Aberdeen’s mayor is clashing with the Harford sheriff over how to tackle crime and drugs outside the city.

Mayor S. Fred Simmons wants his police to take over the Perrywood Gardens development off Spesutia Road, which he said is feeding the drug trade inside Aberdeen.

“We’ve got people taking cabs between Aberdeen and Perrywood Gardens to get their drugs,” said Simmons, who is working on getting permission from the Maryland State Police to expand his police’s jurisdiction.

“I’m tired of studying things,” he said, referring to Sheriff Jesse Bane’s focus on intelligence gathering, prevention and rehabilitation.

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“If I see a hand-to-hand [drug transaction] or someone wearing gang colors, I’m going to do something. I’m not going to take a picture and note ‘so-and-so is in this gang.’ ”

Simmons’ “idea of fixing my gang problem out in the county is going out, knocking heads, arresting people and throwing them up against cars,” said Bane, commenting on Simmons’ admitted “ready, fire, aim” attitude toward fighting crime.

“I’ve got people coming in from Baltimore County and Baltimore City, but I’m not going to go in and demand they give me jurisdiction,” Bane said.

Perrywood Gardens has become a haven for gang members and drug dealers whom Aberdeen police have driven out of the city with their aggressive search, seizure and arrest tactics, Simmons said.

Bane said the mayor had first requested that Aberdeen police go into Perrywood Gardens two months ago, but had never sat down to review crime statistics or law enforcement efforts for the area.

In the county’s “problem areas” like Perrywood Gardens, Edgewood’s Brookside Drive, Windsor Valley and Harford Square, sheriff’s deputies have stepped up their presence and kept a close eye on known gang members while working on programs like getting ex-offenders into job programs, Bane said.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com