2026-09-22 - Public Safety Committee

00:02All right. So, good afternoon, folks. It

00:03is now 10:02 p.m., so we're going to go

00:05ahead and get started. Uh, welcome to

00:07the, uh, public safety committee. I'm

00:09Councilman John Bulock, who is chair.

00:11Also joined by, uh, vice chair of the

00:14committee, uh, council member Zach

00:15Blanchard of the 11th district. U, we're

00:17also pleasantly joined by our city

00:19council president Z Cohen. Um,

00:22[clears throat] also joined by uh,

00:23Councilman Mark Conway of the fourth

00:24district, uh, Council Member Odette

00:27Ramos of the 14th district, and also

00:30joined by uh, Councilman Paris Gray of

00:32the 8th District. Um, it is a pleasure

00:34to be in front of you. I see that we

00:36were also joined obviously by uh,

00:38members of our police department,

00:39including our commissioner, and also

00:41from Mony including our director. And so

00:43again, really do appreciate um, you all

00:45being here. Um, given that we are also

00:48joined by the council president. Oh, and

00:50also by the mayor's office, I should

00:51also note. So, thank you for being with

00:53us as well. Um, but as we um get

00:55started, did want to provide a little

00:57opportunity uh for the council president

00:58as he has joined us today. So, anything

01:00you'd like to share, please go ahead.

01:06>> Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to

01:09all the members of the public safety

01:11administration and to my colleagues on

01:13the council. When John Bullock and I

01:17joined the Baltimore City Council in

01:192017, there were 343 homicides in the

01:23city of Baltimore. This last year, there

01:26were 133.

01:29This year, we are on pace to do even

01:32better. That is largely to the good work

01:36of many of the people that are in this

01:39chamber right now and many of the people

01:42that are not. We are grateful to the

01:45leadership of our police department of

01:47Moni, of the state's attorney, of the

01:50mayor's office, to our governor, and

01:54mostly to the many Baltimoreans that

01:56have stepped up. Whether that means

01:59supporting children in the neighborhood,

02:00whether that means the grandma that's

02:03doing extra duty, whether that means the

02:08nonprofit that is helping to support

02:11young people across our city, it is a

02:14team effort. And yet, and still, I am

02:18not satisfied.

02:19This council is not satisfied.

02:22We must become the safest city in

02:26America. That is what Baltimore

02:28deserves. I want to first thank Council

02:32Member Conway for his leadership on this

02:34committee. I want to also thank

02:37Councilman John Bullock. And to

02:40acknowledge that Councilman Bullock and

02:43I have been serving together for about

02:4510 years now. We've seen the good, we've

02:48seen the bad, and we've seen the ugly.

02:51But what I appreciate about his

02:52leadership is that it is steady. It is

02:55consistent and it is what we need in

02:59this moment. Look, we need to continue

03:03to go after quality of life issues.

03:05That's why this council and our partners

03:07have been so aggressive about predatory

03:10smoke shops that are preying on our

03:12kids. We need to make sure we are

03:15supporting people experiencing mental

03:17health crisis. That's why we're creating

03:19the Department of Neighborhood Safety

03:21because no mental health crisis should

03:24mean a death sentence. And I've been

03:26deeply grateful to the commissioner for

03:28his commitment to make sure all of our

03:31officers are trained in crisis response.

03:34This is a profound moment of opportunity

03:38for Baltimore. I'm grateful to be here

03:40as we're seeing these record declines in

03:43violent crime and yet and still we can

03:46and must continue to do better. So with

03:49that, I thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm deeply

03:52appreciative of your leadership of all

03:55of our colleagues on this council and to

03:58everyone who is fighting to make

04:00Baltimore a safe city. Thank you.

04:04>> So, uh, thank you, Mr. president of your

04:06kind words and also want to also extend

04:09gratitude to Councilman Conway not only

04:11for his uh leadership but also his

04:13willingness to continue to stay in this

04:15u work because it's so deeply important

04:18um to our city. So again um thank you

04:20both. Um, as you know, this is a

04:22legislative oversight hearing and so um,

04:24we have these regular meetings with our

04:26public safety infrastructure um, which

04:28allows our committee to receive these

04:30reports and recommendations from our

04:32stakeholders regarding the current state

04:33of public safety in our city. Um, I do

04:36want to start um, with uh, the police

04:38department and I see Commissioner Warley

04:40um, if you could kick us off but also

04:42um, introduce your your team that is

04:43with you and we appreciate everything

04:45that you and your team are doing in this

04:47work.

04:52Good afternoon. I'm Commissioner Richard

04:54Worley. I'll let each of those um at the

04:56mics introduce themselves.

05:00>> Good afternoon. Um Lieutenant Colonel

05:03David Brust, uh Deputy Chief of

05:06Criminal, I'm sorry, CSID, Crime

05:08Strategies Intelligence Division.

05:11>> Good afternoon, Colonel Balty, Chief of

05:12Crime Strategies Intelligence Division.

05:15>> Good afternoon. Jack Herzog. the chief

05:17of the criminal investigation division.

05:20>> Good afternoon, Ryan Lee, chief of

05:22patrol.

05:24>> Good afternoon, Kevin Jones, deputy

05:26commissioner operations.

05:27>> Good afternoon, Aaron Murphy, chief of

05:29staff and government affairs.

05:31>> I have several others in the first row

05:33if you'd like to have them introduce or

05:37>> Sure. You can introduce them or have

05:38them introduce themselves. I don't know

05:40if they all want to get up, but sure,

05:41you're open to it.

05:44And and I and I think this is important

05:45one just just for the for the public's

05:47knowledge, but also to recognize the

05:49work that folks are doing because we

05:50know it's a team effort. So, thank you

05:51for doing that.

05:52>> They all get to get on camera, too.

05:55[clears throat]

05:55>> Yes. Thank you. Uh good afternoon, Chief

05:57Sullivan. Compliance.

06:00>> Good afternoon, Lisa Reynolds, uh chief

06:02of youth and community partnership.

06:06>> Good afternoon, Lindseay Eldridge, chief

06:08of communications.

06:12Good afternoon. Cara Ashburn,

06:13legislative leazison.

06:19>> Good afternoon, Major Michael Micardo,

06:20Major of the Southwest District.

06:26>> Good afternoon, Lieutenant Colonel

06:27Edwards, Deputy Chief of Patrol Area 2.

06:30>> He's not going to be talking very much.

06:34>> He can barely talk, I think.

06:36Good afternoon, Major Alfredo Kadis,

06:38Southeast District, currently acting

06:40Colonel Area 1, Lieutenant Colonel.

06:44>> Good afternoon, John Marsh, Director of

06:46Government Communications.

06:49>> Thank you for doing that. I appreciate

06:50it.

06:51>> Absolutely. My pleasure. Um, first of

06:53all, thank you all for your uh

06:55partnership. Um, this is one city and

06:57the only way we're going to win is by

06:59playing as one team and that's team

07:01Baltimore. So, just to start off, I'm

07:04bra most of my slides are going to be

07:06bragging about the great work that the

07:08men and women of Baltimore Police

07:10Department have done with the help of

07:12all of our federal, state, local

07:14partners, um, council members, and most

07:16importantly, the public. uh what you see

07:19now. Uh the first slide shows you our

07:22clearance rates. Um our homicide rate se

07:26before this slide u 2024 number 23 22 21

07:33it was all in the 30s and now it's up

07:36there close to 60 and I think we're

07:39going to finish close to 70. No pressure

07:41on them but I think we're going to be

07:42close to 70. We got one of the best

07:44homicide units and now they have time to

07:46investigate their cases. So the

07:48clearance rate are going to rise. A big

07:51one that I want to point to is that just

07:53in two years from 2024 to 2026, you see

07:57the increase from 33% in non-fatal

08:00shootings to 50%. That is a dramatic uh

08:04jump. You're instead of clearing one out

08:07of three shootings, now we're clearing

08:09one out of two. So that goes to the

08:12great work of the detective units and

08:14then most of our clearance rates are

08:16above the national averages. Um one of

08:19the that's really proud of well two

08:21robbery clearance rate uh our citywide

08:24robbery team and our robbery detectives

08:26were almost twice the national average

08:29at 50 almost 52% compared to 26 27 I'm

08:33sorry. And then this is a big one

08:35because this is more of a quality of

08:37life. This is one of the reasons why

08:39people leave the big cities is that your

08:41burglaries

08:43at national average is 14%. Our

08:46detectives are clearing almost 32% of

08:49our burglaries. So those are the

08:51clearance rates. I think the the men and

08:53women are doing great. It's a team

08:55effort from the beginning to the end.

08:57And then most importantly what I want to

08:59talk about is uh we've got a huge

09:02reduction. Um, last year, as you saw,

09:06our lowest homicide numbers in over 50

09:09years, and we're still on pace to beat

09:11that. This year, we're at 90 95 this

09:15date last year. Uh, we are at 82 this

09:18year. And non-fatal shootings, 228

09:22compared to 224.

09:24And that's even after a horrific week.

09:27Um, probably the worst week we've had in

09:29a long time with with uh shootings. So

09:33>> and commissioner before you go on two

09:34things. One I want to also recognize uh

09:36Tony Lea who's doing great work in terms

09:38of staffing this committee but also um

09:41two I want I want to know to what do you

09:43attribute some of these gains. Um one of

09:45the things I'm also looking at and

09:46sometimes um this gets um not lost and

09:49shuffled by you but necessarily I think

09:51for the general public the arson um

09:54numbers and that's increasing. I know

09:56I'm thinking about uh Major Ricardo. We

09:57know in the southwestern area that's a

09:59significant piece. But to what do you

10:01attribute this movement, this positive

10:04movement? I

10:04>> I think the biggest thing is that for

10:06the first time in my career, we probably

10:09have all three entities working

10:11together. You got the state's attorney's

10:13office, the mayor's office, um and the

10:16police department. We're all working for

10:18the same goal. Uh and and then a big

10:21thing that we we don't talk about enough

10:23really is the community is because

10:26without the community's help, it doesn't

10:28how matter how good the detectives are,

10:31how much we cooperate. If the community

10:33isn't comfortable with giving the police

10:35department leads and helping the state's

10:38attorney's office solve the cases and

10:41allowing Monty to give the outside

10:44resources that the GBRS strategy

10:46provides to give these these men and

10:50women at at risk the most an opportunity

10:53to change their lives, none of this is

10:55going to happen. It's just all numbers.

10:57So, as we go from 330 some homicides 5

11:01years ago to hopefully around 100 this

11:04year, I'm still optimistic about under

11:07100, but if we finish at 101, it's still

11:10101 individuals who won't be here

11:13tomorrow. Uh, so we we've got to push

11:16that down to as low as we can get it.

11:18Um, but I think it's just all teamwork.

11:20Everybody works together. Everybody

11:22doesn't always have to get along, but we

11:24all work together for the same goal.

11:26That's to make Baltimore the safest city

11:28in the country.

11:52You got it working.

11:53>> It's going the wrong way.

11:57[music]

11:59>> Now it's working.

12:01>> All right. Second one is the city

12:02overall crime in the city. Homicides by

12:05district. Six of our nine districts are

12:07showing reductions from last year. Um,

12:10which is a positive. And you see the

12:12Northeast, even though they're up one,

12:14you're looking at five compared to four.

12:17Big drop southeast district five this

12:19year compared to 12 last year. Um some

12:22of the other districts are are lower

12:24ones even. Um the southern has struggled

12:27a little bit. They're up. Um

12:31and then you move on to your non-fatal

12:33shootings. Again, you have six of the

12:35nine districts are six of the nine

12:39districts are lower than they were last

12:40year. The interesting thing is there's

12:43really only one district where shootings

12:44and both shootings and homicides were

12:46up. The two districts that are up in

12:48shootings are down in homicides. So,

12:51really good teamwork. Um some districts

12:53have just had a little bit of issues

12:55this year that we that were outside of

12:57their control that we're going to work

12:58with. uh robberies. This is a huge um

13:03win. Eight out of our nine districts are

13:06down. The only district that is up is

13:08the Southeast. And they are the product

13:10of their own success from last year.

13:13What I look at there is you want from

13:15318 to 195. 266 had it been compared to

13:192024 will still be significantly down.

13:23They just had a great year last year and

13:25it's tough to duplicate it uh when you

13:27continue to drop the numbers so low. But

13:29eight of the nine districts are up. I

13:31mean are down. And what I what I see the

13:33most is I look I listen to social media

13:36and it's really kind of strange when you

13:40listen to it because we have one

13:42homicide or one shooting or one robbery

13:44and all of a sudden Baltimore is not the

13:46safe not safe. Um we are going to have

13:50crime. We're not going to totally

13:52eliminate every single crime category.

13:54Our carjackings are still down even

13:57though we do have carjackings. It's just

13:59social media sensationalizes a lot of

14:03stuff that when we have incidents and uh

14:06last weekend we had a bad weekend. I'll

14:08be the first to admit that we had an

14:10unacceptable weekend, but we will bounce

14:12back just like we always have.

14:15Then you get into the three-year

14:17citywide crime comparison and you see

14:20our numbers are are pretty good in

14:22almost every every category. Um, a

14:25assaults are up. That's a lot to do with

14:29domestics as well as people who know

14:31each other who uh still talk about how

14:35people especially our young people

14:37struggle with conflict resolution. Um,

14:41autothefts are up compared to last year.

14:45I look even if you go beyond that number

14:47of the 2024 number I go back to preKIA

14:52Hyundai and we're still above that

14:54number. I want to get to the autotheft

14:57lower than they were before we started

14:59the the Kia and Hyundai issues.

15:04Next slide is felony CDS. This is one

15:06that we quite honestly have to do

15:08better. Um we rely a lot on our district

15:12action teams and this year we've had

15:14some really tough personnel issues.

15:16We've had some uh one team we had to

15:19disband completely. Um and then we had a

15:22couple other teams who have been

15:23involved in incidents, police involved

15:25shootings that are off the line for

15:27extensive periods of time. And what

15:29happens is we can't replace those

15:31individuals because patrol was short as

15:33well. So the districts have to work

15:36short. Um, and I'm sure that's the

15:38reason why our felony CDS arrests are

15:40down.

15:41>> And and Commissioner, obviously a lot of

15:42us are familiar, but for the general

15:44public, uh, CDS

15:46>> Oh, controlling control danger.

15:48>> And then, and then you mentioned

15:49disbanding a team. Can you go into a

15:51little more detail what you mean by

15:52>> Yeah. What happened is we had some

15:54issues with supervision. Um and then we

15:57had some issues within the unit

15:59themselves that it was better for us to

16:03disband the team uh do a reset and then

16:06repost and redo the the the unit. U so

16:10it was something that for the good of

16:12the agency we had to put some people

16:15back in patrol and redo some things and

16:17thank you.

16:17>> That unit is up and up and running now.

16:20Um, unfortunately those things happen

16:22once in a while when you're dealing with

16:242,000 personalities trying to get along.

16:27So misdemeanor CDS or control dangerous

16:30substance which is our drug arrest. It's

16:32about even with last year. We're down

16:34about 10 and that's despite the

16:37personnel issues that we've had. Um, and

16:40I think part of that is the reason is

16:41our patrol officers are doing a better

16:43job. This is one of the one of the areas

16:46that we're really proud of is our

16:47entertainment district. um and explain

16:50to you what the entertainment district

16:52is because the number of personnel in it

16:55and the actual personnel in it

16:57fluctuates about every 6 to 8 weeks

16:59because what happens is there's about 10

17:02to 12 officers that are assigned to the

17:05entertainment district. That's all they

17:07work. But what happens is the way we

17:09bolster their numbers is when a class

17:12finishes field training. So they're

17:14certified police officers. They are then

17:17then assigned to the entertainment

17:18district until the next class replaces

17:21them. For a while we had upwards of I

17:24think we just we kept two classes there

17:26recently because we had a lot of events

17:28throughout the city that we needed

17:30staffing for. Um the rugby game. We've

17:33got a huge event coming up on October

17:3517th where we've got the running

17:38festival and a Chris I mean uh usher

17:41concert Chris Brown concert at the Mnt

17:44Bank Stadium the same night. So this

17:47unit comprises now it's about 40

17:50officers total. So what they do is they

17:53work in mainly Fels Point, Fedill, uh a

17:57little bit in Canton but mainly Fels

17:59Point and Fedill uh for other bar

18:01district. These are our younger officers

18:04who have just finished field training

18:06who are fresh out of uh the academy as

18:09well who write the citations and do the

18:11quality of life things that we want them

18:14to learn even more and push forward as

18:17they get to the districts.

18:18>> And commissioner, I think you just kind

18:19of alluded to this, but your strategy of

18:22why you're using the the newer officers

18:23to do that.

18:24>> Yeah, newer officers are usually more

18:26proactive. they're more not all the

18:28time, but they kind of want to get into

18:30things and they want to learn things and

18:32they want to do different things. So,

18:34uh, older officers get kind of set in

18:37their ways. Not their ways aren't bad.

18:38They're just set in certain things that

18:40they do. And most cops will really

18:44move their careers towards one thing or

18:46another. Like I was always a car stops.

18:48I like car stops. I like doing car

18:51stops. Um, I would make CDS drug arrests

18:54when when I had to or when the calls uh

18:56called for it, but I wasn't very good at

18:58that. So, I stuck at what I was good at

19:00and learn to do the other things. So, we

19:04basically want the officers to figure

19:05out what do they like doing. Um, and

19:08then but we've trained them in the

19:10writing of the citations. We've trained

19:12them more in the vehicle stops, their

19:15walking foot more. We want them to get

19:17to know the community more. So, it's all

19:18about community policing and taking care

19:21of the little things uh like the

19:23citations and just warnings and just

19:27things that we wanted to entrench in

19:29their mind as they filter out to the

19:31districts after about six weeks.

19:35And then citywide traffic team, they're

19:37still doing well. Problem with them is

19:39their staffing. U they've lost some

19:41people. They're only about half the size

19:43that they used to be. Uh, so their

19:45numbers are down a little bit, but the

19:47members in the team are doing a great

19:48job. I'm I'm really happy with what

19:51they're doing. Uh, we just I want to

19:53build them back up. We just don't have

19:54the staffing to build them back up yet.

19:57And then this is one we got a dirt bike.

19:59We started dirt bike enforcement. Um,

20:02these individuals, it's only three

20:04officers. One of the officers is a

20:0640-year veteran who's out there still

20:08doing it every single day. Um, we

20:11partnered with the Cleveland Police

20:13Department to halt one of their ride out

20:14programs. We had some of our members,

20:17our dirt bike community go up to

20:19Cleveland and participate some in

20:21something up there. But we have a

20:23dashboard that shows we've seized 98

20:25dirt bikes, three arrests, two warrants,

20:2840 criminal summons, four search

20:30warrants. Um, and this is just going to

20:32as the weather starts to change, we'll

20:35see less and less. But this unit is

20:37going to continue to fight for uh

20:39keeping these dirt bikes off the street

20:42even throughout the winter. We're still

20:44going to work on it because it's illegal

20:45to house them. Um, and it's still going

20:48to be an issue. So, if we stay on the

20:49issue all all winter, maybe next spring

20:52we can put even bigger dent in what they

20:55do and and the issues that they cause

20:57throughout the city.

20:58>> And commissioner, quick question. uh why

21:00Cleveland and how was that helpful?

21:02>> Well, Cleveland was having a they have

21:04sort of the similar thing that we have

21:06with the dirt bike issues. So, we've

21:08worked with them and for some whatever

21:10reason our dirt bike riders uh were

21:14attending an event up there. So, we

21:17worked with them to help identify anyone

21:20that was from here that was up there,

21:21anybody they had a problem with. Car

21:23clubs. Um, this is something that

21:26Sergeant Copelan in the Southern

21:28District has taken upon himself to uh

21:31kind of stop this single-handedly.

21:33They've made um numerous arrests, car

21:37stops in Fort Smallwood Park, which is I

21:40still want to annex to Anundle County,

21:42but it's still ours. So, they have to go

21:44down to Anna Rundle County, and he does

21:46a fabulous job with that where they box

21:48them in, and they really can't leave.

21:50So, we just we just sight every car we

21:52can. um that's doing something legal or

21:55at least we identify those who are part

21:57of the car club and he's done a a great

22:00job. Um one of the things that I want to

22:02want to increase and this is something

22:05it was I think it was Sergeant what was

22:07the sergeant from the southeast racing

22:13>> what is it?

