BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Residents and community leaders challenged city officials during the first of several listening sessions aimed at shaping a new five-year violence prevention plan.
“It has crime prevention at the front, but it does not have community preservation in it,” said Kelli Bigelow, a West Baltimore community leader.
The session came after another violent weekend in the city. On Saturday, a massive fight in Druid Hill Park led the city to declare a civil unrest zone. That same day in Fells Point, multiple gunshots were fired amid a crowd of teens.
Business owners in Fells Point have long complained that late-night crowds partying in the streets are also selling illegal alcohol and fueling violence. “People need to be held accountable,” said Ron Furman, owner of Max’s Taphouse.
Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Jones said enforcement and engagement by patrol officers are part of the city’s approach. “It’s indicative for us to work with our patrol officers to get them more engaged. And letting them know criminal and civil citations are appropriate,” said Jones.
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At the crime strategy meeting, some residents argued the city should be more aggressive in enforcing quality-of-life crimes, while others questioned the data being used to guide the plan.
“The data and the numbers are skewed,” said Bigelow.
While the long-term strategy is still being developed, residents repeatedly emphasized that any plan must include protecting neighborhoods and the people who live in them.
“We need to be protected, we’re homeowners,” said Bigelow.
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The city says it is committed in its five-year plan to deepening its holistic, trauma-centered approach to public safety.
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