A Democratic candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in Baltimore County is standing firm on calls to abolish police and prisons, arguing the institutions do not make communities safer even as Republican rivals and a local police union leader warn the idea would bring chaos. Ly Xinzhen Brown, running in District 7A, says public safety money would do more good addressing the root causes of crime than funding law enforcement as it exists today.
Brown told WBFF that police and prisons do not make people safe and should not exist, and that abolition is the only solution to police violence, whether subtle or overt. She argued that the Baltimore County Police Department's budget, which she put at $277 million this year, would have already stopped crime if money alone were the answer. If prisons were capable of fixing crime, she said, they would have done so by now.
Brown is a resident of Carney who has lived in Baltimore County since 2020 and in Maryland since 2012, according to The Baltimore Banner's 2026 voter guide. She holds a bachelor's degree in Arabic from Georgetown University and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law, and has worked since 2023 as director of public policy at a national disability nonprofit while also founding The Autistic People of Color Fund in 2018. The Banner notes Brown did not respond to its own candidate questionnaire. A separate Maryland Catholic Conference survey lists her as the Democratic candidate for District 7A state delegate.
What Brown Says She Would Push For
Per the same WBFF report, Brown acknowledged that many people probably disagree with full abolition but said the broader goal is for communities to need police and prisons less than they do now. She said a crime- and violence-free society is possible if people choose to make it happen, and that police would not be necessary if crime or violence no longer existed. She called a society without police or prisons a distant goal rather than an immediate plan.
If elected, Brown plans to advocate reducing funding to the Baltimore County Police Department and redirecting money toward social services, schools and healthcare, the station's report states. When pressed on specific cases or hypotheticals involving people convicted of violent crimes, including mass murderers, Brown declined to weigh in, saying those questions get into what she called nitty-gritty details.
Republicans and Police Union Push Back
Brown's Republican opponents in the race, Kathy Szeliga and Ryan Nawrocki, both criticized her position, according to WBFF. Szeliga called the stance irresponsible, arguing that crime victims are the ones who call police for help. Nawrocki said prisons exist for a reason, adding that some people simply cannot live in a civilized society.
Doug Jess, president of the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police, warned that eliminating law enforcement and prisons would carry serious consequences for public safety. He called Brown's language dangerous and urged District 7A voters not to support it, per the same account. Jess said police and prisons have flaws that can be fixed, but argued that removing them entirely would lead to anarchy and would do nothing to improve safety for children or schools.
County's Own Crime Numbers
The debate comes as Baltimore County police have touted steep declines in violent crime. The department recorded 28 homicides in 2025, down 49% from 55 in 2021, and nonfatal shootings fell from 75 to 41 over the same span, according to Police1. The department also reported solving 26 of 28 homicide cases last year, a 93% clearance rate, and clearing 39 of 41 nonfatal shooting cases, a 95% clearance rate.
Police Chief Robert McCullough credited the drops to a combination of prevention, community engagement and enforcement strategies, Police1 reported. “Preventing crime and holding those responsible accountable are both essential to maintaining safe communities across Baltimore County,” McCullough said, according to the outlet. Baltimore County's own announcement, cited by the Baltimore County Police Department, likewise described the clearance rates as a five-year high, though the underlying budget figures tied to that funding remain unverified beyond Brown's own stated figure.
Voters Weigh In During Early Voting
Early voting is already underway in the District 7A race, per WBFF's reporting, leaving a narrow window for voters to weigh the competing visions for public safety before ballots are finalized. The station framed the choice facing Baltimore County voters as whether Brown's approach represents a step toward progress or a step too far. Fox45 News published the original report on the dispute, written by Rebecca Pryor.