22:15Sergeant in the southeast um did a great

22:18job, took an initiative to uh curtail a

22:22ton of retail theft that was happening

22:24in the southeast. That's that's one of

22:26the biggest problems that is is going to

22:28start escalating. It's already here, but

22:31a lot of the other areas in the counties

22:33have experienced this probably more than

22:35us, but it's only a matter of time. So,

22:38we've got to get ahead of that because

22:39this is a nationwide network that's

22:41doing these things. It's not just

22:43running in and shoplifting. there's a

22:45network of these thieves and we've got

22:47to get ahead of that soon. Um, but other

22:49than that, I'm really proud of our

22:51partnerships with Montzy, uh, the G GBRS

22:54strategy. Um, and now I will turn it

22:56over to

22:58Chief Sullivan for compliance.

23:01>> And as you want to note, uh, we've been

23:03joined by Council Member McCrae of the

23:05second district. Thank you for being

23:06here.

23:11>> Good afternoon, Chief Sullivan with

23:12Compliance. I'll provide a very brief

23:14update on the consent decree. Actually,

23:16the next three slides are exactly what

23:18we showed the court a couple weeks ago

23:20when we met. Uh, and this slide is on

23:23BPD's website. So, at any point, anyone

23:25can track our progress related to the

23:27decree. So, this is the current

23:29progress. We can move on. So, sort of

23:31the domino effect. Once one section

23:33goes, another one's close behind. Uh, so

23:36this is based off of June of this year.

23:40And then next slide. Thank you. Uh the

23:43monitoring team had a pretty ambitious

23:44year. They uh claim to or they're

23:48working on nine assessments that they

23:49hope to complete this year. Many of them

23:52unfortunately are overdue. We have had a

23:54conversation with the cohort and the

23:55monitoring team about increasing the

23:57pace of these assessments. Um we did get

24:01two back out of the five we were

24:03expecting by this month. Uh we have

24:05received the stops and searches

24:06assessment. It's 180 pages. uh we are

24:10still going through it but it has some

24:12really good uh data in there about BPD's

24:14work. Youth we should get by the end of

24:17October. Behavioral health we also got

24:19again some really great work but we are

24:21waiting for paragraph 97 which is a

24:24subsection of the behavioral health

24:26section that is due today actually. Uh

24:29we have not seen yet so I can't say any

24:32anything more about that but that's

24:33directly related to the city's

24:35responsibilities as it relates to

24:37behavioral health. All the other

24:39sections, I'm sorry, all the other

24:40paragraphs in that section are related

24:42to BPD's responsibilities. Uh staffing,

24:46again, you can just see through here,

24:47but we've got a lot of assessments that

24:49are coming up. Uh we can talk more about

24:51that or we will talk more about that at

24:53the public quarterly hearing, which is

24:55exactly a month from today. It's October

24:5722nd. It's at the federal courthouse. It

25:00begins at 10:00 in the morning. Anyone

25:03is welcome to come in person uh or

25:06usually the court that morning will

25:08provide a dialin number and then people

25:10can listen from their home or office.

25:13So,

25:13>> thank you for sharing that information.

25:14>> Yep. You're welcome. That's my update.

25:24>> Good afternoon again. Lisa Reynolds,

25:25chief of youth and community

25:26partnerships. Uh this summer, BPD's

25:29involvement with the mayor's office

25:30partners um consisted of our going on

25:32community walks, our work with the

25:34re-imagined multi- agency um

25:36intervention task force, rock the block

25:38safe passages, and of course our

25:40community action lab while we continue

25:42to focus our efforts on other effective

25:44ways. I'm going to report out to you

25:46things that BPD um led and initiated

25:48this summer. Um first, let me say that

25:50we rolled out our community engagement

25:52form last July. It is now an Axon and in

25:56the first year we have over 1,800

25:59documented informal and formal

26:00engagements that were conducted by our

26:02um neighborhood community officers which

26:04are our NCOs's. Um in addition to that,

26:07the community partnership unit hosted

26:09and attended 200 events that were um BPD

26:12focused on youth, our senior population,

26:15marginalized members as um well as um

26:18our immigrant communities. So, one of

26:20the big things we did this summer was

26:22have a summer jam where we invited 30

26:24officers from different um law

26:26enforcement agencies across the state

26:28and played basketball with our youth. We

26:30partnered with leader for breeders for

26:33leaders for breeders as well as forever

26:36athletics. Um we got prizes and each

26:38youth um that attended in the community

26:41and also signed up for the event got a

26:43school bag uh full of supplies. Um we

26:46hosted our youth works this summer. We

26:47had our junior cadet night um at the

26:49Orioles and are branching out to now

26:51include the Ravens for our junior

26:53cadetses. And just to speak a little bit

26:55about the junior cadetses, we have now

26:57standardized the curriculum, outline the

26:59NCO responsibilities as well as working

27:02with buddies incorporated for youth that

27:04um are going on to college that want to

27:06achieve and get scholarships. We have

27:08already signed up 63 members for the new

27:11school year and we look forward um to

27:13working with them this year. We um in

27:16addition to that, we're working with ENT

27:18to get a cadet actually assigned. That

27:20cadet will work alongside the NCOs's to

27:22help with programming, support events,

27:24but I think the biggest focus for that

27:26cadet will be to help us recruit members

27:29who are interested in becoming police

27:30officers. So really to secure that

27:32pipeline or pathway. Um in addition to

27:35that, this summer,

27:38oh that's the summer. So we'll be moving

27:40on to fall. Uh excuse me. So for fall um

27:42we're starting our second year of youth

27:43advisory board at the ACE Academy. In

27:46addition to the consent decree required

27:48requirements for that youth advisory

27:49board, we're also going to test them

27:51with a capstone that is um to build a

27:55toolkit surrounding linkups um that are

27:57occurring for these teens. We find that

28:00we want um ways to understand how to

28:02prevent, how to inform, interrupt, and

28:04then engage with the youth to ensure we

28:06protect everybody when these occur. Um,

28:08in addition, we're building out new

28:10partnerships with the National

28:11Federation for the Blind, the Police

28:13Athletic League to explore bringing back

28:15PELP programs to Baltimore City, and

28:17we're also now engaging with living

28:18classrooms to increase officers access

28:21and involvement to their afterchool

28:23powerhouse community center as well as

28:24the Under Armour House. Um, to better

28:27assist with school administration and

28:28teachers, we're planning a 100day event.

28:31So, as schools start to diminish in

28:33their supplies, we'll be utilizing

28:35officers to make connection with

28:36teachers and school administration to go

28:38back into the schools and replenish some

28:40of those um supplies that they need. And

28:42then lastly, we are also planning our

28:45fall battle of the badges. It's our

28:46second battle of the badges. It's

28:48November 22nd. We'll be sending out

28:50information. It'll be on our social

28:52media and welcome to attend. uh their

28:54officers will be playing from we're

28:56hoping Morgan State uh city obviously

28:59city police county trying to bring

29:00different members to play against one

29:02another but the children will be the

29:04referees as well as the coaches so there

29:07we will also have um a feed of family so

29:09anyone who signed up and we'll have

29:11extra two if community members do show

29:12up well they'll get um a Thanksgiving

29:14day meal and a turkey as well so clearly

29:17our goal remains to identify and create

29:19meaningful opportunities for BPD members

29:21and engage with youth in the community

29:23We're strengthening relationships, we're

29:25building trust, and we're fostering

29:26positive connections. Thank you.

29:28>> No, much appreciated. One quick uh

29:30question. Um you'd mentioned the multi-

29:32agency intervention. Who's included in

29:34that? If you could just

29:35>> So that is led by um the CAO's office

29:38along with assistant deputy mayor Sam

29:40Johnson. We are a partner in that um

29:44planning and we are right now focused in

29:46four sub geographies. Since we've

29:49reimagined for lack of um we've done two

29:51blitzes, one in Western and where were

29:54we last week, Steph?

29:56>> That was the first one. Yep. You were in

29:58the Western. Now we're going to Carolton

29:59Ridge next Wednesday and then the

30:01following week we'll be in Central Park

30:03Heights.

30:04>> Yeah, I've heard about that. I'm

30:05excited. So, thank you for that contin.

30:08>> Absolutely. I know he is. No, thank you.

30:10Thank Thank you all. Um, I know we also

30:12have Monty, but before we go there, I

30:14want to see if there are any, uh,

30:15burning questions from either council

30:17president and then, um, vice chair

30:19Blancher.

30:23>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, thank you,

30:25commissioner and team. Um, I will note

30:28this is a much improved department and

30:31I'm grateful for your leadership in

30:34that. That said, there is a backlog of

30:38more than 800 allegations of misconduct

30:41awaiting review by the trial board. Uh,

30:44last week we learned that DC NATO had

30:47been suspended. Uh, there's an active

30:50investigation. I'm not going to ask

30:52about that, but I do want to know how we

30:55are addressing the very significant

30:58backlog of uh, officers awaiting a

31:03trial. I think that our ability to do

31:06this work and do it well depends heavily

31:09on trust and on the public's belief that

31:12we are quickly adjudicating cases. That

31:15is also what officers deserve as well is

31:18justice. And so how is the department

31:21addressing this very significant backlog

31:24that we have before us?

31:25>> Yeah. Um first [clears throat] DC's NATO

31:28NATO's um absence won't slow anything

31:31down. uh we still have a good team in

31:33place there. Unfortunately for us as

31:37well as every agency in the state, but

31:39because we're the biggest um and we

31:42usually get more complaints than the

31:43other agencies, uh there are

31:45stipulations on what we can do once an

31:48officer elects a trial board. So, if we

31:51go through the charging and our our PIB

31:56charges an individual and they decide

31:58that they don't want to accept the

32:01punishment, uh, and I'll give you an

32:02example. There may be a body warrant

32:04camera violation, then an officer is

32:06going to get a simple letter of

32:07reprimand. They say, "No, I want a trial

32:09board." That just adds to the number of

32:11trial boards. And part of it is it's

32:14it's somewhat smart on the officers

32:16because uh they know that the trial

32:19boards are so backed up. It's going to

32:20be a year or more before they become

32:22become uh to a trial board. And that is

32:26because our the legislation the state

32:28legislations that was legislation that

32:30was put in place does not allow us to

32:33negotiate any kind of settlement once

32:35the officer elects a trial board. So

32:38soon as he elects the trial board, any

32:40negotiation is off. You can't you can't

32:43say ifam as an example if they were

32:45getting three days suspension you can't

32:48negotiate and say well we'll give you

32:50one degree with the lawyer it has to go

32:52to trial board um and then whatever the

32:54trial board decides I'm I'm pretty much

32:56bound by that uh unless they go outside

32:59the matrix the state matrix so uh it it

33:02makes it really difficult but what we

33:04are doing is there are probably 300

33:07cases I believe it is that have bodywn

33:09camera violations that if they were done

33:12today or not a violation, we realized

33:15there was a problem in their policy. Um,

33:18in the fact that what would happen is

33:20officers if they did not turn their body

33:22warn cameras on before they got out of

33:24their car, uh, it was a violation if

33:27they were responding to a call. Um, and

33:30then a few of them it might be 5 seconds

33:33into it, but what would happen is they

33:35would still the ACC will still make it a

33:37violation, which technically it's a

33:39policy violation. we saw that was an

33:41issue. We changed our policy. So those

33:43cases are being adjudicated eight or 10

33:46at a time. Um and then we need an

33:48administrative law judge and the city

33:51only had one. So I think we have two

33:53now. So you can't have a trial board and

33:55administrative law judge. Um, and then

33:57one of the other things quite honestly

33:59that people elect to trial board is that

34:03the civilian members are usually a

34:06little more lenient on the people at the

34:09defendants at the trial board than sworn

34:11members because they don't uh they look

34:14at thing and I'll give you a perfect

34:16example of one. There was one that an

34:19officer was child charged with a false

34:21statement and the belief was well it was

34:23only a little lie.

34:25little lie means you can't be an police

34:29officer anymore and that officer was not

34:32did not face termination.

34:35So th those are the type of things that

34:37we battle and there's a state matrix

34:39that has to be followed. Um and we're

34:41going to try to change that to

34:43legislation in January to where we can

34:45negotiate to try to get some of these

34:47trial boards down. Um, and I've got some

34:49things working that I wanna I want to

34:52work on with uh with our legal team to

34:55get these trial boards down, but until

34:58um we change some legislation there, the

35:00numbers are probably going to continue

35:02to mount.

35:03>> Yeah, I appreciate that response and I'm

35:07grateful for some of the work that the

35:10department has done as it relates to the

35:12consent decree and moving in the right

35:14direction. That said, I think it is

35:16deeply undermining when you have that

35:19large of a backlog. Uh we ask people to

35:23call and report crimes. We ask people to

35:26step up as witnesses and to testify. And

35:30if we're having justice that is that

35:32delayed uh for officers, that is simply

35:36not good enough. And and I think it

35:39sends a terrible message to the

35:40residents of this city. So, look, I'll

35:43say for me, for my colleagues, I look

35:45forward to uh working together to

35:47address that expeditiously. Uh whether

35:51that means going down to Annapolis and

35:54uh working with our state partners as

35:57well, cuz I I just don't think anyone,

35:59and I know many of the senators and

36:02delegates that worked on this, I I don't

36:04think anyone would have intended to have

36:06almost a thousand police officers in a

36:09trial backlog. So uh appreciate that and

36:15know that on this we we have to do

36:18better because it undermines the

36:20progress that we are making and it

36:22undermines our credibility.

36:23>> Yeah. I don't think anybody intended to

36:26have the issues that we have. Um the

36:29problem is is that a lot of no other

36:31agency in the city I mean no other

36:33agency in the state has the amount of

36:35people that we have.

36:36>> Sure. Um, and we don't we have the

36:39interactions with the public that we

36:41have every single day. There's thousands

36:43of interactions. So, when an interaction

36:46is is put forward um and there's an

36:48allegation, we have to investigate it.

36:50And it's not fair to the officers that

36:52these things are hanging over their

36:53heads for for a year or two. So, we're

36:56all working together, the union, myself,

36:59the city hall, um, with the

37:01administrative judges. And then for

37:03example, one trial board, we we've got a

37:05trial board that just was coming up that

37:08was 4 days long. So you basically our

37:10trial board, no other trial board will

37:12happen that that week unless there's

37:14another administrative law judge. We do

37:17have that now. And we have a new uh head

37:21of legal and PIB. And I think all those

37:24pieces together are going to make the

37:27things go a lot better in the future. We

37:30just have to catch up from the backlog.

37:32>> Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Mr.

37:33Chair.

37:35>> Excuse me, Mr. Chair, if I could and

37:37council president to the PC's point, if

37:39I just could. So, you know, I know

37:41personally the it's on our radar. The

37:44commissioner is holding a meeting with u

37:47PIB weekly in reference to this backlog

37:49to the point where um raised to our

37:52attention um never before in my tenure

37:55here uh PIB has come up in front of

37:58CompStat and has had a process now. So,

38:01where we have dashboards for everything

38:03else. um several weeks ago was the first

38:06time ever PIB has come up and hel held

38:09their own accountability and oversight

38:10in reference to their processes. So um

38:13it has reached us our ear is something

38:15that we are actively looking into. Sir,

38:18>> thank you Mr. President for the

38:19question. Thank you for the answers. Now

38:21we'll go to Vice Chair Blanchard.

38:25>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you,

38:26Commissioner. Um two quick things to to

38:29thank the department on. Um, one I just

38:32want to point out, uh, give thanks to

38:34some comments that, um, Chief Murphy

38:36made at the budget hearing about how

38:39other cities are do how they do padlock

38:41legislation. Um, and I've been that sort

38:45of sparked some some ideas and thoughts

38:47and we've been having a lot of

38:48conversations since then and I'm hopeful

38:50to be um introducing some legislation to

38:53strengthen the padlock bills very soon.

38:55Um, which as you know are uh have been

38:59quite topical in the 11th district. Um,

39:01so I really appreciate that work that

39:04your department had done before that.

39:07Um, I also want to give a shout out to

39:09the the dirt bike enforcement effort.

39:11Um, particularly around the inner harbor

39:13and key highway, um, where, you know,

39:16the largest senior home in my district

39:18is right at that intersection of Light

39:20and Key. Um, I've had like five or six

39:22people unsolicited reach out to say how

39:25much better it's been um, in the last

39:26couple months. You can imagine it's,

39:28yeah, knock on wood, but also like that

39:31never happens. Unsolicited positive

39:33comments. Um, so great work to to

39:35Colonel um, Major Dala and the whole

39:37team over there.

39:39>> Just really quickly want to note that

39:40we've been joined by council member

39:41Felicia Porter. Good to have you. Please

39:44proceed.

39:44>> Yep. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, now uh,

39:48towards other topics um, questions. So,

39:51Federal Hill late night situation. Um,

39:54the if assault is included in violent

39:59crimes, crimes against persons, right?

40:01Um the block that Cross Street Market is

40:04on and the two blocks of Charles Street

40:06right next to it are numbers 1, 5, and

40:0812 in the city in in numbers of violent

40:13crimes. Um it is lower without common

40:15assault, but um it is a and it's very

40:18very concentrated in that Thursday

40:20through Sunday, 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

40:22time frame. um while it's actually been

40:25going down in the rest of the

40:26neighborhood and during different hours,

40:28it's spiking in a crazy fashion on those

40:32blocks in that in that time frame. Um

40:35I've appreciated your focus and the the

40:38mayor's support of efforts to to try to

40:40to tackle it. Um

40:44I think we probably all in agreement

40:46that we have not gotten to that point.

40:48Obviously, there have been um there was

40:50the the two shootings or double

40:52shooting, however that would be counted,

40:54um on Saturday evening. Um I think that

40:58was

41:002 weeks after the Labor Day. Um

41:05this the summer, you know, extra support

41:08had ended. Um can you just first off,

41:11can you talk through um what exactly has

41:14changed from BPD's

41:17efforts in that nightlife corridor um

41:21since Labor Day. Um and then two, how

41:26are you thinking about the strategy

41:28moving forward? Because I think the the

41:31the positive movement that we've seen in

41:36Fels Point on the block, you know, in

41:38other like high

41:42heavily traffic late night areas, we are

41:43seeing the opposite thing in Federal

41:45Hill. Um, so I'm really curious to hear

41:48both what that change has been the last

41:50two weeks and then what you are

41:51foreseeing for like moving forward.

41:53>> Yeah. Well, first I'll start

41:55[clears throat] off the the numbers the

41:57increase in the crime down there is not

41:59a complete surprise for me. Um, usually

42:03when you when you saturate an area with

42:06more cops, there's more people to report

42:09them to. So if you've got cops that are

42:11coming upon things on view, for example,

42:14the double shooting Saturday night, the

42:16officers heard the discharging. Now, the

42:18shootings are always going to be

42:19reported, but our officers are also

42:22seeing aggravated assaults and common

42:24assaults that they may not have saw if

42:26we didn't have another 30 cops down

42:28there that may have gone unreported that

42:30are being reported now because we're

42:32right there to to basically either abate

42:35them, make an arrest, or break the fight

42:38up if there's if they're mutual affair.

42:40Um, our staffing isn't going to change.

42:43It actually hasn't changed. Um, the only

42:45thing that changed is the two academy

42:47classes that were in the entertainment

42:50district have moved out to the districts

42:52and another academy class came in. So,

42:55our numbers haven't changed. I think

42:57it's the checkpoints that that went

42:59away. But everything for us is still the

43:01same. And quite honestly, I don't have

43:03any more cops to put in Federal Hill.

43:06I've got the the entertainment district,

43:08the Southern Central are all there and

43:11we still have to protect the rest of the

43:13city. So, u we we aren't going to change

43:16from the beginning, uh of the summer. Uh

43:19they were saturated with cops and we're

43:21still going to saturate. Uh part of the

43:24problem is you've got a very confined

43:26space down there where even in fe even

43:28in Fels's Point, you've got a little

43:31more spread. It's a little more spread

43:32out than you have. And we all know that

43:35there's a few bars that are the

43:37problems. Um and they're pretty close to

43:39each other. Uh, so we have to spend a

43:42lot of time there, which means we can't

43:44be on the outskirts as much as we would

43:46like to be. Um, but then we've got to do

43:49a better job, too. Some of our officers

43:51got to do a better job of of getting out

43:53of their cars and patrolling the areas

43:55outside of where we have our

43:58entertainment district deployed. Um, we

44:01can do better and we will do better, but

44:02I think a lot of the cops down there are

44:04working the best that they can. Um, it's

44:07just a really tough area. And when you

44:10have individuals who can't get along and

44:13you throw in gun permits and illegal

44:15guns, you have individuals who don't

44:18know how to use a weapon trying to use a

44:22weapon to um take care of their

44:25conflicts. And that's always an issue.

44:28The the the one individual that we got

44:30uh in in the uh double shooting had a

44:33handgun on him and he was a juvenile.

