Brown responds to “police abolition” attacks from opponents

The following article has been submitted by District 7A House of Delegates candidate Xīnzhèn Brown in response to the Oct. 26 article “Democratic candidate for Delegate criticized for stance on police

Community safety is an issue of profound importance to neighbors across Baltimore County.

That’s one of the many reasons I am running for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 7A.

Over the last week, my record as an abolitionist has brought my race into the headlines.

My opponents and others in local office and leadership roles have been lying about my views and positions, likely in an attempt to deceive voters – and we all deserve better.

My opponents have made elaborate claims about my positions on 911 call centers, police funding, and more – none of which are true.

Let me be clear: “abolition” to me is about removing the conditions that drive most crime,not about removing all consequences for violence.

What does that mean? It means not every 911 call needs a gun to answer it. It also means treating every child and teen across Baltimore County like they are our own – pouring into them the same resources, community, and care that we would want for our own children so they can thrive.

Baltimore City and County leaders are already engaging in “abolition” by investing in extensive non-policing efforts to reduce crime in the community – and it’s working.

These efforts have been remarkably successful inreducing crime – Baltimore’s pilot program reduced yearly homicide and nonfatal shooting totals by approximately 60% between July 2021 and July 2026.

The goal of police funding should not be jobs in the police union alone. It is safe communities – and if we can achieve that safety through other means, we should pursue those strategies.

We simply do not need armed police to respond to someone struggling with suicidal ideation, a person driving with a broken taillight, or a student struggling with truancy.

We do not need guns to respond to middle school children with butter knives or snowballs – both cases I have seen as a special education lawyer.

We know that when victims and survivors come forward about experiencing sexual violence, police leave 74% of rape cases unresolved, with fewer than 20% of sexual assault cases resulting in criminal charges.

Data shows that most survivors do not file police reports, but even for those who do, involving the police does not increase the likelihood of justice.

We also know that calling the police risks killing Black people and people with disabilities like Alex LaMorie, a 25-year-old autistic man in Howard County who called 911 while suicidal, and Robert Ethan Saylor, a 26-year-old wheelchair user with Down syndrome in Frederick County who stayed for a movie without paying.

Some 911 calls would be better served by a social worker, an ambulance, or an unarmed community safety officer trained in de-escalation or child psychology.

We all know that crime prevention doesn’t start or end with armed police. Attacking the word “abolition” as a boogeyman won’t change that.

I certainly support 911 call centers, as they are critical infrastructure for our communities, and a more limited role for police in our communities.

I won’t be alone in the State Legislature – but I would bring needed balance to a conversation that has too often privileged police officers’ feelings over children’s lives, disabled people’s lives, Black people’s lives, and all other people of color’s lives.

I invite you to join me in imagining a Baltimore County where we treasure every teenager like our own, and shower them with job options, education, recreational opportunities, mental health support, and community.

Imagine a Maryland where we invest in the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, so that everyone can afford their groceries, utilities, and rent, and everyone has a future to look forward to. I want to live there, and I want to work tirelessly to build that reality together.

I’ve already worked for nearly twenty years advocating for disabled victims of abuse and other violence, partnering with families, social workers, schools, and yes, even first responders and criminal justice professionals, to support engagement with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Now, I’m running to fight for every child, teen, and neighbor across Baltimore County — and in making life truly affordable, enjoyable, and safe for us all. We deserve better.

I welcome a real debate on this issue or any other – but I encourage my opponents to step back from lies and baseless attacks on my values.
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Ly Xīnzhèn Brown is an advocate, educator, and lawyer running for the Maryland House of Delegates to represent District 7A in northeast Baltimore County. They previously served as the youngest chairperson of any state’s Developmental Disabilities Council in history, and have advised the White House, Congress, Department of Justice, and United Nations on disability policy.