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Headline: Palczynski standoff may haunt Ruppersberger

Subhead: Days-long hostage siege could mar public's views 
of police, future candidacy

By David Nitkin
SUN STAFF

A former prosecutor with a no-nonsense crime-fighting 
philosophy, Baltimore County Executive C. A. Dutch 
Ruppersberger quickly pressed his imprint onto the police 
department after his 1994 election.

Gone was former chief Michael D. Gambrill and his 
community policing practices. In came Chief Terrence B. 
Sheridan, a longtime Ruppersberger friend who shared the 
executive's commitment to rigid enforcement and fast 
response times. Crime rates plunged, and a year ago, 
officers were rewarded with a 9 percent salary increase.

But as accused killer Joseph C. Palczynski continues 
to hold a community hostage, the county police department 
is facing scrutiny when the stakes for Ruppersberger and 
others in charge of public safety are reaching a peak.

Prevented from seeking a third term as executive, 
Ruppersberger is weighing a run for governor in 2002. If 
he enters the race, his performance as an administrator 
-- particularly in law enforcement -- will be closely 
examined.

"The only claim to fame he would have was having run a 
county," said Louis L. DePazzo, the former county 
councilman from Dundalk. "Blaming the captain for 
everything aboard the ship is pretty stringent, but 
that's the way it is."

After the past two days, many residents in Dundalk and 
throughout the area believe there is plenty of blame to 
go around.

Neighbors are puzzled at how Palczynski could get inside 
the home of his estranged girlfriend's parents after 
eluding police for 10 days.

"It's my opinion the house should have been under 24-hour 
surveillance," said County Councilman Vincent J. Gardina, 
a Perry Hall Democrat and generally a supporter of the 
county executive. Asked if police appear to have made a 
mistake, Gardina, a former county police officer, said, 
"I think so."

If true, it is a mistake that could haunt the county 
executive.

"It's not a source of happiness for me to see it, but 
things could be looking better than they are now," said 
DePazzo.

The weekend events continue a painful six-week stretch 
for county police.

On Feb. 7, Sgt. Bruce A. Prothero was killed while 
working an off-duty assignment at a Pikesville store. Two 
suspects were caught quickly, but two others remained at 
large for almost two weeks.

On March 7, Palczynski, reportedly distraught over an 
ex-girlfriend, is accused of beginning a rampage that has 
left four people dead and, as of last night, included 
three people held hostage in a Dundalk rowhouse.

Throughout both crises, Ruppersberger has had nothing 
but praise for Sheridan and the rest of the department.

"You are judged on how you handle the bad times, not how 
you've handled the good times," Ruppersberger said 
yesterday. "I stand behind them 100 percent."


Media accounts that raise questions about police tactics 
are unfair, Ruppersberger said, because officials can't, 
in the midst of a crisis, share sensitive information 
that could recast public perception. Ruppersberger said 
potential political fallout takes a back seat to 
protecting the lives of those held hostage.

"I will handle the situation. I will take 
responsibility," Ruppersberger said. "There will be 
plenty of time for analysis later."

Such analysis might place Ruppersberger in an unusual 
situation for a suburban elected official. While it's 
common for the prospects of big-city mayors in New York, 
Los Angeles and even Baltimore to rise and fall with each 
police crisis, the worries of suburban politicians more 
frequently are tied to issues such as transportation and 
development.

"I think he is probably very supportive of the efforts of 
the police department," Gardina said. "But he has to have 
this same kind of concern about oversight as I have. I 
think he does, but I don't think he is going to be 
critical until this thing is resolved."