44:37So, and I'm sure that wasn't his first

44:39rodeo with the juvenile justice system.

44:42So,

44:43>> sure. Yeah. Thank you, Commissioner. Um,

44:45I'll just note that I think the if you

44:47look at the the crime data, I think that

44:50the the spiking corresponds

44:53much more closely to the opening or

44:56rebranding of two establishments in

44:59particular over the last couple of years

45:01than it does an increase in police

45:04presence. Although I will say personally

45:06having spending way too much of my time

45:09walking around that footprint late at

45:11night over the last year. Um

45:13>> well one one comes with the other more

45:15problems from those two

45:16>> draw the bring more cops and

45:19>> Yeah. No, that's that's fair. I um I am

45:24I appreciate your position. It doesn't

45:27and obviously we are trying to tackle

45:29the establishments. So, it doesn't make

45:31me feel super great that we're

45:34we don't have some like sort of strategy

45:37for doing something more than what what

45:40we're currently doing because I think

45:41the

45:43we're not getting outcomes good outcomes

45:45right now. Um but yeah, conversation to

45:50to I I I don't know. I don't have an ask

45:52specifically for you. I was kind of

45:53hoping you were going to have some

45:54magical answer for me. I wish you did.

45:56>> Um but yeah, no, I understand. I mean,

45:58we we we are constantly looking at

46:00intel. Um, and there are investigations

46:04that will extract some of these

46:05individuals, and when we can padlock

46:08some of those establishments,

46:10it sends a message to to some of the

46:13people. But I I wish I had a if I had a

46:16magic formula for I'd put that in every

46:18neighborhood. Yeah.

46:19>> Um, we've conquered not conquered, we've

46:22done better with the dirt bike issue.

46:24Um, I think we were better this summer

46:26than we were last summer.

46:27>> Yeah.

46:28>> Um, we just have not stopped everything

46:30that occurs down there because when

46:32people leave these establishments, we

46:34can't be on every single corridor that

46:37they decide to take. What we can do a

46:39better job of is going around to these

46:43outskirts and making sure there's no

46:45gatherings. That should not happen. We

46:48do not do a good enough job with that.

46:50We will do better with that which I hope

46:52we will that will cause some of these

46:54individuals to we want you to come home.

46:57We want you to have a good time but we

46:58want you to go well you don't have to go

47:00home. You just have to

47:01>> move on from the establishment that are

47:03closed.

47:04>> Yeah. Tail tailgating is great at noon

47:06on Sundays. It's not great at 3:00 a.m.

47:08>> Yes. And that's what we've got to do a

47:10better job at. We've had several of our

47:12incidents have occurred because we did

47:14not address those type of challenge

47:16>> and that's what we have to address

47:17better.

47:17>> No. Yeah. I appreciate that. And we do

47:19have a plan for that.

47:20>> Okay.

47:21>> So that that's one of the biggest things

47:23that

47:24>> if you come home, you come at 2:00, if

47:26you don't live or the place is not open,

47:30you cannot gather and create havoc in an

47:33area and you can't disturb the peace and

47:35you can't drink and you can't smoke

47:37weed. Those are two things that irritate

47:40me greatly is the weed smoking in

47:43public, which is not legal. um that we

47:46can address and we can do a much better

47:47job on that.

47:49>> Yeah. Thank you, Commissioner. And then

47:51the other question that I have um

47:53changing the subject um but what is your

47:57sense of um this pretty

48:02um the increase in like all the

48:04lararseny and theft um numbers that

48:07we're seeing across the city. What's

48:08your interpretation of that trend? Um,

48:12most of those are are lowlevel.

48:16Uh, it's a lot of individuals who have

48:19an addiction still in this city and

48:21that's usually the way they get the

48:23money to either make their get their

48:26next drugs. Some of them are are doing

48:29it. There's a there's there used to be

48:31rings of of ste stealing the catalytic

48:34converters,

48:35>> right?

48:35>> Um, I'm sure that's still out there.

48:37It's sort of like retail theft. Um

48:40there's and and I hate to say it, but

48:44when someone leaves a laptop on the

48:47front seat or uh the one thing that

48:50really is alarming that we need the

48:53state legislature to address uh is the

48:57fact that these individuals who have

48:59handgun permits leave their handguns in

49:02their vehicles unattended and unlocked

49:04and then you get a handgun taken that's

49:06then going to probably be used in a

49:08crime. Yeah,

49:09>> somewhere. Um, and then that person

49:11needs to be punished for the lack of of

49:14awareness of where your weapon is.

49:16>> That is a huge and we probably had over

49:18a hundred of those

49:20>> this year.

49:21>> Um, maybe to just clarify my question,

49:23if we look at autotheft, larseny, larchy

49:25from auto, shoplifting, kind of that

49:27whole realm of people stealing,

49:29whatever. Um, not all of it's down. Most

49:32of it's I mean, not all of it's up, but

49:34all in all, it's it's up about like 10%

49:36year-over-year. Um thankfully, right,

49:38like the big stuff is is obviously

49:40moving in the right direction. Um except

49:42for a salt, but the

49:44I guess it would be I'd appreciate some

49:47kind of like what do we think is like

49:50driving this across

49:54the city that

49:55>> auto thefts is still juveniles for the

49:57most part. Um they'll steal a car

50:00because there's very little

50:01repercussions to them when we catch

50:03them. They'll steal a car and they'll

50:05commit street robberies with that

50:06vehicle that they just stole or they'll

50:08carjack another one. So, that is still a

50:10lot of juvenile. Now, the lararseny from

50:12autos, um, that is somewhat juveniles,

50:15but I don't I don't think that's a lot

50:17of of juveniles. That's mostly

50:19individuals trying to steal product to

50:22get money for whatever reason they need

50:25money, whether to eat, buy drugs, buy

50:28cigarettes, whatever it is. Um, they are

50:31breaking into these vehicles. um and

50:34they're trying to steal things just to

50:36make a dollar here and there for

50:37whatever their reason is. But those it's

50:40too there are some juveniles in that,

50:42but the juveniles are mainly the

50:44stealing of the vehicles. Some are joy

50:46riding, some are for other nefarious uh

50:49acts. Um but the adults are usually the

50:52shoplifting. There is a a that is one of

50:55our biggest problems that's going to

50:58surface as we move forward is these

51:00rings of retail theft stealing thousands

51:03of dollars at a time from these stores.

51:06Um

51:08and unfortunately those those are things

51:10that we're dealing with but we have a

51:12plan for that. Um the larity from all

51:14those it falls mainly on patrol to

51:17capture these individuals and to stay on

51:19patrol. Um but we do need them reported

51:22so that we know where they're occurring

51:24at. Um

51:25>> I think to the uh to the PC's point, um

51:28he started off with saying, you know,

51:29some of this is driven by which has

51:31always been by substance abuse, right?

51:34Um but there's also an economic

51:37part to this where we're dealing with a

51:40society who uh maybe several years ago

51:43weren't were not in the social the

51:45social economic position they are in

51:47now. So what wasn't an item that I would

51:51steal maybe a year or so ago, I'm

51:53willing to take a chance and steal now,

51:55right? Whether it's an item of clothing,

51:57whether it's this. So we're finding that

51:59people are willing to take a chance on

52:01stealing something and seeing if they

52:03can get away with it. And then, you

52:05know, if they are confronted by security

52:07or managers, then that confrontation now

52:11becomes a robbery um instead of just a

52:14lararseny. So we're seeing some of those

52:15things. We've talked about it on the

52:17federal level. We talked about it

52:19amongst ourselves as commanders in

52:21reference to how we address it because

52:23we realize that these businesses are

52:25being affected by this. And now

52:27decisions are being made of whether or

52:28not in known food deserts, right? No

52:31other deserts of do I stay or do I go?

52:34Because at some point loss prevention

52:36becomes a real thing for those

52:37businesses, right? there's a aspect for

52:39that business to do some kind of target

52:41hardening in reference to items that

52:43they know are uh priority theft item. Um

52:47there's some deterrence that we ask of

52:49them to do. There are some things that

52:50we do that I expect of Colonel Lee and

52:52his team from patrol um which they have

52:54done in the southeastern district where

52:56they've created these many um

52:58initiatives where they've identified

53:01problematic people and gone to the

53:02state's attorney's office in reference

53:03to say yes it may be $100 today and $50

53:06tomorrow but cumulatively it is this

53:10amount that this business has lost and

53:12the state's attorney has gone after them

53:13and we asked our state's attorney

53:15partner when it does come to those

53:17onesie twoozies we've got to make a

53:19decision ision right now. It may seem

53:20like it's just a drop in the bucket, but

53:22it is bigger and a holistic thing that

53:24we need to address on all levels.

53:26>> And one other thing that the DC brought

53:28up um that reminded me is the we've also

53:32got to get the criminal justice system

53:34to fix to fix their issues. Um I'll give

53:38you a perfect example. When I had the

53:40package stolen off my front porch, two

53:43of the three people who were victims

53:46said they it wasn't worth it for them to

53:48take two or three days off of court to

53:49go to court. I mean off work to go to

53:51court because the defendant will get a

53:53postponement. Then they'll postpone it

53:55again. So why would they take two days

53:58off of court off of work to go to court

54:02for something that's petty that

54:03nothing's going to happen to them? So um

54:06>> yeah. No, I understand.

54:07>> My wife didn't have that option. she had

54:09to go to court,

54:09>> right?

54:10>> Um, so but that's one of the things that

54:13we we hear all the time is that uh these

54:16postponements and having to to go to two

54:19or three days of cases before someone's

54:23even brought up for ch brought up to

54:26before the judge. So that's one of the

54:28things we got to fix or these low-level

54:31crimes are going to continue.

54:33>> Yeah.

54:33>> Until people go to court and say we've

54:35had enough. and even some of the

54:38business owners with the shoplifting.

54:40Years ago, we used to do shoplifting

54:42with the police officers, but the

54:44officers would show up to court and the

54:45business owner wouldn't. So, we had to

54:47change our our policy. So, I know it's

54:49tough because of the

54:51>> No, I I think I think that's a thorough

54:53answer. I kind of share the deputies

54:55sort of underlying theory of what might

54:57be driving it, but something to continue

54:58the conversation on. Thank you, Mr.

55:00Chair.

55:01>> Thank you, Vice Chair Blanchard. And

55:02then we'll go to we'll go in this order.

55:04We're going to go for um Council Member

55:06Conway, um Council Member Ramos, um

55:10Council Member McCrae, and then we'll

55:11shift the other side if Council Member

55:13Gray or Porter have any questions. So,

55:14Councilman [music] Conway, please.

55:16>> Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I I appreciate

55:18the line of questioning um by Councilman

55:20Blanchard um around this chart in

55:24particular. I noted this the same

55:25things.

55:27Um, one I want to say that and I have

55:30always consistently done this at least

55:32for the last couple years. I'm I'm very

55:34proud of the work that you guys have

55:36been doing and the progress that we've

55:38made as a department uh and as a city.

55:41And we will never be perfect, but we

55:43must always endeavor toward perfection.

55:45Um, and so to that effect, uh, we will

55:48always hold you accountable. We will

55:49always push for better and more. Um, and

55:52in this room, please never take that

55:53personally. um we all want the best for

55:55Baltimore and you guys play an important

55:57role in doing so. So, uh to that effect,

56:00uh I wanted to um kind of tie into some

56:03of the questions that Councilman

56:04Blanchard uh brought up regarding uh

56:06this chart here. Um out of the nine

56:08categories here, I noted five of those

56:10saw significant increases. And I think

56:12in the broad narrative that we've had

56:13about the decline in crime in the city,

56:16I found it interesting as you guys were

56:18going through that these things we we

56:20continue to struggle with. And um I

56:24not notably that we saw increases uh in

56:27aggravated assault, autotheft,

56:29lararseny, lararseny from auto and

56:31shoplifting. And I want to um take my

56:35cap off if I had one my invisible cap

56:37off to deputy commissioner for part of

56:38your answer because I think it your your

56:41assessment that substance abuse does

56:42play a part in um the motivation for

56:45many of these folks to commit some of

56:47these crimes here, I think is probably a

56:49a good guess um or maybe for you more

56:52than a guess. Um, so I I I I think to

56:55that effect, um, I appreciate that. Um,

56:58it it leads me to my my question which

57:00is on the other side regarding felony

57:03CDS arrests.

57:05Um, I noted for 2026 across every

57:09district with the exception of one, and

57:12that one is the northeast district, we

57:14saw a decline in u felony CDS arrests.

57:18And uh, Commissioner, in your

57:20description of what was going on here, I

57:22think you alluded to um some staffing

57:24problems that may have led to it, but I

57:27noticed on this on the next page, the

57:29misdemeanor CDS arrests are largely

57:32stable. Um, so for felony CDS arrests,

57:35we saw last year through uh September

57:3816th that we had 917.

57:42Uh, this year through se September 16th,

57:45we had 647. I'm not great at math, but

57:47it's somewhere in the 30% range

57:49reduction. Um, now last year looking at

57:52misdemeanors,

57:54uh, we had 604. This year we're looking

57:56at 594. That's on par. Um, it's more or

57:59less stayed the same. Um, I'm I'm

58:01curious what's going on here because I

58:03know one of the things we've talked

58:04about at length and tried to really do

58:06some problem solving both in this room

58:07and out of this room is our approach to

58:11drugs and and the impact that drugs have

58:13on our communities. Um, so can you tell

58:15me a little bit about what's going on

58:16here? Um, I think it does tie to the

58:19questions that the vice chair was

58:20asking. Um, but even more, I know it's

58:22something that we've been working on and

58:23I'm curious um, how recent efforts have

58:25had any any impact on our approach here.

58:28>> Yeah. Part part of the the um, in the

58:31opening the misdemeanor arrest, I think

58:35the reason they have stayed steady is

58:37that our patrol officers are more likely

58:40to make a misdemeanor arrest than they

58:42are a felony arrest. Because in order to

58:45prove distribution, you actually have to

58:48observe the individual selling the

58:50drugs. And then you there's a lot of

58:52things that you have to that go into

58:53that. It usually takes more time because

58:55you usually have to observe it. Then you

58:57have to get the buyer and the seller and

58:58they usually have to have the same

59:00thing. Um and then with the that's where

59:03you get a lot of our DAT and our

59:04specialized units that do it. Uh, and

59:08what happens is with the the

59:11misdemeanor, it may be just a car stop

59:13where they get a small amount of cocaine

59:15and our patrol officer will charge them.

59:17Um, not many patrol officers have the

59:20time to be able to do covert and and do

59:23a possession with intent. So, that's

59:26when it goes to the specialized units.

59:28Um, and a lot of our DAT teams have been

59:30working under staff most of the year.

59:33Uh, we have the Western District DAT

59:35team. uh I think three of their members

59:37will be offline for about six months

59:39because of police involved shooting and

59:41that's happened in a couple dis

59:43different districts and we can't replace

59:45those bodies in those units because

59:48patrol was short so we have to to

59:52basically work with um like the western

59:55and southwest may have to work together

59:57things like that but the lower level

1:00:00misdemeanor drug arrests can be made by

1:00:02patrol officers so I think that's why

1:00:05the numbers have stayed close there to

1:00:08last year's because we've been pushing

1:00:10that through vehicle stops and business

1:00:12checks and just walking foot.

1:00:15>> Got it. So, you you're saying the DAT

1:00:17teams are kind of strapped that um we're

1:00:20short people on the DAT teams.

1:00:22>> We just put six people. We just moved

1:00:24six individuals, I believe, to the DAT

1:00:26teams and they're still still short.

1:00:29Some of the teams are still short.

1:00:30>> Got it. Um

1:00:32>> I'm sorry.

1:00:32>> Please go ahead.

1:00:33>> Yeah. Um I would also caution against

1:00:37you know interpreting arrest volume by

1:00:39itself as a measure of police

1:00:41effectiveness.

1:00:42>> Sure.

1:00:42>> Our objective is not always uh to

1:00:45maximize arrest. It is to focus

1:00:47enforcement on um the conduct locations

1:00:51and individuals creating the greatest

1:00:53public safety harm while ensuring that

1:00:55our activity is lawful, intelligence

1:00:57driven and consistent with departmental

1:01:00uh priorities. I will say, you know,

1:01:02this is part of our focused deterrence

1:01:04model. Um, we've understand that, you

1:01:06know, fishing with a spear is more

1:01:09important than fishing with the net. Um,

1:01:11and sometimes it has to be that targeted

1:01:13enforcement of getting the right

1:01:15individuals off the street. So, I think

1:01:17to [clears throat] to that point, you

1:01:18know, it's down. Um, and you know,

1:01:22coming from a a narcotics background,

1:01:24it's important to me. It's something

1:01:26that I push to the teams all the time.

1:01:28You know, I do know that the tip of the

1:01:30spear is going to be our enforcement

1:01:32teams, our dad teams, but there was a

1:01:34level of expectation from me from our

1:01:37patrol officers. Um, I take it personal

1:01:40when um these corners look like this

1:01:42because growing up here, I know that,

1:01:45you know, my grandmother, my

1:01:46grandfather, uncles, and whomever had to

1:01:48go through these corners and go to the

1:01:50local corner store and the problem that

1:01:52that um creates. So, I'm well aware of

1:01:55it. But I will also say that, you know,

1:01:57while sometimes it may not look like

1:01:59enforcement is being done, um, that's

1:02:01the investigative part of it. We know

1:02:03that, you know, something is being done,

1:02:05but they may not see the immediate

1:02:06arrest right there because that

1:02:08immediate arrest would just would

1:02:10interrupt what's going on for our

1:02:11investigation. So, um, while the

1:02:14numbers, you know, clearly could be

1:02:16better on some things, I do believe that

1:02:18a major part of it is the focus

1:02:20deterrent that we have of identifying

1:02:22those right individuals and removing

1:02:24them from the equation. However,

1:02:26unfortunately, um there are several

1:02:28other individuals who are willing to

1:02:30take that that pace

1:02:31>> and and council combo, I want you to

1:02:33continue, but I want to thank you for

1:02:34that question and deputy pincher, thank

1:02:36you for the answer, but I do want to

1:02:37just note um everyone takes a look at

1:02:40this misdemeanor and the felony arrest

1:02:43representing the ninth district, which

1:02:44covers which includes the western and

1:02:46southwestern district, looking at how

1:02:48much those districts outpace pretty much

1:02:51the rest of the city, right? And so, um,

1:02:54I appreciate, you know, your further

1:02:57discussion of that, but also knowing

1:02:59that, uh, Major Micardo is here. Again,

1:03:01he deals with it on a on a on a regular

1:03:03basis as well. So, again, between

1:03:05yourself, the commissioner, even Major,

1:03:07if there's anything else you want to add

1:03:08on that front, please do so. But again,

1:03:11uh, Councilman Conway, again, appreciate

1:03:13you you bringing this up because again,

1:03:14we do feel this very acutely,

1:03:16particularly in the Western and in the

1:03:19southwestern. The the only thing I would

1:03:22add is that um through our group

1:03:24violence reduction strategy, we've taken

1:03:27s down some pretty big drug trafficking

1:03:29organizations over the last couple

1:03:32years. So I I think that's part of the

1:03:35reason as well. Um

1:03:39there there's a few of them out there

1:03:41that used to do a lot of the drug um

1:03:44distribution that aren't there anymore.

1:03:45They're in jail. Um and some of the

1:03:48neighborhoods are safer. So, I think

1:03:50that's another reason reason why and and

1:03:53uh we're still got multiple

1:03:55investigations going. So, it's going to

1:03:57take us a while, but we'll get to every

1:03:59drug trafficking organization in the

1:04:01city.

1:04:02>> Sure. I I think um it it lends me to I

1:04:05think Deputy Commissioner, you made an

1:04:07excellent point. Um you're right. We

1:04:10shouldn't always be looking at arrest as

1:04:13an indicator of sort of successful

1:04:15failure. That that's 100% right. It's

1:04:17it's an indicator of activity in some

1:04:20area, but you're right. Um, arrests are

1:04:23not the only tool for us to use. Um, one

1:04:26of the things, so we were actually going

1:04:27to hold this hearing

1:04:29uh early in the summer and we ended up

1:04:31canceling it because of um I think

1:04:35scheduled a lot of folks were going to

1:04:36be out for vacation. Um, and for this

1:04:39hearing, the initial thought that I had

1:04:42was to have a discussion around open air

1:04:44drug markets and uh looking at that

1:04:46comprehensive approach. Um, realizing

1:04:48that we're we're not going to arrest our

1:04:50way out of the problem. Um,

1:04:51unfortunately, I think often we we we

1:04:54work with the numbers we have. Um, but

1:04:57one of the the things I requested was a

1:04:59series of um other metrics that might

1:05:02tell us all the other various things

1:05:04that are going on in these areas to

1:05:06address open air drug markets. Some of

1:05:07that is going to be within the realm of

1:05:09the police department. Some of that's

1:05:10going to be in the realm of Monty. Um,

1:05:14but our approach there is going to be

1:05:16tailored to what's appropriate for the

1:05:19activity going on in the neighborhood

1:05:20and where we think we can find ways to

1:05:22intervene appropriately. So, um, I I I

1:05:25sent that over. We didn't get a response

1:05:27to that, but I would love to uh revisit

1:05:29that conversation because I think, you

1:05:31know, if we want to be fair, um, I think

1:05:35that's how we address it.

