Greetings!
In this weekly series, the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is sharing candidate positions on key policy priorities with you "In their Words." Each week leading up to the primary election, we will provide you with the candidate responses to a specific policy priority.
L
ast week, the "In Their Words..." informational series launched by highlighting the need for strong leadership in Baltimore City's government. Earlier this week, the GBC focused on improving public safety in Baltimore City and shared the leading Mayoral candidates' responses. Today, the GBC shares the responses from the leading candidates for City Council President. Candidates were asked to share any legislative actions they would take to address the public safety crisis.
While the GBC does not endorse candidates, we take seriously our role in communicating policy priorities and educating Baltimore residents and businesses on where the leading candidates stand on key issues. We encourage you to visit our website to view the GBC’s
policy priorities
and the responses to the
candidate questionnaires
.
We urge all city residents to vote in the June 2 primary election.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
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Donald C. Fry
President & CEO
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Policy Priority
Prioritize enhanced coordination across criminal justice agencies and support evidence-based crime reduction strategies to improve public safety.
Question: What legislative actions, if any, would you propose as City Council President to reduce crime and improve public safety in the City?
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• "Deploying and investing in evidence based violence reduction strategies similar to the model deployed in Chicago.
• Utilizing CitiStat to create data driven methods that target Baltimore’s violent repeat offenders.
• Investing in the Warrant Apprehension Unit so that the officers have the resources they need to get violent offenders off the streets."
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"Restoring public safety is the major priority of the city. No other concern matters if we cannot ensure the safety of both residents and visitors of our city. As Council President there are several strategies that I would implement to address public safety: In order for us to address the city’s public safety crisis, there must be coordination and collaboration throughout each stage of the criminal justice system. There must be a mechanism to convene all of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. These partners must be on the same page and each equally committed to the crime fight. I will advocate for the restoration of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). In the past this council was successful at making certain that the key agencies within our criminal justice system operated as partners and collaborators in developing and implementing an effective crime fighting strategy. I will place an emphasis on diversion programs that get individuals the help that they need and greatly reduce the recidivism rate. I will identify funding for the extremely successful District Court Reentry Project. Currently without city funds this program is graduating scores of candidates into gainful employment and productive lives. In our efforts to improve public safety, it is imperative that we explore all of the technology that is available to us. I would immediately call for an audit of our current CCTV system to assess the operational status of our system. From that evaluation we would take necessary steps to enhance the current system both for public safety and sanitation enforcement. Approximately 10,000 individuals in Maryland are released from prison each year, the majority of which return to Baltimore City. These individuals return to some of the same environments where they first encountered the criminal justice system with little to no support and limited resources. Statistics show that within three years, 40 percent of those released are rearrested, and that the unemployment rate among those recently released exceeds 50 percent. If we are to ever achieve our public safety goals we must break this cycle. Similar to efforts in Washington, DC and the State of New Jersey, Baltimore needs an agency that is created for the sole purpose of supporting and advocating for the empowerment of returning citizens. Assisting them in navigating the various systems and overcoming the barriers to becoming productive contributors to their communities. The research is clear that having a job is a critical factor in lessening the likelihood of criminal behavior and maybe the most important element in the success of an individual transitioning from prison back into society. That being the case it is essential that we identify and eliminate burdensome requirements that inhibit an individual\'s ability to be gainfully employed. Chief among them is the unpaid child support debt with which many returning citizens are saddled. This debt should be forgiven along with the counter productive act of suspending the driver license of the person who is in the arrears."
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"Reducing crime is going to take a holistic approach that combines holding our Police Commissioner, Mayor, and State’s Attorney accountable for results, along with rethinking how we deploy our resources. Immediately, the following comes to mind:
First, we need to de-escalate or interrupt crime and violence before it occurs, and bring the small number of violent criminals (of which we know who most of them are) to justice. That involves bringing in other public health professionals, social workers, and community leaders to assist police in their efforts to curb crime. I am proposing adding community service aids to be part of this effort. These individuals will be deployed after officers are called to a situation (e.g., domestic dispute), and an assessment is made that there is no threat of harm to people or property. The Community Service Aid would be a trained individual with a background in social work who can not only de-escalate the situation but start to solve the root cause of the problem. The police officer can then leave and return to his/her beat, prepared to deal with other criminal activity.
Second, I would propose expanding capacity for non-police violence intervention. That includes expanding successful programs like Safe Streets and Roca, along with expanding the mobile crisis response team. We also need to be aware of the mental health of the officers and first responders who often see and deal with the darkest sides of society. Seeing daily violence would take a toll on almost anyone. If we are to have safe streets, we need to make sure the officers are healthy, not just physically but also mentally."
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"We’re facing a complete breakdown of the city’s criminal justice system, and as Council President I intend to target the structural reasons for this crisis. That's the role I believe this job requires -- the next Council President doesn't need another "plan." Very simply, we are a city that does not control our own destiny. We do not legally control our police department – and have to beg for legislation in Annapolis to re-write decades-old police districts or for the right to discipline corrupt officers. I will advocate for local control of our police department and work to build that agency into the City Charter. But there are two other agencies critical to long-term success in the crime fight, one the city used to control. The only way we can carry out the reversal of decades of terrible policy is with a We need a unified effort across not just BPD, but Parole and Probation and the Department of Social Services. We need shared values and a shared strategy across the crime control agency, the agency that should be responsible for managing successful reentry, and the agency that needs to support families in the first place, and that has to lead on child support policies that will allow our men to return to stable employment, not render them permanent economic refugees. To that end I would seek increased city authority over Parole and Probation and the Department of Social Services. Finally I would consider building the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee into the City Code and require regular reports to the Council regarding the status of its meetings."
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"Evidence is clear that good education and jobs for citizens that give them a sustainable income are the strongest deterrence to violence and crime in the cities neighborhoods. Regarding legislation, I would certainly be a proponent of the aerial surveillance planes as well as strong penalties for repeat violent offenders and non negotiable penalties for individuals using guns in the commission of crimes and for the carrying of illegal guns."
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