To Reduce Crime Baltimore County Releases Public Safety Plan

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County leaders released a crime plan Wednesday they say is aimed at curbing violence and promoting public safety.

"In the face of last year's increases in homicides, we are committed to providing a deliberate and decisive response," County Executive Johnny Olszewski said Wednesday at a press conference.

There were 50 homicides last year in Baltimore County, WBAL reported, up from 27 in 2017.

"Last year's increases and any increase in violence is unacceptable," Olszewski said. "There's no single factor that causes violent crime, and there's no single solution."

Because of that, Baltimore County has introduced a public safety plan that hinges on five components:

Data: The Baltimore County Police Department plans to establish a Real Time Crime Center staffed by civilian crime analysts and police officers, focusing on precincts with the greatest amount of gun violence. Real-time data, human intelligence and technology will be combined at the center.

Prevention: "We need to be more nimble," Olszewski said. Using the crime center and the Comstat process, police will use data to identify key times and places for criminal activity in the county. Then law enforcement will identify violent offenders and use strategies to prevent victimization.

Staffing: Baltimore County will begin a pilot "take home" program for police vehicles, invest more in local recruitment, offer foreign language proficiency stipends and referral bonuses and review the hiring process. There were 40 vacancies last fall, according to the county executive, who said the number has shrunk.

Innovation: In 2019, the police department hired a permanent night commander to help with supervision and expanded its sectors from two to three, with a major leading each sector. This year Baltimore County will look to public and private sectors to fund an Office of Public Safety. Its focus will be on reducing violence, improving supervision and adding accountability.

Partnerships: Public safety personnel will work with local, state and federal partners and the state's attorney's office to build and prosecute violent gun crime cases, among others. The police department has been working more closely with state parole and probation officials through joint supervision efforts and having officers participate in Comstat. The county is pursuing funding from the state for regional policing initiatives such as the Warrant Apprehension Task Force and Regional Auto Theft Task Force. Baltimore County is also working with Baltimore City, sharing more information with the Baltimore Police Department. The county plans to invest in education, recreational, youth summer employment and proactive community engagement to "support additional upstream interventions," according to a statement from Baltimore County.

"The public safety plan that we are announcing today is about more than responding to crime trends," Police Chief Melissa Hyatt said. "It is about best practice policing."

Announcing our public safety plan https://t.co/q6fjuKSEfF
— County Executive Johnny Olszewski (@BaltCoExec) January 22, 2020