1:05:42Yeah,

1:05:42>> so we do have your plan. So, um, and I

1:05:45know that that was a request that

1:05:46originally that's what this hearing was,

1:05:47but then it was rescheduled to our, you

1:05:49know, regular legislative oversight

1:05:51hearing, but, um, but we do have it. So,

1:05:53we can comment.

1:05:54>> Okay.

1:05:56>> And just to your point, I think you hit

1:05:59the nail on the head, it is not just

1:06:01going to be a a BPD thing. And there are

1:06:03definitely different metrics we use um

1:06:08whether it is um our mative blitz

1:06:11response when we go out there that's a a

1:06:13co-production response of DOT DPW

1:06:16housing yada yada um but in that walk

1:06:19there's also identified that you know

1:06:21whether there are needles on the ground

1:06:23and the needle exchange and what the

1:06:25health department can do. Do we need to

1:06:26have a one of those uh mailboxes here in

1:06:29reference to proper disposal of it? um

1:06:32the use of Narcan in those areas to be

1:06:35indicative of is this something greater

1:06:37than than what we think it is. So I

1:06:39think it is more of a all hands- on deck

1:06:41approach and we probably can look at

1:06:43these other uh resources and out

1:06:46outcomes.

1:06:47>> Part of the um strength of that approach

1:06:50is that um there's like a supply demand,

1:06:53you know, where there is always a demand

1:06:54for more drugs, the supply will find its

1:06:56way to to the folks that are looking for

1:06:58it. Um, and if we could appropriately

1:07:00address the demand, uh, whether that's

1:07:02the distribution of buprenorphine or,

1:07:05um, you know, more ways to help people

1:07:07deal with their addiction, that actually

1:07:09ends up making your job easier as

1:07:11officers in the street. Um, but if we're

1:07:14not tracking the implementation of those

1:07:17ideas or plans and we just see a decline

1:07:20in arrests, it it's hard to

1:07:23I'm not sure what plan we're executing.

1:07:25Um, so I and I think that that is not

1:07:28only on the department. I think it's

1:07:30it's a a coordinated effort. So

1:07:33>> yeah, I mean our our plan hasn't

1:07:35changed. I mean, unfortunately, our job

1:07:37is law enforcement and and you we're

1:07:40either we're either going to make an

1:07:42arrest. Um, if we deal with somebody,

1:07:44we're going to make an arrest. If it's a

1:07:45misdemeanor arrest, we turn them over to

1:07:48the court system so that they can get

1:07:49treatment. Um, no longer are we are we

1:07:52the department that just went in and

1:07:54made mass arrests for CDS. The goal now

1:07:57is to get them off of the get them away

1:08:00from the drug addiction so that we don't

1:08:03have to deal with them and the city's

1:08:05not dealing with a a population of

1:08:08drugaddicted um or drug dependent

1:08:11individuals. So I think we've changed

1:08:13that a lot. Uh and we still make the

1:08:16misdemeanors. They go to court.

1:08:18hopefully they get their they their

1:08:20illness is addressed but a lot of the

1:08:23things that you you are asking for are

1:08:25not in our purview. We we are either

1:08:28going to go into an area, we will we do

1:08:31give Narcan. We do have that. We have

1:08:34done that multiple times to save lives.

1:08:36And we do know how many of those we've

1:08:39actually used because they have to

1:08:41replenish them once they're used. But I

1:08:44think a lot of the stuff that you're

1:08:45asking for is beyond BPD.

1:08:48>> Yeah, it 100% is. And I I think that's

1:08:50the point. Um, there are things that you

1:08:52you guys control the enforcement, but in

1:08:55dealing with the addiction and the

1:08:56social problems that people are having,

1:08:58that's really not your wheelhouse. And I

1:09:00would say the the president agrees on

1:09:02this, which is why there's a whole

1:09:03proposal to stand up a department that

1:09:05tries to provide all those

1:09:07considerations. Um, I think though we we

1:09:10need to think about them collectively,

1:09:13think about them together if we're going

1:09:15to resolve some of these issues. And

1:09:17certainly the police department plays a

1:09:18role but not the whole role is I guess

1:09:20what I'm saying. So yeah, appreciate it.

1:09:23Thank you.

1:09:24>> And thank you Councilman Conway. Again,

1:09:25we think about this holistic approach to

1:09:27dealing with these issues, right?

1:09:28Because a lot of it is beyond policing.

1:09:30So again, thank you for that. Uh Council

1:09:32Member Ramos, please.

1:09:38>> Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Um I want to uh

1:09:42glad to be back on the committee and

1:09:44look forward to working with all of you.

1:09:45Um I uh just to chime in real quick on

1:09:49this other issue. It's also uh place

1:09:51focused, right? I mean a strategy that's

1:09:54happening that we're doing in Green

1:09:55Mount may not work in Carolton Ridge,

1:09:57but what Carolton Ridge needs is, you

1:09:59know, we want to develop part uh tools

1:10:02that we can use universally, but

1:10:03sometimes the emphasis is one or the

1:10:05other. So I know that that's hard uh

1:10:07work, but um I know we're all dedicated

1:10:10to it and look forward to uh being a

1:10:12part of that conversation. Um, I wanted

1:10:14to go into the compliance uh the consent

1:10:17decree for a minute. um when uh I was on

1:10:22the committee last term and uh you know

1:10:25came up popped in a few times in the

1:10:27last couple of um I I really enjoyed the

1:10:30chart that had it everything where we

1:10:33could see what exactly was completed,

1:10:36what was not because your snapshot is

1:10:38important and I know you didn't want to

1:10:40complicate us with a magnifying glass

1:10:43that you know but I think it's always

1:10:45helpful to have that chart to see where

1:10:46we are on all of those things to

1:10:48actually tell the real story of what's

1:10:51happening with the police department.

1:10:52Um, so I'm wondering if I can get that

1:10:54as a data request uh and that we could

1:10:56get that regularly uh as well.

1:11:02>> No, no, I it this the one that I'm

1:11:05talking about literally is like every

1:11:06chapter.

1:11:07>> Okay.

1:11:08>> All the way down. And then the the the

1:11:11status that each each one is is in. And

1:11:13I realize you've finished several

1:11:15chapters, but we should talk about that,

1:11:16right? We should celebrate that. So, um

1:11:20that that will be great. And then uh

1:11:22there are some uh new members of the

1:11:24committee. So, I wondered to if you

1:11:25might just go if it's possible to do it

1:11:28briefly um over the sort of process of

1:11:31what the assessments are versus what the

1:11:34um what the you know completion uh just

1:11:37and also it might be a nice refresher

1:11:39for all of us uh as well.

1:11:41>> Sure. Okay. So to sum up right, the

1:11:44decree is about changes to policy,

1:11:47improvements to training, and the

1:11:48creation of systems of accountability so

1:11:50that BPD is ultimately selfassessing and

1:11:53self-correcting. [snorts]

1:11:55And we are now really at that self

1:11:56assessing, self-correcting stage. Uh but

1:11:59you can't just take our word for it.

1:12:01This is part of the monitoring team's

1:12:02job. They have to go in and check all of

1:12:05our systems, all of the policies, all of

1:12:06the training, and all of the outcomes

1:12:08from that and determine if we're in

1:12:10compliance. So that's an assessment. Um,

1:12:13and they go paragraph by paragraph of

1:12:15every section of the decree. And once

1:12:17each paragraph in a section is confirmed

1:12:21to be um, sorry, there's like a whole

1:12:24scoring scale uh, in initial compliance.

1:12:27If every single paragraph in that

1:12:29section hits initial compliance, then

1:12:31the section becomes uh, labeled as full

1:12:34and effective compliance. And then we

1:12:36have to sustain that for one year. We

1:12:38actually did just change the decree.

1:12:40Some sections were two-year sustainment

1:12:42period, some were one. Now all of the uh

1:12:45sections of the decree are a one-year

1:12:47sustainment period. So the monitors have

1:12:50very um our decree is frankly the most

1:12:52complex uh law enforcement decree in the

1:12:55United States. So the methodologies for

1:12:57these can be also very complex. uh they

1:13:01spend hundreds of hours reviewing data,

1:13:04bodywork camera footage, incident

1:13:06reports, uh and come up with those

1:13:07assessments which are then public,

1:13:09right? As soon as they are published and

1:13:11approved, they're filed with the court.

1:13:13BPD posts them, the monitoring team

1:13:14posts them, they're available for

1:13:16everybody to see. Did that help?

1:13:18>> Yeah, that was a very succinct um uh way

1:13:21of talking about probably 400 pages of

1:13:24um work. But no, I appreciate it. uh and

1:13:27and I did not know that the the period

1:13:29had changed um from the two-year

1:13:31sustainability period to the one which

1:13:33leads me to another question if you

1:13:34don't mind. Uh Mr. Chair, the um the uh

1:13:39obviously the design of all of this is

1:13:41for the police department to be

1:13:42permanently reformed um and not just

1:13:45we're going to be in compliance for a

1:13:46year and then we're good. We can go

1:13:48back. So what are the mechanisms that

1:13:50you're putting in place to make sure

1:13:51that we're still being in there even

1:13:54after the the judge bdar says you're

1:13:56good for one year and we're going to

1:13:58stay complete uh in terms of making that

1:14:01that happen.

1:14:01>> Yeah, that's a great question. So the

1:14:03judge won't sign off on any section

1:14:05unless he believes we have systems in

1:14:07place to sustain it past that year,

1:14:09right? Like he needs proof that we've

1:14:11done it for the year, but he needs proof

1:14:12that we've got the systems in place that

1:14:14we can continue to do that work. So one

1:14:16of the areas that I oversee is our

1:14:18performance standard section for example

1:14:20and they are audits, inspections, body

1:14:22warn camera units. So they do transport

1:14:25audits, they do stop searches and arrest

1:14:27audits, they do youth audits, they do

1:14:29fair and impartial policing and

1:14:30procedural justice audits. Um they do

1:14:33they do all of that work and in fact

1:14:35we've asked the monitoring team to you

1:14:38know help increase the pace of this

1:14:40process to audit our audits. Use those

1:14:43like that's work we've already done. we

1:14:45feel really good about it. It's

1:14:46completely based on the paragraphs and

1:14:48the decree. They should just be able to

1:14:50go back through our work, confirm it's

1:14:51good, uh, and then and then move on from

1:14:54there.

1:14:55>> Uh, thank you. I appreciate it. I I do

1:14:58want to go a little deeper at another

1:14:59time uh to and and may meet with you

1:15:02separately because I'm interested in a

1:15:04couple of other um specific things. Uh,

1:15:06I just want to say I think uh GBRS and

1:15:09the Northern finally, thank you. um uh

1:15:11we're uh happy about um about that and

1:15:14obviously there's still work to be done

1:15:16um particularly in uh parts of my

1:15:18district. So I look forward to

1:15:20continuing to work with you all on this

1:15:21and my other colleagues asked the other

1:15:23questions that I had. So thank you Mr.

1:15:25Chair.

1:15:25>> Thank you Council Member Ramos. Uh

1:15:27Council Member McCrae please.

1:15:32>> Thank you Mr. Chair. Earlier um we spoke

1:15:36about possible drivers for um velocity

1:15:38from autos from for burglaries for um

1:15:42rob rob rob rob rob rob rob rob rob rob

1:15:42rob rob rob rob rob rob rob rob rob rob

1:15:42robberies as well as um different

1:15:45engagement strategies um for those

1:15:47[clears throat]

1:15:49nonfatal shootings are um

1:15:53about near flat like slightly decrease

1:15:56citywide but there are sharp increases

1:16:00throughout certain districts. So, can

1:16:03you

1:16:05specifically speak to what is driving

1:16:09shootings

1:16:11from 18 to 37 in the southern district,

1:16:14from 10 to 18 in the southeastern

1:16:17district, from 36 to 39 in the western

1:16:20where GVRs started.

1:16:22>> Yeah. the west the southern I can tell

1:16:25you they are um part of their issue is

1:16:28that they have multiple they have

1:16:30numerous multiple victim shootings. So

1:16:33one shooting for example they had one in

1:16:36Westport uh that had six in six

1:16:39individuals so it counts as six victims.

1:16:42Uh they had another one in Brooklyn that

1:16:44was four. Um so those numbers escalate

1:16:47pretty quick. The Southeast seems to be

1:16:51um again they are a

1:16:55victim of their own success. They had a

1:16:57really good year last year where their

1:16:59shootings were down dramatically. Um and

1:17:02now they're up this year and some of

1:17:04them have stemmed from some bars and

1:17:07some robberies gone bad. Uh the Western

1:17:11unfortunately they kind of are

1:17:13fluctuating back and forth from the top

1:17:16number one or number two. Uh again that

1:17:19that one has got to get better because

1:17:22that's the ground ground zero for GBRS.

1:17:26Um and we've got to do better in the

1:17:27Western. You jump in.

1:17:29>> I could speak a little more specifically

1:17:31to the to the Western district. It's it

1:17:34was the GBRS flagship for a reason. It's

1:17:36complicated. a lot of group conflict, a

1:17:38lot of different group members, a lot of

1:17:39DTOS, drug trafficking organizations.

1:17:42Um, I will say looking year to date for

1:17:44the western uh combined incidents uh

1:17:47non-federal shootings and homicides,

1:17:49what we are seeing is more non-group

1:17:52member involved incidents this year with

1:17:5424 versus 16 group member involved

1:17:56incidents in the western. So, the group

1:17:57member involved picture is actually

1:17:59improving in the western which is the

1:18:02the uh GVRs focus. I will say uh for the

1:18:05numbers specifically within the western

1:18:07as it relates to group member involved

1:18:09shootings and homicides uh there are a

1:18:13number of active group conflicts within

1:18:15the district um that affect several

1:18:18districts throughout the city uh

1:18:21northern western southwest uh amongst

1:18:24and some southern district all in this

1:18:26same conflict. Um we have uh we have

1:18:30some enforcement action very recently

1:18:32that we think will stem this uh has not

1:18:35been made made public yet. There are

1:18:36some other things we have to put

1:18:38together. But I am confident in the the

1:18:40the organization that we just had some

1:18:43major enforcement activity on uh is

1:18:46going to help things in the northern,

1:18:48the western uh and the southern as well.

1:18:51Um, I will say we uh at Nauseium go over

1:18:53all every single shooting and homicide

1:18:56throughout the city in the violence

1:18:57review and on the crime calls every day.

1:18:59And the focus of that is uh which groups

1:19:02are the victim side of this, do we know

1:19:04which groups are the suspect side of

1:19:06this? And then we work through where we

1:19:07think retaliation would occur and whom

1:19:10do we think retaliation would come from?

1:19:12Uh and we are beginning to make not

1:19:15beginning we have been at this for a

1:19:16while. We are making uh very well

1:19:19educated deployment decisions based on

1:19:21intelligence uh for patrol district

1:19:23action teams uh and CSID as well. Um so

1:19:27the western while we share the

1:19:29frustration of it of of it trending up

1:19:31from last year, we do see um less group

1:19:34member involved incidents and then group

1:19:36member involved incidents this year. Um

1:19:39and we have a very good handle on the

1:19:41conflict and we are working diligently

1:19:43to um hold those groups accountable. And

1:19:45council member McCrae, thank you for

1:19:47that detailed question. Obviously, the

1:19:49western is very important to me

1:19:50personally, but also that that detailed

1:19:52question brought out some additional

1:19:53information. Please keep going if you

1:19:55have additional questions.

1:19:57Ju just a quick followup regarding the

1:19:59Southeastern. Um

1:20:03homicides are down in the Southeastern.

1:20:06Um like I mentioned, the shootings are

1:20:09up, the robberies are up. You guys spoke

1:20:11about um Western, you spoke about the

1:20:13Southern District, which which I also

1:20:14asked about, but specifically for the

1:20:17Southeastern District at this time, what

1:20:21type of resources um are being deployed

1:20:25to stem

1:20:27the issue there? So, it can be um you

1:20:31can talk about investigative capacity. I

1:20:33don't know if Monty can talk about their

1:20:35program and maybe within that area later

1:20:37on um within this hearing, but just

1:20:39what's being done specifically within

1:20:41the Southeastern District.

1:20:46>> Yeah. B I'll start and then I'll let DC

1:20:49Jones get into it. Um a lot of our

1:20:51issues in the in the Southeast [snorts]

1:20:54stem from robberies or conflicts that

1:20:58just become shootings. Uh, our

1:21:01detectives are trying and and quite

1:21:03honestly the shootings are just failed

1:21:05homicides. Um, I mean I don't think

1:21:09anyone shoots someone not trying to

1:21:12make them I mean not trying to kill

1:21:14them. So uh their numbers are down. Um

1:21:18last year with homicides they were up a

1:21:20little bit. So uh that's why part of the

1:21:23problem is if you switch the numbers up

1:21:25it's almost I believe it's almost even

1:21:27if you had homicides and shootings. But

1:21:29a lot of the things in the southeast are

1:21:32because of are robbery based. So we

1:21:35constantly have our citywide robbery

1:21:38team over there because that's the one

1:21:39district that is up on robberies from

1:21:41last year.

1:21:43Yeah. Just to elaborate too. So um like

1:21:46in terms of non-fatal shootings in the

1:21:48southeastern district. So a lot of them

1:21:49have been like one-offs. It's not like a

1:21:51major, you know, back and forth beat

1:21:53that's going on. Um it's really ran the

1:21:55gamut in terms of like motives. But I

1:21:57will say that um the Southeast District

1:22:00is at a 71% clearance rate year-to-

1:22:02date. So although they have had more

1:22:03cases, they have done a really good job

1:22:06solving them. And then in terms of their

1:22:08robberies, you know, they're sitting at

1:22:09a 45% clearance rate. That's higher than

1:22:11our two-year average, well above the

1:22:13national average. So they're doing well

1:22:14on that front. And as the commissioner

1:22:16said, uh we've had a lot of patterns in

1:22:18the Southeast District this year. The

1:22:20one thing I will say is that all of

1:22:22those patterns are currently inactive

1:22:24where we've made arrests. We've arrested

1:22:26multiple people in those cases.

1:22:28Unfortunately, there's one pattern that

1:22:29comes to mind that kind of drove the

1:22:31numbers for quite a while uh where we

1:22:33were having uh during the uh overnight

1:22:36like midnight hours. Uh there were

1:22:38workers who were being targeted. We did

1:22:41make several arrests in that case and

1:22:43that uh that so that has ceased that

1:22:44pattern overall, but there were a number

1:22:46of of cases that were linked to that to

1:22:48that overall pattern. Unfortunately, um

1:22:51the southeast is a typically a very

1:22:53target-rich environment before patterns

1:22:56and it's also one of the areas where a

1:22:58lot of our pattern crews will hit in the

1:23:0095 thoroughare and they'll secrete

1:23:03themselves in and out of that district

1:23:04pretty quickly to navigate back and from

1:23:06the east side to the west side.

1:23:15Thank you all um for your

1:23:18for your comments, for answering um my

1:23:21question um specifically the last

1:23:23question and thank you Mr. Chair.

1:23:26>> Thank you.

