthe
dangerouseffectof drugs,longbefore theyenterhighschool. "If we don'tgetto kidsandmake them
aware of the dangersof drugs, longbefore theyenterhighschool, it’stoolate,"Adamssaid. Pointing
out,also,that because of the drug epidemic,he wasalsointhe midstof bringingintohisoffice a hard
core federallytrainedandtestednarcoticsprosecutor.
Part of hisplanfor improvements,too,revolvearoundupdatingthe office'scomputerinfrastructure,
sayingthat “I wantto re-organize howcasesare screened,enhancedandbroughttothe court
system.” Alsostatingthathe wantedto directmore resourcestocase developmenttohelphis
prosecutorsobtainall the evidence neededtobringa case to trial. Adamsalso recentlybroughtinone
of the topinformationtechnology(IT) people inthe areasaying,"We needtomodernizethe office andI
give youmy commitmenttoraise the level of competence andexcellence whenbringingcasestotrial
and I've gottenridof favoritismthatwasrampantand wantto hire and promote onlyonmerit."
"The final piece of the puzzle,however,isyou," Adamssaid,inspeakingof the community. "Ican
control my prosecutorsandworkwiththe police,butwe alsoneedmentorsinthe community." Adams
thenmade reference toBrooklynParkReverend EricWright,as an example.He thenendedhistalkby
emphasizinghowimportantorganizationslike the NorthernDistrictCommunityRelationsCouncil were
as the eyesandears of the community. Making itplainlyclearthatto performhisjob,the State’s
Attorney’sofficehadnobetterfriend thanthe concernedcitizensof the countyandhe eagerly
welcomedboththeirinputandanytipstheymightbe able toprovide law enforcementastocrimes
committed.
"I'm committedtoexcellence andintegrityinthe office andgoingatthingshardand fairwhichshould
leadto goodresults,"Adamssaid. "Iwas successful inBaltimoreCityandPrince George'sCountyandI
believeIcan bringthose resultshere."
Please note thatthe NorthernDistrictCommunityRelationsCouncil meetsonthe first Wednesdayof
everymonthat 7:30 p.m.and is a voluntaryandindependentadvisoryboardmade upof businessand
communityleadersaswell asprivate citizens. Formore information,please contactMr. Carl Brooksat
410-636-2435.