1:23:27>> Thank you, Councilwoman McCrae. I will

1:23:28say this is, you know, I know you're

1:23:30speaking specifically for certain

1:23:32districts. You know, this is something

1:23:34that we cover every day in the 24 hour

1:23:37with our 10 o'clock crime call. Uh the

1:23:40Monday crime call encompasses the whole

1:23:43weekend and then we have compat. One

1:23:45thing that we go over the first is

1:23:47homicides and shootings and their

1:23:49connection and what is driving them with

1:23:51what the precursors are. I will say for

1:23:54those events, both homicides and

1:23:56non-fatal shootings, um my records, uh

1:24:0036 of these incidents, uh occurred

1:24:03inside. Uh looks like 13 incidents were

1:24:05in an alley and 12 of the incidents were

1:24:08domestic. So, you know, we're looking at

1:24:10sometimes we're holding our officers

1:24:12accountable for those incidents where we

1:24:16can be maybe prevent some of these

1:24:17things, but there are some things that

1:24:19really um are less preventable on our

1:24:22end. When it comes to those issues of

1:24:24whether it's domestic or inside, we're

1:24:27looking at specific problematic

1:24:29businesses and when was the last

1:24:31business check or the foot uh foot in

1:24:32that area. When it comes to domestic,

1:24:34myself and our special and

1:24:37investigations team under Colonel

1:24:39Herszog, we just came from uh a Perf

1:24:42hearing in um Washington DC uh Friday in

1:24:47reference to intimate partner violence

1:24:48and that we're seeing an increase in

1:24:50intimate partner violence in reference

1:24:52to younger individuals and we're talking

1:24:54about getting involved in them with uh

1:24:57in high school and middle school about

1:24:59what is appropriate as far as touching

1:25:01and expectations in reference to dating.

1:25:03but also we're seeing an increase in

1:25:05same-sex um domestic. So these things

1:25:08all take in account but we're trying to

1:25:09address it on multiple phases. I seem

1:25:12like I gave you another question and if

1:25:13I did I'm sorry

1:25:16for once you didn't you you you you

1:25:21didn't um I was actually just going to

1:25:23thank you for mentioning I think that's

1:25:25what we're here to figure out what is

1:25:27driving this. Um when you said when you

1:25:28said earlier it could be economic,

1:25:31possibly economic, possibly substance

1:25:33abuse, like those are the things that we

1:25:34need. Um also understanding what um

1:25:38another councilman said earlier that a

1:25:42lot of a lot of those things you guys

1:25:44can't handle. It's up to our partner

1:25:47organizations um to take care of those.

1:25:49And I'll stop right there. Thanks again,

1:25:51Mr. Chair. Thank you guys.

1:25:52>> No, thank you, Council Member McCrae.

1:25:54again, you know, how how we elicit

1:25:55information is very important. Um,

1:25:57Council Member Porter, please, and then

1:25:59we'll be shifting to Montzy.

1:26:03>> Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. Um, BPD, I

1:26:06we're I want to kind of direct the

1:26:08attention to intimate partner violence,

1:26:11which is a very serious issue that we

1:26:13are dealing with in this city. Um, we I

1:26:16believe that we are seeing an uptick in

1:26:18intimate partner violence um for a

1:26:21number of reasons, but I was noticing

1:26:24the data points in your presentation. Is

1:26:26there a way to add intimate partner

1:26:29violence to this presentation for our

1:26:30next legislative oversight meeting?

1:26:34>> Yes, I will make a note and I will um

1:26:36get you a different slide. So,

1:26:37>> thank you. And if we could uh an

1:26:39official committee request, if we can

1:26:41have the intimate partner violence data

1:26:43to date um just shared with the

1:26:45committee um prior to the next

1:26:47legislative oversight hearing, that

1:26:48would be great.

1:26:49>> Absolutely.

1:26:49>> Thank you,

1:26:50>> Council Porter. Please, please keep

1:26:51going, but I just want to thank you for

1:26:52for raising that and including that.

1:26:54It's a great idea. Keep going, please.

1:26:56>> Thank you so much, chairman. Um I also

1:26:58want to bring up um you know there are

1:27:01there are instances where women and men

1:27:05are calling BPD and

1:27:09they are expressing that there are

1:27:11issues of intimate partner violence

1:27:12within their home within their um their

1:27:15community.

1:27:17How are you all handle what is the

1:27:19protocol to you all handling intimate

1:27:20partner violence? um

1:27:23a peace order is not necessarily going

1:27:25to should not be the response, but I

1:27:28suspect that that is a response. And so

1:27:30I just want to um clearly identify for

1:27:33the public the official response um

1:27:35protocol for any type of intimate

1:27:37partner violence. And also if we know

1:27:40that there is danger to said individual

1:27:44um based on repeated calls to a

1:27:46particular address um knowledge and or

1:27:50sight of that individual being um

1:27:55knowledge or sight of that individual um

1:27:57being harmed. Yeah, we we address the

1:28:00call if if there's a call for um interim

1:28:04if there's violence, [snorts] our

1:28:06preferred is arrest.

1:28:08Um and quite honestly, what happens is

1:28:12and I've read this multiple times, if if

1:28:15there's mutual combatants and the

1:28:17officer can't determine who may who is

1:28:20the aggressor, both get arrested. um and

1:28:24that it goes to the court and the court

1:28:26uh basically has to decide who was the

1:28:29aggressor. So our main goal is to if

1:28:34there's problem in the house and there's

1:28:36there's violence the biggest deterrent

1:28:39is to remove one of the combatants. Um

1:28:42but we have a specialized in a special

1:28:44investigative section. Okay.

1:28:46>> There's a domestic violence unit. They

1:28:48look at all the repeat addresses,

1:28:51>> all the repeat offenders. Um, and I say

1:28:54this a lot when I look at these. We get

1:28:56a print out of individuals every time

1:29:00someone's shot

1:29:01>> or homicide.

1:29:03And there are numerous times where I'll

1:29:06look at it where an individual has six,

1:29:08seven, eight domestic violence cases.

1:29:10>> That's correct.

1:29:11>> And they're still out on the street. So

1:29:13that's beyond us. body else is failing

1:29:16course.

1:29:17>> To quash that issue.

1:29:20>> Sure.

1:29:20>> Um especially if it's with multiple

1:29:22partners, different partners.

1:29:24>> Um but we have a whole unit that that

1:29:27basically looks at it. Believe it or

1:29:29not, our I'm looking at the I just

1:29:31happened to pull up those stats while

1:29:33you while you were asking. Our

1:29:35>> aggravated assaults are down with that,

1:29:37but it's still,00 of them this year.

1:29:40>> Um robberies are up.

1:29:41>> And real quick real quick, Mr.

1:29:43Commissioner, is that aggravated assault

1:29:45specifically towards intimate partner

1:29:47violence or aggravated assaults can be

1:29:49>> No, just

1:29:50>> a number of things.

1:29:51>> No, it's basically it has to be some

1:29:54type of um relationship.

1:29:57>> So, what it doesn't capture is when

1:30:00there's two boyfriends or two

1:30:02girlfriends fight over one individual

1:30:04because it's not.

1:30:06>> Yeah.

1:30:06>> So, that's what it doesn't capture. So

1:30:08those are some of the things that that

1:30:11um

1:30:11>> and I want to I want to drill down a bit

1:30:13on that data point. So you mentioned

1:30:14that aggravated assaults by definition

1:30:23um it doesn't necessarily have to be

1:30:25romantic. And so I'm I'm specifically

1:30:27>> No, the domestic numbers that I'm

1:30:29looking at are

1:30:29>> Oh, the domestic Okay.

1:30:30>> It's different from the there's a we

1:30:32have a part of our exom. Yes.

1:30:35>> The bottom part is domestic numbers.

1:30:36>> Okay. Perfect. Okay. So that 1100 is

1:30:38specifically related to intimate partner

1:30:40violence. Okay. Thank you.

1:30:41>> I will say council woman Porter so year

1:30:44to date as of last Friday when I went to

1:30:46the conference looks like we're down 7%

1:30:48in reference to domestic violence

1:30:50related incidents. So when we talk about

1:30:53homicides all the way down to arson. So

1:30:55all of the encompassing crimes. What I

1:30:57will say is um one thing that we have

1:31:00that many agencies does not is that we

1:31:02have uh to Colonel Lee's point you just

1:31:04reminded me we do have a victim services

1:31:06unit that follows up with these

1:31:08individuals in reference to best

1:31:09practices. What they will do is provide

1:31:11transportation. Um what they will do if

1:31:13if needed they will uh remove an

1:31:16individual from this location to another

1:31:18location with the assistance with the

1:31:19state's attorney's office. I will say

1:31:21one of the biggest things that we do

1:31:22that works for us is we have a lethality

1:31:25report and in that lethality report it

1:31:27prioritizes what is the level of danger

1:31:30in reference to this incident. So, while

1:31:32our patrol officers are the first ones

1:31:33to respond, they can always call and

1:31:36they should call our um special

1:31:38investigation section of where we should

1:31:39go with this case. Um

1:31:42>> because the factors that matter in these

1:31:44intimate partner issues are is there

1:31:46weapon involved or [clears throat]

1:31:48available uh strangulation involved? Is

1:31:51there stalking? Is there a history of

1:31:54violation of protective orders and yada

1:31:56yada yada? So we're looking at all of

1:31:58these many of the cases that we have in

1:31:59the in our um reviews during daily that

1:32:03comes up if we see that there is a

1:32:04domestic history um we ask those farther

1:32:07questions of what could have been done

1:32:08what should be done going forward

1:32:10>> and I think for me the issue is are

1:32:13those domestic incidents becoming

1:32:15deadlier you know what I'm saying like

1:32:17if there is a weapon um

1:32:25being killed as it relates to intimate

1:32:28partner violence. And so with that 1100,

1:32:30you know, are we seeing a trend not just

1:32:32from a victim services perspective, but

1:32:34is, you know, is the act getting

1:32:37deadlier whereby we're seeing these

1:32:39repeated acts at these particular

1:32:41locations and is it becoming deadlier?

1:32:44So, thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

1:32:46>> Councilwoman, I just just to answer that

1:32:47final question that you had. So, year to

1:32:49date, so our family crimes unit, they

1:32:51handle the most serious of our domestic

1:32:53cases. These are cases that involve

1:32:54firearms. They involve stabbing,

1:32:56strangulation, um serious injury. And so

1:32:59those cases this year, we have had have

1:33:01had less of those serious cases this

1:33:03year than than prior years. Uh we were

1:33:05at 211 the same time last year, we're at

1:33:08190 year to date. I also will say that

1:33:10our family crimes unit has a 93%

1:33:13clearance rate. Um and then overall just

1:33:15in terms of domestic aggravated

1:33:17assaults. So these include the entire

1:33:19gamut of anything that would be

1:33:20classified as an a assault. while you

1:33:22know just as you mentioned they are we

1:33:24are up year to date we have and do have

1:33:26a 95% clearance rate in all of those

1:33:28cases so um and that is slightly better

1:33:30than where we were at in terms of

1:33:32clearance rate at the same time last

1:33:33year for domestic cases so doing very

1:33:35well on that front and I feel very

1:33:37comfortable with where we're at as a

1:33:38team um with victim services working

1:33:40with our service providers um tracking

1:33:43those those locations repeat offenders

1:33:45and following up with victims um I think

1:33:47we're in a really good place right now

1:33:48as an agency and we're looking for you

1:33:49know to expand that even more

1:33:50>> sure so Just to clarify, you said 190

1:33:53year to date.

1:33:55>> Uh yes, ma'am. 190 year to date.

1:33:57>> And that that's down from 211 from last

1:33:59year.

1:33:59>> Down from 211 same time last year. Yes,

1:34:01ma'am.

1:34:02>> Thank you.

1:34:04>> Well, thank thank you all. And now we

1:34:06will shift gears to the mayor's office

1:34:07of neighbor safety engagement. Monty,

1:34:09please go ahead. Thank you, director.

1:34:26All right. Good afternoon, Director

1:34:28Stephanie Mevonis of the Mayor's Office

1:34:30of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

1:34:32Um, I'm going to follow BPD suit and

1:34:34I'll allow my team to introduce

1:34:35themselves just so you can see who's

1:34:37here. I'm starting with our new policy

1:34:39manager.

1:34:41>> Hello everyone. My name is Annayia

1:34:42Owens. I serve as the new policy and

1:34:43grants manager with the mayor's office

1:34:45of neighborhood and safety engagement.

1:34:56Good afternoon everyone. I am Alicia

1:34:58Eaton Whitehurst, Deputy Chief of

1:35:00Community Engagement and Opportunity.

1:35:05>> Good afternoon. Arnetta Shelton, chief

1:35:07of community violence intervention.

1:35:14>> Good afternoon, council members. Kyle

1:35:15Chandler, data manager with Monzie.

1:35:19>> Good afternoon everyone. Jack French.

1:35:21I'm Mony's chief communications.

1:35:27>> Marvin McKenzry, community partnerships

1:35:29manager, GVRS and uh co-chair Lexon

1:35:32Market Collaborative.

1:35:37>> Good afternoon, Chair Mark Mason, chief

1:35:39of victim services.

1:35:43>> Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Regina

1:35:44Williams, um, community partnership

1:35:46manager for GBRS. Good to see you all.

1:35:50>> Good afternoon, everyone. Tyrone Roer,

1:35:52chief of community engagement and

1:35:53opportunity. Good to see you, sir.

1:35:55>> Good to see you as well. And director

1:35:56Matt Bronis, thank you so much again for

1:35:58doing that. Again, I want folks to

1:35:59understand that it is again a large

1:36:01team, but also seeing what the different

1:36:04components of Monty are and who's doing

1:36:06that work. So again, please proceed, but

1:36:07thank you.

1:36:08>> Absolutely. Thank you for the

1:36:09opportunity. Um so again, we're here

1:36:12today to provide a comprehensive update

1:36:14on Montzy's portfolio and work. I'll

1:36:16share some of the data points where we

1:36:18ended fiscal year 26 um and some of the

1:36:21areas of focus, including some that

1:36:22relate back to the discussion that we

1:36:24were just having.

1:36:27All right. So, as many of you know, um

1:36:31the mayor's office of neighborhood

1:36:32safety and engagement, uh we were

1:36:33established by Mayor Scott in December

1:36:352020. were responsible for coordinating

1:36:37and implementing our city's public

1:36:39health approach to violence prevention.

1:36:41Um not implementing every component of

1:36:44the comprehensive violence prevention

1:36:45plan ourselves, but working with other

1:36:47agencies to um realize the goals that

1:36:50are a part of that work. Um also, as

1:36:53many of you heard um in the mayor and

1:36:55council president's announcement last

1:36:56week about the department of

1:36:58neighborhood safety um being introduced

1:37:00to the city council, um you may be

1:37:02wondering what that means for Monzy. Um,

1:37:05one of the things I want to be very

1:37:06clear about is that our focus continues

1:37:09to be on strengthening and expanding our

1:37:12violence prevention and intervention

1:37:13efforts, those that are contributing to

1:37:15these historic declines that we see. Um,

1:37:17and so when it comes to our work, the

1:37:18mayor has been clear we need to stay

1:37:20focused and as we look forward to

1:37:22working with the city council and are

1:37:23grateful to the mayor and council

1:37:25president's leadership on this issue.

1:37:27Um, we want to make sure that we

1:37:28continue to um, take our work to the

1:37:31next level and deepen it. Um it's only

1:37:33by doing this work that we've gotten to

1:37:35the place we are as a city and we don't

1:37:37want to see any backsliding of that

1:37:39effort. And so there's um we're proud to

1:37:41see that this new lane of work is going

1:37:44to be built into the foundation that

1:37:45we've helped establish as Monty. Um but

1:37:48we're focused as a team and as you just

1:37:50met my team, we're we're continuing to

1:37:51be committed to that work. Um and as the

1:37:55mayor says, you know, any one life loss

1:37:57to violence in Baltimore is one too

1:37:59many. Um, we can't get complacent to

1:38:01that fact either.

1:38:03So, our presentation today will touch on

1:38:06everything from violence interruption

1:38:07and conflict mediation to re-entry and

1:38:09victim services. Um, we're happy to have

1:38:12the opportunity and thank you, Mr.

1:38:13Chair, to share where we are and where

1:38:15this work is going. I shared this

1:38:17diagram just to show some of the things

1:38:19that fall specifically under my banner.

1:38:22Um, the range of direct services that we

1:38:24provide, technical assistance we provide

1:38:26in partnership with community-based

1:38:28providers. um and other coordinating

1:38:30work here.

1:38:34All right, I'll start with the group

1:38:36violence reduction strategy or GBRS. Um

1:38:39one of the points that I'll note as we

1:38:41start off, it's one of our performance

1:38:43measures when it comes to budget time.

1:38:46The percent change year-over-year in

1:38:47homicides and shootings in GBRS

1:38:49districts. It's one of the success

1:38:51measures that we established. We set a

1:38:53target here of 15% across all of the

1:38:56active GBRS districts. We're in six of

1:38:58our nine districts right now. As you

1:39:01heard from the police department, we

1:39:03outpaced that slightly last fiscal year

1:39:05with a 17% reduction.

1:39:08So, right now, um maintaining the

1:39:10fidelity of the model is crucial for us

1:39:13as we think about the plans for the next

1:39:15three districts of scale. Um we've seen

1:39:17a study come out since the last time we

1:39:19were before the council um showing

1:39:54between the mayor's office, our police

1:39:56department, community based providers,

1:39:58community members, um, and our

1:40:00prosecutors has delivered 767 custom

1:40:04notifications since the strategy

1:40:06launched. This is that, um, spear.net

1:40:08that you heard the deputy commissioner

1:40:10speak about. The team has also completed

1:40:1228 successful takedowns of GVRS

1:40:16identified groups.

1:40:23And as you can see, this work is

1:40:25continuing full steam ahead. We've had

1:40:2863 new participants enrolled in

1:40:31services. Um, as a reminder, ROA and

1:40:33youth advocate programs or GAP are our

1:40:35two intensive life coaching service

1:40:37providers. One of the things that we're

1:40:39working on actively right now um is

1:40:41building in-house service capacity for

1:40:44the GB the GBRS work. Really meaning

1:40:46that we'll have life coaches um embedded

1:40:49into our team at Monzy to provide some

1:40:51of those services directly in addition

1:40:53to the work that ROA and YAP is doing.

1:40:56Um so that's work that's happening right

1:40:58now. Um also want to point out and note

1:41:00here that more than 92% of our

1:41:03participants who were able to connect

1:41:05with those intensive life coaching

1:41:06services um going back to the start of

1:41:09the strategy um it are have not been

1:41:12revictimized and we're talking about the

1:41:13group of people who are at the highest

1:41:15risk of involvement in homicide or

1:41:18shooting um based on the work of this

1:41:20strategy.

1:41:24I'll turn now to our other gun violence

1:41:28prevention and intervention work. Um,

1:41:30specifically community violence

1:41:31intervention, starting with the Safe

1:41:34Streets program. Um, some of you may

1:41:36have seen earlier this spring the study

1:41:39published by John's Hopkins that showed

1:41:41the significant connection between the

1:41:43Safe Streets program and reduction in

1:41:45homicides involving youth between the

1:41:47ages of 15 and 24. Um we saw at a

1:41:50neighborhood level a 21% reduction in

1:41:52youth non-fatal shootings um connected

1:41:55to this work. And so we're very

1:41:57committed to continuing to invest in our

1:41:59people who make up the program. Making

1:42:01sure our staff are equipped with both

1:42:03the leadership skills and really the

1:42:05fundamentals of the model, outreach,

1:42:07engagement, mediations, connecting

1:42:09people to services that make this work

1:42:11effective. We've seen so far in 2026

1:42:15five of our 10 safe street sites

1:42:16achieving the milestone of 365 days

1:42:20without a homicide. McGelder Park, Park

1:42:22Heights, Pen North, Sandtown, and

1:42:24Woodburn, McCabe. Um with more to share

1:42:27on the way. We've also continued to

1:42:30maintain strong program staffing levels

1:42:32and we're working to get this number

1:42:34even higher. Um we've seen programwide

1:42:36staffing above 81%. Um, back in 2023,

1:42:41I've shared with the council before,

1:42:42that number was a little below 60%

1:42:45staffed. And so, just thinking about the

1:42:46additional staff capacity we have today

1:42:48to carry out this work. I want to thank

1:42:50BPD for their strong partnership. We

1:42:52couldn't do it without them being a part

1:42:54of that background process, but also um

1:42:57participating in our interview panels.

1:43:00I'll also note here that our Park Height

1:43:02site um which has been in a temporary

1:43:04location will be moving into a permanent

1:43:07location by the end of this calendar

1:43:08year. And so really looking forward to

1:43:10that.

1:43:12And you can see 2026 year to date um our

1:43:15sites collectively have conducted more

1:43:18than 1,000 mediations referred almost

1:43:21400 people to services um whether within

1:43:24Monzy or elsewhere in the CBI ecosystem

1:43:27and hosted almost 250 community events.

1:43:32Also within our community violence

1:43:34intervention lane we have our

1:43:35school-based violence intervention

1:43:37program.

1:43:53and Carver. Um we work we're continuing

1:43:56to work with three organizations across

1:43:58those schools. The movement team um an

1:44:01organization called I am mentality and

1:44:03the peace team um who hire the staff and

1:44:06work closely with our team in

1:44:07implementing this model. Um, we did work

1:44:09in partnership with our Baltimore City

1:44:11Health Department and the University of

1:44:13Maryland um to evaluate at the end of

1:44:15that two-year pilot period what um what

1:44:19findings did we have? What can we do to

1:44:20strengthen the work as we move ahead?

1:44:22One of the interesting things that I'll

1:44:24share here, and there's a couple data

1:44:26points on this slide, um we saw that

1:44:28students and staff alike were reporting

1:44:30feeling safer in their school

1:44:32environments. Um we want to make sure we

1:44:34do even more of that work. these staff

1:44:36are recording mediations. Um, and so

1:44:39just continuing to work closely with

1:44:40these teams and the data they submit.

1:44:42Total mediations across safe streets and

1:44:45our school-based violence intervention

1:44:47program in fiscal 26 um was 1,8

1:44:59>> and again as you mentioned you know safe

1:45:01streets this is one again I know I said

1:45:03this before but thankful for the work

1:45:04they're doing. I know we uh celebrated

1:45:06the Franklin Square uh safe streets.

1:45:08Again, just thinking about the great

1:45:09work they really do on the ground. It's

1:45:11it's difficult. It's multi-layered, but

1:45:12again, just uh lifting that up. Please

1:45:14keep going.

1:45:15>> Thank you.

1:45:18>> All right. And last but not least on the

1:45:19CVI slide, um we talk a little bit here

1:45:21about our partnerships with our hospital

1:45:23systems. Um we have five medical systems

1:45:26across nine hospitals that are a part of

1:45:28this CVI ecosystem that we've been

1:45:30supporting and fostering. Um we're

1:45:32seeing our hospital partners continue to

1:45:34strengthen coordination not only with

1:45:36Monty but other ecosystem partners um

1:45:39really making sure that those who they

1:45:40engage with bedside who are coming in um

1:45:43suffering from a gunshot are getting the

1:45:45connection to services that they need so

1:45:46that we're reducing retaliation risk.

1:45:49We're supporting um victims before they

1:45:51are discharged and making sure that they

1:45:54have the support needed when they

1:45:55transition back into the community. And

1:45:57so really just looking ahead right now

1:46:00at how we take that coordination and

1:46:02work to the next level. Even thinking

1:46:04about protocol for information sharing

1:46:06which can be complicated because we're

1:46:08talking about hospital related data. Um

1:46:10but we have partners at the table who

1:46:11are working together working with us at

1:46:14Montzy who see themselves as part of

1:46:15this strategy and who want to find ways

1:46:18to do this in service of those that

1:46:20we're here to serve.

1:46:23Okay. Victim services. One thing I want

1:46:26to note, um, and we caught this after we

1:46:28shared it with the city council, the

1:46:30full number for number of individual

1:46:32victims served by our Monzy victim

1:46:34services team, that number should

1:46:35actually be 798. Um, I just we realize

1:46:39we're including just the first three

1:46:40quarters of data here, so we will make

1:46:42sure that gets updated for the bill

1:46:43file. Um, our team continues to provide

1:46:46direct case management services to

1:46:48address a range of victimization types,

1:46:50working closely with our police

1:46:52department victim services unit. We

1:46:54never want to duplicate the work that

1:46:55they're doing. Um, but we do support

1:46:57their team and fill in the gaps where

1:46:59needed. Um, we also provide services

1:47:12people served so far in 2026.

1:47:16We talked a little bit in the discussion

1:47:17earlier about intimate partner violence

1:47:20and how we um effectively intervene,

1:47:23what it will take to do that. We're

1:47:24focusing on a few different things

1:47:26including housing support for survivors

1:47:28of gender-based violence um including

1:47:31domestic violence and intimate partner

1:47:33violence. Um we've through the domestic

1:47:35violence high-risisk team

1:47:42districts that team has reviewed 247

1:47:46cases in 2025. Um 79 survivors have been

1:47:50enrolled in services and so that's some

1:47:52of that inter agency coordinated work

1:47:54related to domestic violence. Um, the

1:47:57Baltimore City Visitation Center, which

1:47:59supports supervised visits and monitored

1:48:01exchanges of youth, also falls within

1:48:03Monty's portfolio. We've had 67 families

1:48:06served so far in 2026 across 741

1:48:10sessions. And so that work continues.

1:48:12And I'll remind the council that through

1:48:14American Rescue Plan Act funding um and

1:48:17now sustained, the visitation center,

1:48:19which previously operated every other

1:48:21weekend, does work every weekend um to

1:48:24support the what these families need. Um

1:48:28lastly on this slide, we've launched

1:48:29trainings for city employees both on

1:48:32workday, on demand, and in person. You

1:48:35may have received some email

1:48:36communication about the upcoming

1:48:38in-person antihuman trafficking

1:48:40sessions. Really making sure that our

1:48:42workforce as a city knows the signs and

1:48:44knows what resources are available on

1:48:46the intimate partner violence awareness

1:48:49front. The same thing there's an

1:48:50ondemand module on workday where our

1:48:52city staff can review the signs and

1:48:55understand how to support colleagues who

1:48:56they may suspect or who have disclosed

1:48:59um intimate partner violence. And our

1:49:02next session for human trafficking is

1:49:04coming up on September the 30th.

1:49:09Okay.

1:49:11So this work around domestic violence

1:49:13coordination continues also at the

1:49:15criminal justice coordinating council um

1:49:18actively looking at how we strengthen um

1:49:20workplace policies not just within city

1:49:22government.

1:49:29um also how we respond when our

1:49:30employees are presenting with visible

1:49:32signs of abuse. So really making sure

1:49:33that we're strengthening every aspect of

1:49:35that work. One thing that we're doing

1:49:38alongside BPD um is we were selected by

1:49:41Cure Violence Global. Some of you may be

1:49:44familiar with the organization. Um their

1:49:46work is also at the heart of the safe

1:49:47streets model and many other kinds of um

1:49:50work to address community violence in

1:49:53our neighborhoods. um they've selected

1:49:55Baltimore as one of eight cities that's

1:49:57going to participate in a cohort model.

1:49:58BPD is a part of that work with us. This

1:50:01is specifically for us to think about

1:50:03our unique um challenge with intimate

1:50:06partner violence and some of the

1:50:07strategies we can implement um not

1:50:10applying models from other segments of

1:50:12our work like GVRS um because intimate

1:50:14partner violence and GVRS very different

1:50:16very different risk involved. Um but

1:50:18similarly, how can we be focused if we

1:50:20know there are repeat offenders? if we

1:50:22know there are repeat locations, um how

1:50:25do we do what the council woman lifted

1:50:26up so importantly, which is not wait

1:50:29until there's a fatality or not wait

1:50:30until things are escalating. And so

1:50:33that's part of the work we'll do

1:50:34together. Lastly, I'll mention on this

1:50:36slide within our human trafficking

1:50:39collaborative, um we've recently created

1:50:41a new working group on benefits

1:50:43trafficking. Um so looking at that as

1:50:45something that's really critical,

1:50:46especially for our older adults and

1:50:48people who receive benefits in our city.

1:50:50I know many of your council offices may

1:50:51have heard about this issue directly

1:50:53from constituents and we're underway

1:50:56planning for domestic violence awareness

1:50:58month. I want to invite Baltimore to

1:51:00join us for the 2026 kickoff event on

1:51:03October the 1st from 5 to 8:00 p.m. This

1:51:06is going to be at the Middle Branch

1:51:07Fitness and Wellness Center. Um, and the

1:51:10Monty team has collectively trained

1:51:1324,434

1:51:14people in antihuman trafficking, sexual

1:51:17assault response, and intimate partner

1:51:19violence prevention training. And so

1:51:21that's work that we will continue to do

1:51:23both with internal and external

1:51:25stakeholders.

1:51:31All right, moving now to community

1:51:33engagement and opportunity. Um, a few

1:51:35things I'll uplift on this slide. So,

1:51:38um, for coordinated neighborhood

1:51:40stabilization responses, in 2026, we've

1:51:44managed 42 distinct responses. Um, they

1:51:47range in length, they range in intensity

1:51:49depending on the circumstance at hand.

1:51:51Um, we have 12 active active responses

1:51:54at this time and then two ongoing

1:51:56long-term activations. One in Pen North

1:51:59as a response to the mass overdose last

1:52:01July. Um, as well as the Brooklyn mass

1:52:03shooting from back in 2023. We maintain

1:52:06our coordination and relationship with

1:52:08the stakeholder group there. We've also

1:52:11been working on the community action

1:52:13lab. Um the IT team, police department,

1:52:16Monzy are a part of this work. Um we

1:52:18rounded out our work with the first

1:52:20district that was selected, the northern

1:52:22district. We had 18 residents across 13

1:52:25neighborhoods participate and do really

1:52:27amazing work and plans by the end of

1:52:29that. Earlier this month, we started the

1:52:32second cohort. This is in the southeast

1:52:34district um where 25 residents across 12

1:52:37neighborhoods are participating in this

1:52:39work. This is really about community

1:52:41capacity building. How do we equip our

1:52:44residents and community leaders with the

1:52:46tools necessary

1:52:53strengthening public safety? We've also

1:52:56been providing support, housing support

1:52:58for returning citizens. Um, so far in

1:53:012026, we've supported 23 returning

1:53:04citizens with state grant dollars

1:53:06through the Justice Reinvestment Act.

1:53:08Um, and are also diligently working to

1:53:11build out the office of returning

1:53:14citizens. We got the initial investment

1:53:16um, to begin to build out that office

1:53:18within Mony um, in the fiscal 27 budget.

1:53:22And so really looking at how we can um,

1:53:25increase our impact in this space. the

1:53:27mayor, as you may have seen on the last

1:53:29council agenda, made nominations also to

1:53:31the re-entry action council. And so

1:53:33really looking to officially institute

1:53:36and um swear in this body of people who

1:53:39will then be able to provide

1:53:41recommendations to the city council and

1:53:43administration. One data point I'll lift

1:53:45up here um is just looking at our

1:53:48response time when it comes to

1:53:49neighborhood stabilization and

1:53:51activations. how quickly after an

1:53:53incident is Monzie mobilizing and

1:53:55coordinating resources on the ground. Um

1:53:58we found that the median time so you

1:54:00know uh the majority of our responses

1:54:02we're seeing a response within one day.

1:54:04Our average is six days and so as a team

1:54:07really focusing on efficiency so that we

1:54:09can um increase our responsiveness and

1:54:12keep it quick for all of our responses.

1:54:18summer youth engagement. We just rounded

1:54:20out a couple weeks back our summer youth

1:54:22engagement for 2026. We started March

1:54:25the 27th. We went all the way through

1:54:27Labor Day weekend. Um Monty alongside

1:54:31mayor's office of African-American male

1:54:32engagement, community- based partners,

1:54:35um redesigning minds and the peace team,

1:54:38conducting ground level safety

1:54:40engagement with our young people, seeing

1:54:41why they're out late, understanding what

1:54:43kind of resources they need to be

1:54:44connected to. um and also following up

1:54:48on some of the things we hear from our

1:54:50young people over the course of a week.

1:54:52And so this is a part of the overall

1:54:54administration strategy which we called

1:54:56this year in the mix in 2026 um with

1:54:59Wreck and Parks, Mayor's Office of

1:55:01Community Affairs, Mayor's Office of

1:55:03Children and Family Success, Mayor's

1:55:04Office of Employment Development, really

1:55:06thinking holistically about how we

1:55:08create safe spaces for our young people,

1:55:10positive events for them to have fun and

1:55:12be young people, um while also focusing

1:55:15on that safety engagement piece. And so

1:55:18we saw more than 1,238

1:55:21positive interactions documented with

1:55:23our young people. Um we had 311 requests

1:55:27for services um including connection to

1:55:29critical resources and employment. And

1:55:31so, um, you can see here that the

1:55:34breakdown, I know it's a little small on

1:55:36the screen, but where we were hearing

1:55:37people coming from, all corners of the

1:55:39city and surrounding counties, um, as

1:55:41well as the biggest need that we heard

1:55:43from our young people was wanting the

1:55:45ability to make money, wanting to be

1:55:47connected with more employment.

1:55:52The last thing I'll share before we open

1:55:55it up for questions um is just the

1:55:58status of where we are with the next

1:56:00comprehensive violence prevention plan.

1:56:02The city's first 5-year comprehensive

1:56:04violence prevention plan was released in

1:56:06July of 2021. Um that went through the

1:56:09year 2026 and we're kneedeep right now

1:56:12in community engagement associated with

1:56:15the preliminary draft of our violence

1:56:17prevention plan. That preliminary draft

1:56:19is framed around six pillars. For those

1:56:21who haven't looked at the preliminary

1:56:24draft, you can see that on Mony's

1:56:26website, baltimore city.gov/mony.

1:56:29Um, our goal is really to continue what

1:56:31we know is working, those evidence-based

1:56:34violence intervention strategies. Um,

1:56:36while also expanding our toolkit and

1:56:39given the progress we made on homicides,

1:56:42we don't want to stop any of the work

1:56:43that's continuing to drive those numbers

1:56:45down. Um, but it does give us some space

1:56:47to think about other things that we can

1:56:49build on that foundation. Um, and so

1:56:52that's part of what this plan speaks to

1:56:54and we want to invite Baltimore to

1:56:55continue to share their feedback with

1:56:57us. We've hosted so far 10 listening

1:57:00sessions. Um, we've had more than 500

1:57:02Baltimoreians come out across those

1:57:04sessions. We've also have a survey that

1:57:07people can complete online. Um, and so

1:57:09we've gotten 87 responses so far on that

1:57:12survey. That's open at least through um,

1:57:14the beginning of next month. And so

1:57:16we're really looking to finalize our

1:57:17next five-year plan going through the

1:57:19year 2031 this fall. Um, but we're

1:57:23appreciating the level of community

1:57:24engagement that we're seeing so far. Two

1:57:27things I'll shout out here. We've heard

1:57:28a lot of common themes across our

1:57:30sessions, but um we're hearing a desire

1:57:33for residents to be engaged consistently

1:57:35from Monzy and from other city agencies

1:57:38in the co-production of public safety

1:57:40over this five-year plan. They want to

1:57:42see deeper collaboration um as well as

1:57:44increased support for positive youth

1:57:47development and parental engagement. And

1:57:49so things that we all hear a lot about

1:57:51um but something that we're hearing from

1:57:52our residents as well. Okay, and that is

1:57:55the end of my presentation. Thank you.

1:57:58>> No, thank you, director. Um, we're going

1:57:59to shift and go uh directly to uh Vice

1:58:02Chair uh Blanchard and then we'll go to

1:58:04Council Member Gray.

1:58:07>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you,

1:58:08Director.

1:58:10Um, so looking at the the next 5-year

1:58:14plan, something that you and I have

1:58:16talked about, um,

1:58:33what do you need? Like, why are you

1:58:35doing this? Kind of like all the the

1:58:37specific individuals. And then a lot of

1:58:39it is also like relational of like

1:58:41building relationships, building trust

1:58:43between specific, you know, individuals

1:58:45and whatnot. Um, something that I'm

1:58:48really interested as we think about the

1:58:505-year plan is thinking more about uh

1:58:54crime prevention through environmental

1:58:56design.

1:58:57Um, and I don't my kind of sense of this

1:59:00is we don't really have a builtout

1:59:03ecosystem for this kind of like anywhere

1:59:05in the administration like at scale like

1:59:08it's not like DHCD is like doing a bunch

1:59:11of Septad stuff or there's you know BPD

1:59:13or whoever. I know that the Lexian

1:59:15market collaborative I think is kind of

1:59:17like at least in my district the best

1:59:20example that I'm aware of of getting

1:59:22after it. Um and when um Terrence Nash

1:59:25was in the role seeing the kind of like

1:59:29you know going to the conversations um

1:59:31around like open air drug markets right

1:59:33like if you have a lot of blight and

1:59:36unoccupied retail space and all these

1:59:37types of things like if you could just

1:59:40you know snap your fingers and all the

1:59:42retail would be occupied that would

1:59:43actually probably be a huge impact on

1:59:45that right and that's that's not

1:59:47typically what we think of as public

1:59:48safety but I think there's types of

1:59:50public safety challenges that really

1:59:53overlap with like the physical and built

1:59:56environment. Um, and I think it's one

1:59:59thing to say like, yeah, that, you know,

2:00:01makes sense and sounds true and we can

2:00:03all probably agree with it, but kind of

2:00:05getting more of a clear path forward on

2:00:08like how we move the ball on this type

2:00:10of stuff. Um, I would love to know if

2:00:14that is being considered in the

2:00:16five-year plan. Um,

2:00:20and if so, what

2:00:22sort of form that might take.

2:00:26>> Thank you for that um council member and

2:00:28your feedback on commercial districts

2:00:30and how we speak to them explicitly is

2:00:32something that um we definitely look

2:00:34forward to including in the five-year

2:00:36plan as we finalize it. It is important

2:00:38we see us be brought and our team be

2:00:41brought to um engage with commercial

2:00:43corridors. It looks different than

2:00:45neighborhood based engagement um but

2:00:48it's very important to overall public

2:00:50safety. Um so engagement with our

2:00:52business community engagement in

2:00:53commercial corridors will be something

2:00:54that's a part of that. I will mention um

2:00:57I know you described Monzy's work as uh

2:01:01people based and some of those

2:01:02individual relationship work and while I

2:01:04would agree I would argue that we've

2:01:06been doing the place-based work for some

2:01:09time. Um it's taken it's taken new shape

2:01:12and when you think about where does that

2:01:14work live? Um, in addition to the work

2:01:16of the Lexington Market Collaborative,

2:01:18which we have, you know, Marvin

2:01:19McKentry, who is a part of the GBRS team

2:01:22under Terren's leadership, and who

2:01:24continues now as a co-chair in that

2:01:25work. Um, that's one piece of it. The

2:01:28work of the multi- agency intervention

2:01:30task force and and specifically, there's

2:01:32been a change in partnership with the

2:01:34city administrator's office, um, with

2:01:36our deputy mayor for public safety's

2:01:38office, thinking about that as an

2:01:40intervention task force instead of an

2:01:42inspection task force solely. And so one

2:01:45of the things that's very um important

2:01:47>> sorry can you just clarify

2:01:49>> multi- agency intervention task force

2:01:52>> versus an inspection

2:01:53>> inspection task force.

2:01:54>> Can you explain that difference?

2:01:56>> So the the body used to be called the

2:01:57multi- agency inspection task force. And

2:01:59so thinking about everything from um

2:02:01your health department inspectors, your

2:02:03code enforcement inspectors, people

2:02:06across city government who play an

2:02:07operational role on the ground. um that

2:02:10body, the name has now been changed and

2:02:12the focus has been um we've made it more

2:02:15focused by calling it an intervention

2:02:17task force. And just to explain that a

2:02:19little more, when you think about the

2:02:21different strategies in our city, when

2:02:22you look at when you look at things on

2:02:24the map, when you look at our

2:02:25proliferation of vacance in certain

2:02:27communities, when you compare that with

2:02:29the map for our middle neighborhood

2:02:30strategy, when you look at some of our

2:02:32areas of focus when it comes to public

2:02:34safety, a lot of those a lot of those

2:02:37factors overlap. And so really for us,

2:02:39instead of thinking about how we um do,

2:02:43you know, one day engagements in a

2:02:44certain neighborhood or popup, we want

2:02:46to make sure that we're having more of a

2:02:48lasting impact. And so really focusing

2:02:50in on areas that data has driven us to

2:02:53specifically to put our attention week

2:02:55after week with an inter agency group of

2:02:58um city agencies and community- based

2:03:01partners. That's part of what that work

2:03:03is, collecting metrics. That's that's a

2:03:05work that the city administrator's

2:03:06office is also helping us do.

2:03:08>> So what that's and thank you for the um

2:03:12answer on that one. Are there so I guess

2:03:15there are like and I appreciate your

2:03:17point about commercial districts. A

2:03:19point that I love to make is like if

2:03:20you're not in your house or someone's

2:03:22house like in the city, you're probably

2:03:24in like the public space is either like

2:03:27a park or something or it's a commercial

2:03:29district, right? And so it's incredibly

2:03:31important um not just for statistical

2:03:34safety but for like sense of safety,

2:03:36right? Like people need to people in

2:03:38Upton need to feel safe on Pennsylvania

2:03:41Avenue. They need to feel right like in

2:03:42the and people wanting to start a

2:03:45business or whatever like they need to

2:03:46feel like an like figuring out how to do

2:03:48that equitably but like do it

2:03:51effectively is is really important. Um,

2:03:54outside of Lexa Market Collaborative,

2:03:56are there other examples of this in the

2:03:59city that are kind of are these are

2:04:02there ongoing examples of y'all's focus

2:04:04on this or is it like in response to

2:04:07this thing? We're setting something up

2:04:09like how does that work?

2:04:10>> So, the multi- agency intervention task

2:04:13force, this is a body that meets on a

2:04:15weekly basis. Um, the police department,

2:04:17Monty, the city administrator's office,

2:04:19the deputy mayor for public safety's

2:04:21office. we're sort of at the helm of

2:04:23that work and help set the agenda week

2:04:24after week and facilitate that group. Um

2:04:27so that's a combination of sharing

2:04:29analysis on a regular basis in those

2:04:31zones that have been identified um the

2:04:34target priority communities. We heard um

2:04:37when Chief Reynold shared earlier Pen

2:04:38North was the first area that we really

2:04:40put a focus on. Um, it's also an area

2:04:43where we've had a long-term

2:04:44stabilization. And so that is one

2:04:46example of an area where in order to

2:04:48have a sustained impact, we knew that

2:04:50it's going to take more than overnight

2:04:52work for Penn North. Um, but to have a

2:04:54sustained impact, we need to show up

2:04:55week after week after week and work

2:04:57strategically across our agencies. That

2:05:00task force is part of the ongoing weekly

2:05:02inter agency coordinating

2:05:04infrastructure. And so for just taking

2:05:06this past week as an example, of course

2:05:08with the mass shooting that we saw on

2:05:10Fyet Street, that body that which we

2:05:13meet every Thursday morning, that's an

2:05:15opportunity for Monty now to say, "Hey,

2:05:17we've activated the stabilization.

2:05:18Here's the immediate needs that we have

2:05:20from other agencies and here's how we're

2:05:22going to coordinate on this week after

2:05:23week after week." It's also where we

2:05:25have an ongoing focus on specifically

2:05:28identified neighborhoods, whether it's

2:05:29Penn North, um we've identified

2:05:32communities in the southwestern

2:05:33district, a few other districts. I don't

2:05:35have them all at my fingertips, but our

2:05:37goal is to really make sure that we're

2:05:39making an impact by keeping a consistent

2:05:42focus on these areas week after week

2:05:44after week. Um Councilman, you mentioned

2:05:46Lexington Market Collaborative. Um

2:05:49that's still a model that we're refining

2:05:50and where we've really gone all in on

2:05:53that inter agency strategy um with a

2:05:55goal of still being able to similarly do

2:05:58that work in other areas but the multi-

2:06:00agency intervention task force is the

2:06:02overarching umbrella under which those

2:06:03other inter agency initiatives like

2:06:05Lexington Market Collaborative fall

2:06:07within that makes sense. And then last

2:06:09question on that, is there a um I assume

2:06:12that will be this discussion will

2:06:14somehow be spelled out in the five-year

2:06:17plan of like here's how this fits in.

2:06:20Here's Monty's role in I guess this like

2:06:23inter agency coordination.

2:06:26>> Yes. Yes. And there is we have a pillar

2:06:28called invest in all Baltimoreians.

2:06:30That's where most of our people based

2:06:32strategies are. Um the name of the I

2:06:35think the pillar that comes right after

2:06:37that is our placebased focused um

2:06:40strategies as well.

2:06:41>> Build safe and healthy neighborhoods.

2:06:42>> Yes. Build safe and healthy health

2:06:43healthy neighborhoods. So that's where a

2:06:44lot of the place-based initiatives live.

2:06:46That's where you will see explicit

2:06:48references to the multi- agency

2:06:50intervention task force. Um building

2:06:52sustaining inter agency coordinating

2:06:55infrastructure within city government.

2:06:57um because this this body wasn't here um

2:07:00prior to this administration and meeting

2:07:02on a regular basis. And so we want to

2:07:03make sure regardless of who's in the

2:07:05seats that we continue to work

2:07:07collaboratively um as agencies.

2:07:10>> Okay. Both on that and on the um the

2:07:13commercial district things. I you know

2:07:15would love to see them being spelled out

2:07:18explicitly and in some depth in I guess

2:07:20it's probably that pillar but somewhere

2:07:21in the plan. So

2:07:22>> I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

2:07:25>> Thank you, Vice Chair Blanchard. Uh,

2:07:26Council Member Gray, please.

2:07:29>> Thank you, Mr. Chair.

2:07:31Um, [clears throat] I wanted to talk

2:07:32about, uh, school-based violence

2:07:34intervention. Um, I was really excited

2:07:37when, uh, Emerson Westside was added,

2:07:40uh, to the list for the 2-year pilot.

2:07:41Now that it's officially launched for

2:07:43the 26 27 school year, um, I know Safe

2:07:47Passage was a part of the program and is

2:07:50that still something that you guys are

2:07:51still doing? Correct.

2:07:53>> So, Safe Passage is separate. Um, but

2:07:56that is operated by the mayor's office

2:07:58of children and family success. So, I I

2:08:00would defer to them on the status of the

2:08:02program and what that looks like. Um, a

2:08:04lot of the same community- based

2:08:05organizations work within safe passage

2:08:08and work within the school-based

2:08:10violence intervention program. And so,

2:08:12there is coordination um and awareness

2:08:14of those efforts on that level.

2:08:16>> Gotcha. Um, and the reason I asked is

2:08:18because um,

2:08:21the people are feeling safer in school

2:08:23by the numbers, and I'm I'm happy to see

2:08:25that. But one of the things we hear um,

2:08:28a lot in in my neck of the woods, and

2:08:31it's primarily a um, a result of having

2:08:34two buildings and the kids being able to

2:08:37just walk across the street because

2:08:39they're going to class. Um, that some of

2:08:42those kids are not actually going to

2:08:44class. Um they're actually hanging out

2:08:47in alleys uh and you know they're doing

2:08:50stuff the kids are doing. Um the the

2:08:53issue is the groups are getting larger

2:08:56and so um doing these uh events no one

2:09:00wants to necessarily call the police.

2:09:01I've had a few constituents say, "Hey, I

2:09:03don't want to call police, but could we

2:09:05have someone come out and um I would

2:09:08tell folks I'll reach out to Darren or

2:09:11uh from I am mentality who who does

2:09:13amazing work or just some other folks to

2:09:15see if they could um if they could

2:09:17assist." Um do you guys

2:09:21do you guys have a plan or strategy

2:09:24around that and or um also the Ammonson

2:09:28Village shopping center? um as far as

2:09:30the kids ordering um and buying uh

2:09:35and buying um food uh during school

2:09:38hours.

2:09:42So similarly when we get calls like that

2:09:45during the school day that there are

2:09:47young people who aren't in school and

2:09:48it's one of our school-based schools, we

2:09:50have sent our community based

2:09:51organizations to identify those young

2:09:53people and help bring them back into the

2:09:55building. And a lot of our providers,

2:09:57I'm thinking about the work of the

2:09:58movement team and Carver and Digital

2:09:59Harbor. They're doing um the work too of

2:10:03checking in on families. You know, we

2:10:05see our young people during the day. We

2:10:06want to understand what's helping them

2:10:08either get to school or creating a

2:10:10barrier for them being able to get there

2:10:12and and learn. And so, we're partners in

2:10:14that effort. Um but, you know, would

2:10:17love to continue to talk with you,

2:10:19Councilman, about what we can do for the

2:10:21unique challenges that the the Edmonson

2:10:22Westside building poses. um and how we

2:10:25can all work together to make sure our

2:10:26young people are inside um throughout

2:10:29the duration of this school year.

2:10:31>> Yeah. So, I think it's um it it helps

2:10:33quel the the fear of the community um

2:10:35when they see just a bunch of young

2:10:37kids. Uh usually you try to say like,

2:10:39"Hey, you what are you guys doing?" But

2:10:40they'll just, you know, walk down the

2:10:42street or do what kids are doing. And

2:10:43most of the time it's it's harmless in

2:10:46the sense that nothing bad happens. But

2:10:49um in the instance that something bad

2:10:51happens, that's when all questions are

2:10:54asked. And I just wanted to uh I just

2:10:56wanted to clarify whether uh we were

2:10:58having uh conversations with those with

2:11:01like I am mentality and those groups uh

2:11:04like to proactively go out into these

2:11:05areas and um I'll talk to Darren offline

2:11:07as well just um so I know he'll be more

2:11:10than willing but I didn't know if that

2:11:11was already like just baked into

2:11:12protocol or not. Um to slightly pivot to

2:11:16for uh BPD, um

2:11:21uh [clears throat]

2:11:23the kids buying uh food from the stores

2:11:28at the shopping center have become a a

2:11:30huge issue and it happens every year. Um

2:11:34there is confusion around who monitors

2:11:37or polices this. Um, whenever there's a

2:11:40conversation, BPT usually says like,

2:11:42"We're not here to give uh citations,

2:11:45violations to the uh to the the folks

2:11:48that run the stores." Um, and it's a

2:11:52housing thing. We go to housing and

2:11:54they're like, "This is not really what

2:11:55we're doing." And so, um, community

2:11:58members are just frustrated and trying

2:12:00to figure out like exactly who can we

2:12:02reach out to. So, I just wanted to ask

2:12:04um for those instances,

2:12:07are we to call the police? And if so, is

2:12:10there a specialized unit in which we do

2:12:12this? Cuz I understand as a patrol

2:12:14person, if you have if you're doing your

2:12:16rounds, it may be hard just to, you

2:12:17know, stop and try to tell kids to give

2:12:20someone a violation for selling like a

2:12:22chicken box to a kid doing um during

2:12:25school hours. But we all know what

2:12:26happened with outside of Popeye's um not

2:12:29that many years ago when kids were able

2:12:31just to hang out outside at the shopping

2:12:33center.

2:12:34>> Yeah. I mean it's kind of hard to tell

2:12:36because a lot of different schools have

2:12:37different hours. So that's one of the

2:12:40things that we we have to deal with and

2:12:43then um it's kind of a slippery slope

2:12:46that we really I mean we can warn the

2:12:48stores not to do it and give them a

2:12:50couple warnings and before we issue a

2:12:52citation. I mean, we can we can issue a

2:12:55citation. I just don't know if that's

2:12:56the path that we want to take with our

2:12:59business owners in the city.

2:13:02>> I disagree. Um [clears throat]

2:13:04I I think they know the rules. Um I will

2:13:07be happy to go past every store again

2:13:09and let them know of the rules. Um and

2:13:12then once they are caught violating, um

2:13:14they should be fine because you're not

2:13:16supposed to be selling food to kids in

2:13:17between these hours. After before, make

2:13:20your money. but during these hours,

2:13:21respect it because when you allow it,

2:13:24any and everybody will continue to do

2:13:26it. And we actually had one person when

2:13:27we went to him, we said, "Hey, you you

2:13:29can't do this." And he said, "Why would

2:13:30I stop? Because other people are selling

2:13:32theirs. I'm not going to lose money off

2:13:33of it." And so, like, if we had that

2:13:35enforcement mechanism, I feel like that

2:13:37would just sell it once and for all. I

2:13:40>> I think to the to the PC's point, you

2:13:42know, [clears throat]

2:13:43we fall into the coming from, you know,

2:13:46one of the best high schools in in the

2:13:48city in Mvo. um you know half the day

2:13:52right I would go to school and then

2:13:53there's another half of the day when you

2:13:54leave to go sometimes to your trade

2:13:57right so you know there may be a child

2:14:00from Marvo or Carver who has one of

2:14:03those vocation schools who is actually

2:14:05out going to their trade so I think we

2:14:08we got to be you know careful on the

2:14:09balance of identifying these citywide

2:14:11students but I do hear your point um I

2:14:14think what we do is the call should be

2:14:16to law enforcement right I think we're

2:14:19one of the biggest entities to help. Um

2:14:21but also when we have those problematic

2:14:23areas, that's also sometimes a

2:14:26responsibility for our neighborhood um

2:14:28community officers. They know about it.

2:14:30They're the ones who interact with the

2:14:32community and as well as the youth. So

2:14:35being there if it's a problematic

2:14:37business, why not just be there if you

2:14:40got a little bit of time at 11 o'clock

2:14:41to deter it before it happens. Um so I

2:14:44think, you know, speaking with you, we

2:14:45can figure some things out

2:14:46alternatively.

2:14:48Thank you. I thank you. I appreciate

2:14:50that. Uh and the last thing I just

2:14:51wanted to say thank you to Monty. Um I

2:14:55want to say a month and a half ago there

2:14:56was a fatal accident with a motorcycle

2:14:58driver on Hilton Parkway. Um and um I

2:15:01think he was believe he was hit by a

2:15:03drunk driver. Um and uh the the

2:15:08gentleman who passed away actually had a

2:15:11son that he was taking to college that

2:15:14Sunday. He passed away Thursday night.

2:15:18Um the family reached out to me. I

2:15:20reached out to the state's attorney's

2:15:21office and I think because they didn't

2:15:23charge him at the victim services

2:15:25weren't able to help. I didn't find this

2:15:26out until Saturday. Um I reached out to

2:15:29Chanel uh who connected me with Mark and

2:15:32um one of the issues was uh there was

2:15:35one last payment of like $800 to $1,000

2:15:38that they needed so he could attend

2:15:40college. and you guys were able to not

2:15:42only uh give him that payment so that

2:15:44kid can continue uh his future um after

2:15:47such a traumatic experience, but um

2:15:50giving me updates to still check up on

2:15:53um on him uh just really goes to show

2:15:55just the work that you guys are doing.

2:15:56So, thank you uh Mark for all the work

2:15:59in Monty for not just helping him out in

2:16:01that situation, but just the followup.

2:16:03Um and so when um folks are talking

2:16:05about uh Monty sometimes and um you know

2:16:11maybe they don't like go in a linear way

2:16:14of like how they solve things but we

2:16:16also realize that it's not necessary

2:16:19especially on a Saturday. If you call

2:16:21any other agency in the city of

2:16:23Baltimore you would not get help on

2:16:25Saturday. But the fact that you guys

2:16:26were a actually there and uh able and

2:16:28willing to help um just shows while you

2:16:31are really really important. and I just

2:16:33wanted to make sure on the record that

2:16:34you guys got thanked. So, thank you.

2:16:36>> Thank you.

2:16:37>> And I'll just say, you know, thank you,

2:16:39Deputy Commissioner, for the additional

2:16:40nuance, but especially thank you,

2:16:42Council Member Gray, for, you know,

2:16:44doing a deep dive on that because again,

2:16:46we start talking about neighborhood

2:16:48safety and engagement. We're talking

2:16:50about real people, real lives, and

2:16:52sometimes very traumatic situations. And

2:16:54so, being able to respond in real time

2:16:57is very important. So, again, thank you

2:16:58for lifting that up and sharing that

2:17:00story. We do appreciate the work that

2:17:01your office is doing. Uh we'll shift uh

2:17:03uh council member Conway, please.

2:17:09>> Thank you, Mr. Chair.

2:17:11Um thank you, director, for the uh for

2:17:16the presentation and the update. One of

2:17:18the things you mentioned in your

2:17:19presentation

2:17:21um that I wasn't aware of is that we are

2:17:22still doing two ongoing long long-term

2:17:25activations.

2:17:26I can't say words right now. Forgive me.

2:17:29uh in Pen North and in Brooklyn. Uh can

2:17:31you tell me a little bit about what that

2:17:33looks like and what services we're

2:17:35providing, how many people we have

2:17:37there, what kind of resources we're

2:17:38we're putting on those two communities.

2:17:40>> So,

2:17:42what I'll say about just starting with

2:17:44Brooklyn, so I mentioned we were there

2:17:46beginning in the summer of 2023. Um

2:18:00after the first year of stabilization,

2:18:02our goal was really to make sure that um

2:18:04our community members could continue to

2:18:06lead that effort. And so we participate

2:18:08as an active part of regular

2:18:10coordination calls with, you know, a

2:18:12group that we call the Brooklyn

2:18:13stakeholders. Um so right now it's

2:18:16really about supporting. we usually

2:18:18support in an annual event for the

2:18:20community. Um something that's positive

2:18:22for our families and a safe space. Um so

2:18:25that's one of the many things that we do

2:18:26and then really just actively coordinate

2:18:28and connect residents with the services

2:18:30that they need. The very beginning of

2:18:32that response was heavily focused on

2:18:34trauma supports and victim services as

2:18:36are many of our responses. Um but that's

2:18:38continued just building relationships

2:18:40and making sure that a part of our city

2:18:42that felt quite frankly forgotten um

2:18:45when this incident happened now has a

2:18:47different level of connection and

2:18:48ongoing relationship with the city. So

2:18:51that's a little bit of what that

2:18:52response looks like. Um when it comes to

2:18:54the response to the mass overdose, I do

2:18:56have some um data points that I could

2:18:58also follow up with you on around what

2:19:00the and the committee on around what's

2:19:03come out of Penn North. We've seen some

2:19:05interesting trends when it comes to um

2:19:07the resolution of 311

2:19:10um complaints that are submitted. Um

2:19:12also thinking about the number of people

2:19:14that we've been able to connect with

2:19:16services. Um there's been a lot of work

2:19:19that we've also done in partnership and

2:19:20I just want to lift them up. The Arts

2:19:22Social Club has been an amazing partner

2:19:24and really open their doors not only to

2:19:26my but to the community serving as a

2:19:28resource hub. And so those are some of

2:19:30the things that we've been able to do,

2:19:31but I'd be happy to follow up with the

2:19:33committee on some of the data metrics

2:19:35specific to Pen North.

2:19:36>> It's super helpful. Um I I I asked uh

2:19:39one other thing, how how many folks is

2:19:41it do you have multiple team members out

2:19:44there doing work or is it

2:19:47occasional as needed or what what and it

2:19:49might be different for Pen North than it

2:19:51is for Brooklyn? I know when I went to

2:19:52Pen North, I I actually met a lot of

2:19:54them. There's a handful of Monty folks

2:19:56out there. That was some time ago. Um

2:19:58>> yeah so I think typically on at least a

2:20:00weekly [clears throat] basis in pen

2:20:02north so a combination of canvasing

2:20:04offering resources it's been a little

2:20:06bit more as needed and it's connecting

2:20:08also to some of the work that I lifted

2:20:10up from the multi- agency intervention

2:20:12task force pen north is going to be a

2:20:13consistent area of focus for that group

2:20:15we just did the blitz last week focused

2:20:17on pen north we're going to continue to

2:20:19come back to it so it's a natural way

2:20:21for us in this year plus since the

2:20:24initial incident that led to us being

2:20:26there um being able to build it into

2:20:28this ongoing infrastructure um within

2:20:31the city. So that that transition is

2:20:33going to happen where we're not going to

2:20:34be as um directed, but we were able on

2:20:38last week's multi- agency intervention

2:20:40task force meeting to share with the

2:20:41other city agencies what we've been able

2:20:43to accomplish um the services that we've

2:20:45been able to deliver as well as some of

2:20:47the unfinished business or the things

2:20:49that are going to require us to work

2:20:51strategically together as agencies to

2:20:53resolve long term.

2:20:55>> Sure. Uh, and I I get you just on that

2:20:58final point hit I think what I was

2:20:59trying to get to. Um, I'm trying to

2:21:02understand

2:21:04um at what point we we think we've

2:21:07succeeded with whatever the intervention

2:21:09was that we needed for both Penn North

2:21:11and for Brooklyn and um setting

2:21:15a target of sorts for us for those

2:21:17respective communities. How do we know

2:21:19that the work that we're doing is moving

2:21:21us toward I'm sure it is, but um a a tw

2:21:26toward a point of

2:21:32Brooklyn

2:21:37and we feel confident that they will be

2:21:39okay. Yeah, we're actively having

2:21:41conversations within our team about that

2:21:43and how we do a better job measuring it

2:21:45and really help demonstrate to the

2:21:47public um the impact of our work. So,

2:21:50just know that that's something that,

2:21:52you know, as we head into fiscal 27,

2:21:54we're thinking about in even deeper

2:21:55ways. There's [clears throat] a couple

2:21:56things that we do to guide it. Um like

2:21:59Councilwoman Ramos said earlier, you

2:22:01know, different neighborhoods require

2:22:02completely different approaches and

2:22:04strategies. Um, and we're also

2:22:06responding to very different kinds of

2:22:08incidents that may change significantly

2:22:10the community temperature um, depending

2:22:13on the particulars of of an event. But

2:22:16what we do at the start of every

2:22:17stabilization is a couple things. Um, we

2:22:20go out on the ground, we do an

2:22:21assessment, both observational data,

2:22:23also talking to residents to understand

2:22:25what's the primary concern. Um, that

2:22:28informs a lot of our initial goals of a

2:22:30stabilization. And so when we have those

2:22:33goals, we're looking throughout the

2:22:34duration of that stabilization. Are we

2:22:36completing these goals? Um, are we

2:22:38helping bring some of these

2:22:39long-standing issues to resolution?

2:22:41Sometimes there are specific 311 related

2:22:44challenges that we work with the other

2:22:46agencies on or I'm thinking about in the

2:22:48case of a pen north, you know, we were

2:22:50seeing challenges around boarding of

2:22:51vacant buildings, boards being coming

2:22:53off the next day, needing to

2:22:54consistently go back with some of that

2:22:56focused attention and setting a

2:22:58recurring schedule with our agencies.

2:22:59we've actually seen some resolution um

2:23:02with those issues. So that's what we

2:23:03want to see across every single

2:23:04stabilization. But we identify those

2:23:06goals at the very start of a

2:23:08stabilization through conversation with

2:23:10the community, analyzing 311 requests,

2:23:13looking at 911 calls and understanding

2:23:15what kind of public safety challenges

2:23:16people have been reporting and then we

2:23:20assess that throughout the duration of

2:23:21our stabilization really until we're

2:23:23finished. And so if for some of you who

2:23:26may remember when we first started this

2:23:27work, every stabilization we were

2:23:29looking at through the lens of this is a

2:23:3045day engagement. Um we've clearly seen

2:23:34the need in some circumstances to be

2:23:35there longer. Um and then in other

2:23:37circumstances we've also seen um

2:23:40benefits of being able to be more

2:23:41flexible in the timing. It may not

2:23:43require 45 days to accomplish what we're

2:23:45trying to accomplish with the community

2:23:47and that response may look different and

2:23:48that's okay. But the most important

2:23:50thing for us is that we have

2:23:52documentation. Um we're doing also

2:23:55surveys with community at the start of

2:23:56our stabilization and then coming back

2:23:58at the end to do another survey and see

2:24:00how the data has shifted. Um so that

2:24:02gives us some indication of that work.

2:24:05Um but you know the last thing I'll lift

2:24:07up is we also through um our

2:24:10relationship with the mayor's office of

2:24:12recovery programs. There was some

2:24:13initial ARPA money that went into

2:24:16proving the concept of coordinated

2:24:17neighborhood stabilization response and

2:24:19through that the University of Baltimore

2:24:21did a an evaluation really helping

2:24:24highlight for us some of the areas where

2:24:25we can find even greater efficiencies,

2:24:28make our work even stronger, help

2:24:30generate more data around the

2:24:31effectiveness. Um and so now

2:24:33particularly with the leadership that we

2:24:35just onboarded in um Chief Roer over the

2:24:38community engagement and opportunity um

2:24:40lane within Monzi really looking to

2:24:43implement those things and make sure

2:24:44that we we iron out all of that in our

2:24:46process. I appreciate that. And um and I

2:24:49want to be clear um

2:24:52when I say um make sure that the

2:24:54neighborhood is stabilized enough to the

2:24:56point where we don't have to we can pull

2:24:58out, not suggesting that we necessarily

2:25:01intend to do that in near term. I think

2:25:03um we should always be working toward

2:25:06stable neighborhoods, stable

2:25:07communities, uh empowered communities,

2:25:09engaged communities that don't require

2:25:11the handholding. Um, but many of our

2:25:14communities need that and frankly they

2:25:15need it indefinitely. Um, and and I

2:25:19don't know when that day will come and I

2:25:20don't know necessarily what that looks

2:25:22like, but I also know that uh we don't

2:25:24want to find ourselves stretching

2:25:26ourselves too thin across neighborhoods

2:25:29that may need um may need more. So more

2:25:33an exercise in thought than it is um um

2:25:36anything beyond that. Um I I asked that

2:25:39question too also and you brought up a

2:25:41little earlier and this is my second

2:25:42question around Lexington market. Um you

2:25:46guys rolled out your initiative to

2:25:48address the open air drug market there.

2:25:51Um uh I sent a followup for this meeting

2:25:55to prepare for this meeting. Um, once

2:25:57again, we didn't focus on that today,

2:25:58but I am very curious about what we've

2:26:00learned in the last four to six months

2:26:03or so since we rolled out that

2:26:04initiative, if only because I think

2:26:05it'll be telling for all the same

2:26:08reasons that, you know, uh, long-term

2:26:10activation in Pen North is telling and a

2:26:13long-term activation in Brooklyn is

2:26:14telling. Um, did the long-term

2:26:17activation I would call it that maybe

2:26:18maybe you don't. Um but does the

2:26:21activation in Lexington Market actually

2:26:24have any meaningful difference in the

2:26:26activity happening there? If so, how so?

2:26:28If not, why not? And um if not, what

2:26:31changes do we maybe considered making in

2:26:34order to have the outcomes we want to

2:26:36see? So, I'm always thinking about

2:26:38getting to a point where um these

2:26:40neighborhoods, these these places and

2:26:42otherwise are stable and Lexon Market is

2:26:45I think our first endeavor where we are

2:26:47looking at an open air drug market and

2:26:49and trying to fix that problem in a

2:26:52comprehensive way. So, yeah.

2:26:55>> Yeah. I do want to invite up um Marvin

2:26:58who can share a little bit about that

2:26:59work and I know we've also been joined

2:27:00by city administrator Leech whose office

2:27:02has been really integral in this effort.

2:27:05Um I think the answer though is yes. We

2:27:07have seen that coordinated work result

2:27:10in impacts that could be felt on the

2:27:12ground in Lexington Market. Um as we are

2:27:15good at our work, we also see the

2:27:17problem take new shape. And so um one of

2:27:20the things I'll just uplift is the fact

2:27:22that we're thinking a lot about um the

2:27:24times of our engagement. We're thinking

2:27:26about how to effectively reach people

2:27:27who we know we want to connect with

2:27:29employment. We're looking at all of the

2:27:31activities we've been doing as an inter

2:27:33agency collaborative so that they can be

2:27:35effective as we continue. But definitely

2:27:38we'll turn it over to Marvin just to

2:27:39share any other insights and

2:27:41>> and really quickly as you do that while

2:27:44it may not be a terminology that I would

2:27:46use. I'm very familiar with Lexon

2:27:48Market, but can you talk about again

2:27:50what it is that you're what you're doing

2:27:52there and what the situation is and how

2:27:54you would define the situation that's

2:27:55happening and in and around that area as

2:27:57well as others?

2:27:59>> You turn on your microphone.

2:28:03>> Okay. The situation there is

2:28:05multi-layered. Um you have everything

2:28:07from open air drug activity to people

2:28:10who are struggling with substance use

2:28:12disorder as well as homelessness. And um

2:28:14then you have the person who just wants

2:28:16to be able to feel safe going to the

2:28:18market as a patron and uh patronizing

2:28:21the businesses in that area. And the uh

2:28:24collaborative effort is to make sure

2:28:25that every one of those situations are

2:28:28addressed. And we broke it down into

2:28:30various committees. And my uh specific

2:28:33committee was um outreach and

2:28:35engagement. Um and what we are actually

2:28:38we're at the point where we're getting

2:28:39ready to move into our next phase of uh

2:28:43what outreach and engagement would look

2:28:44like. Starting back in August of last

2:28:46year, um I spent every Wednesday at uh

2:28:50Lexington Market um as a point of

2:28:53contact for people who could use a

2:28:54variety of different kinds of services,

2:28:56primarily employment. When we started,

2:28:58we may see anywhere from 15 to 17 people

2:29:02in one day. We've gotten down to the

2:29:04point now just and this is of course in

2:29:06partnership with uh the peace team who

2:29:09actually fishes the community. So I'm

2:29:11not just sitting there hoping people

2:29:12come. They let people know that we're

2:29:14there with the resources. We're now

2:29:17hopeful to see one to three people um

2:29:20because we've been able to help a lot of

2:29:21people in the footprint. University of

2:29:23Maryland Medical Center has been an

2:29:25amazing partner um with offering

2:29:27opportunities, working directly with

2:29:29their uh talent acquisition department

2:29:31to get people into a variety of

2:29:33opportunities. in about uh March or

2:29:37April. April we started to have a

2:29:39monthly resource and hiring event there

2:29:42uh in partnership with uh the mayor's

2:29:44office of employment development, the

2:29:46other city agencies coming down and

2:29:48having a range of three to five

2:29:49employers on site uh each time that

2:29:52we've done this. We're going to shift

2:29:54the focus of the strategy now to focus

2:29:57around my work being uh making sure that

2:30:00that monthly uh resource and hiring

2:30:03event continues to happen because we're

2:30:05just not seeing the traffic that we were

2:30:08once seeing for me to need to be there

2:30:10every Wednesday. Um the other side of it

2:30:13is we have some partners, the Embrace uh

2:30:16center, uh DPOB, uh and their homeless

2:30:19outreach group, um and a few others that

2:30:22are working in the footprint pretty much

2:30:25during the regular business hours of the

2:30:27market and the uh the merchants. Um what

2:30:30we're doing now, I came down three times

2:30:33at 5 5:30 in the morning to kind of see

2:30:36what's happening. Um we called it the

2:30:39sunrise uh uh uh assessment.

2:30:43Um the goal now is to uh coordinate the

2:30:46efforts to make sure that there are no

2:30:48gaps in services with the partners that

2:30:51are there on a regular basis. DPOB,

2:30:53Embrace, the Peace Team, a few others,

2:30:56as well as strategizing around how we

2:30:59can use other uh city-based agencies and

2:31:02some of empowering some of our other uh

2:31:04the other organizations in the city that

2:31:07do work around substance abuse and

2:31:08things of that nature to be able to be

2:31:10there after 5:00. So um and we are

2:31:14literally in the process of completing

2:31:16the assessment of what things have been

2:31:18to where we are now so that we can move

2:31:20that model where I'm stepping out the

2:31:22way and the folks who are consistently

2:31:25there of course working with our

2:31:26partners in BPD um who have been

2:31:29amazing. and they have a team that's

2:31:30there during the day uh making things

2:31:32happen and we're ready to move in into

2:31:35the next phase and I'm certain that um

2:31:37director Mronis will be able to submit

2:31:40uh my assessment to you so that you can

2:31:42kind of see things in a lot more detail.

2:31:44>> I appreciate it. Thank you, Marvin. And

2:31:46um I'm curious briefly, have you have

2:31:48you seen the uh open air drug market

2:31:50plan that I put out? Uh when we were

2:31:53there, the three times that we were

2:31:55there in five 5:30 a.m., what we

2:31:58immediately noticed is that um

2:32:00>> Oh, no. I don't think you heard the

2:32:01question.

2:32:01>> Um I I pulled together a a draft plan

2:32:04for review from uh the agencies on open

2:32:07air drug markets. Um have you heard of

2:32:10it or seen that?

2:32:10>> I've heard of it. I haven't seen it, but

2:32:12I want to send take a look at it. Um, I

2:32:15I asked that because I think one of the

2:32:17things that I I'm not sure that we've

2:32:19done yet, and maybe we have, is sort of

2:32:21set a baseline, um, so that we can

2:32:23assess whether or not the interventions

2:32:24that we're having is making any impact

2:32:26on drug use, open air drug market

2:32:29activity, um, the businesses in the

2:32:31area, uh, foot traffic in the area.

2:32:33Like, we want the foot traffic. We just

2:32:35want people actually um, you know,

2:32:37shopping in the store, so on so forth.

2:32:38So, um I I I to the extent I I'm curious

2:32:42and I I asked the city administrator if

2:32:44if we thought about like a baseline for

2:32:46these things to show whether or not

2:32:47>> Yeah.

2:32:48>> So, hi Faith lead city administrator.

2:32:51So, um uh a part of the reason that this

2:32:54is um coordinated out of my office is

2:32:56because my data analyst um is the data

2:32:58analyst for the Lexington Market

2:33:00Collaborative. Um and so we have been

2:33:03very intentional about being data driven

2:33:05in um all of the interventions and

2:33:07approaches in Lexington market. So we

2:33:09look at the foot traffic in the market.

2:33:11We look at the foot traffic throughout

2:33:13the day. Um we also um there was a uh we

2:33:17we did a number of um enforcement

2:33:19activities around some of the

2:33:20problematic businesses. We saw some

2:33:22activity shift from some of the

2:33:24businesses and behavior shift from some

2:33:25of the businesses. But then we also saw

2:33:27activity start to shift as well. Um and

2:33:30so then we went back um to look at our

2:33:32approaches and our strategy to determine

2:33:35if you know we're just pushing the

2:33:36activity further down the block, right?

2:33:39Um or are we actually abating and

2:33:41resolving the activity. So we actually

2:33:43have a lot of the data that tells us

2:33:45that yeah activity actually did move or

2:33:48you know once we started doing

2:33:49enforcement at this business you know

2:33:52this business started you know shaping

2:33:54up but then we started seeing that

2:33:56activity two or three blocks away. Um so

2:33:58we have a a lot of data um that we can

2:34:00share with the committee on just the

2:34:02overall approach. The other thing too

2:34:04that I will tell you that DC Jones and

2:34:07Marvin and now Sunny um and Terrence

2:34:10really who I called Terrence and Sunny

2:34:12and said hey I have this idea and they

2:34:14turned it into what is the Lexington

2:34:16Market Collaborative which I think has

2:34:18been operational for about a year now.

2:34:20Um but one of the things that I actually

2:34:21learned from them was around the

2:34:25activity that is happening there. It's

2:34:27not just an a open air drug market,

2:34:30right? There is some unique activity

2:34:32that is culminating in Lexington Market

2:34:35around um you might have individuals who

2:34:38are in drug treatment facilities and

2:34:39maybe they're getting methadone or

2:34:41they're getting some other medication

2:34:42and because it's a transit hub you know

2:34:45you can actually come and exchange their

2:34:47medication and you know different things

2:34:49of that nature. So um in thinking about

2:34:52that type of activity happening there

2:34:54now our approach is well let's bring in

2:34:56our public health folks let's bring in

2:34:58um BC Moore and the health department

2:35:00how do we start engaging with drug

2:35:02treatment facilities how do we do

2:35:03enforcement andor education there about

2:35:06what is happening when folks are leaving

2:35:07those treatment facilities and coming

2:35:09down to the market for example um so it

2:35:12isn't a you know a one-sizefitsall

2:35:14approach which I know we've talked a lot

2:35:16about in this committee um and when I

2:35:18think about even the time that we spend

2:35:20in Pin North versus, you know, the

2:35:21activity that's happening at Lexington

2:35:23Market. It's different activity. It's

2:35:25different actors. It's different

2:35:26substances that are moving in these

2:35:29areas. And so, you know, while we have

2:35:32not resolved um, you know, substance use

2:35:36disorder and the selling um, at

2:35:38Lexington Market, I think it's told us

2:35:41uh, it's taught us a lot about how to,

2:35:44you know, um, the types of interventions

2:35:47that are needed and those, to your

2:35:49earlier question and point, those

2:35:50interventions are long-term

2:35:52interventions. We're not going to be

2:35:54able to fully address that area

2:35:56overnight. it is going to take sustained

2:35:58um interventions and time. But we we

2:36:00have a ton of data that we can share

2:36:01with you about like what's been

2:36:03happening at Lexington Market. And to

2:36:05close, the idea was to do this at in

2:36:08Lexington Market, an area that is a

2:36:10known known and has historically been a

2:36:13known known, learn from there, and then

2:36:15pick up a model that we can then use in

2:36:18other places across the city. Um, but

2:36:20again to my earlier point, even picking

2:36:23up that model is going to have to shift

2:36:25and change depending on where you take

2:36:26it to.

2:36:27>> And and thank you for raising it. And I

2:36:29do want to also just thank you,

2:36:30administrator, for adding additional uh

2:36:32context, but also the complexity that's

2:36:34engaged in in this, right? Because

2:36:36again, there are a multiplicity of

2:36:37things that are going on. And so having

2:36:39a strategy, but also understanding that

2:36:41you have to tailor it, right, to to the

2:36:44location. Proceed if you have.

2:36:45>> Yeah. No, I just wanted to thank you,

2:36:47uh, CA Leech. think um you know the

2:36:50piece here is we're not we're not going

2:36:52to necessarily solve every problem that

2:36:53we try to uh to fix. I think it's always

2:36:56a matter of iteration and trying new

2:36:58things and learning from our mistakes um

2:37:01so that we can address those mistakes

2:37:02and improve upon it. So uh I'd look I

2:37:05look forward to whatever you guys have

2:37:06by way of data and uh whatever

2:37:08interventions you've made thus far and

2:37:10you know seeing if those have you know

2:37:12made any progress what it could help and

2:37:14what it couldn't resolve. Um I you know

2:37:17to the uh the plan that I I shared and

2:37:20I'll share that with you Mr. Chair. Um I

2:37:22I it was a pretty big plan. It was a

2:37:24pretty hefty plan. Um realizing that

2:37:27there's so much that goes into this and

2:37:28I I know you guys are trying to think

2:37:29about it. I always want to make sure

2:37:30that you know as we are trying to

2:37:32address this we've poured tens of

2:37:34millions of dollars into Lexon market. I

2:37:36want to make sure that uh if we can't

2:37:38fix it there

2:37:40I'm not sure uh where we can. So, um,

2:37:44you know, I think we're we all want to

2:37:45see success here. So,

2:37:47>> yep. Um, and then, uh, just to close,

2:37:50um, uh, to close the point here, I think

2:37:52a lot of what you outlined in your plan,

2:37:54the reason why we pointed to Lexington

2:37:55Market is because it's a lot of that,

2:37:57right? It is a lot of the wraparound

2:37:59supports, it's the workforce

2:38:00development, it's the connection to

2:38:02opportunity, it's connection to housing,

2:38:04it's all of the, you know, it's bringing

2:38:05all of government to Lexington Market.

2:38:07That's what we do is we bring all of

2:38:09government to Lexington Market. Now what

2:38:11you see is is when government goes away,

2:38:13right, the activity comes back and you

2:38:16know it's those evening and late hours

2:38:18that we really have to figure out. Um

2:38:20but you know want to acknowledge that a

2:38:22lot of what you have outlined and what

2:38:24you've talked about are some of the

2:38:25things that we are um testing out um

2:38:28through the Lexington Market

2:38:29Collaborative and just I came here to

2:38:31talk about mative um because I saw um

2:38:34director mronis was talking about mative

2:38:36and to transition this a little bit to

2:38:38mative which is not necessarily directly

2:38:40connected to open air drug markets but I

2:38:42I get a lot of incoming from communities

2:38:44as well as from council members and it's

2:38:46usually um a influx of issues. It's

2:38:49vacant houses. It's illegal illegal

2:38:51dumping. It's substance use disorder,

2:38:53right? A lot of this activity is

2:38:55culminating in one particular

2:38:56neighborhood. And so what we've done

2:38:58with the multi- agency intervention task

2:39:01force is now instead of me sending

2:39:03something to housing to homeless

2:39:05services, now every week the team is on

2:39:07a call and they're going over these

2:39:10cases and they're building these plans

2:39:12around what each neighborhood needs and

2:39:15then they're doing these sustained

2:39:16engagements. Okay, we have dumping, we

2:39:18have these issues, let's do a cleanup,

2:39:20let's do a blitz, but like what are the

2:39:22ongoing services that we can provide to

2:39:24try to intervene in these communities?

2:39:27So, we are trying to um implement

2:39:29strategies. Um, we talk about Lexington

2:39:32Market as like one like we're there and

2:39:34we're there for a year or we're in

2:39:36Brooklyn for two years and we know that

2:39:38we need to attack and uh work with more

2:39:41neighborhoods and so we're trying

2:39:42different approaches like the multi-

2:39:44agency intervention task force to touch

2:39:46more neighborhoods that really need that

2:39:48deep engagement.

2:39:51>> Thank you very much for that. Anything

2:39:52else?

2:39:53>> Yep, that's it. Thank you, U, Madam C.

2:39:55>> Well, look, I'll just say it's very

2:39:57fitting we're the last men standing

2:39:58here. uh we're sitting but um what what

2:40:01I will also say is um you know thank

2:40:03everybody for the work that you're doing

2:40:04collaboratively um for the endurance of

2:40:07uh this um hours long uh hearing today

2:40:11um but the fact that we're all working

2:40:13at um a similar purpose right for making

2:40:15our city a better safer place so again I

2:40:18just really do thank you for the work

2:40:20you've been doing the work you're going

2:40:21to continue to do and just having that

2:40:23partnership and spirit of collaboration

2:40:25so with that uh we will stand adjourned

2:40:27obviously the issue still remain pains.

2:40:28It still continues. So, we'll keep

2:40:30working. So, enjoy the rest of your day

2:40:31and we'll stand a journ. Thank you.