Baltimore Mayor Scott unveils updated crime-fighting strategy with new focus on youth justice

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, surrounded by city officials, on Monday unveiled an updated crime-fighting strategy, with a new focus on youth justice. Scott provided updates on Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, which was first released in June 2021. He pointed to cuts in the number of homicides in the city, including 28 fewer than on this date a year ago.

“Our comprehensive, public health-informed approach to public safety in Baltimore has achieved remarkable results in its first two years of implementation, but there is still significant work to do,” Scott said in a news release. “Our efforts to build out the systems and infrastructure needed to treat violence as a public health epidemic, together with the efforts of the brave men and women at BPD, helped produce an historic 20% reduction in homicides in 2023.

Key Bridge Updates, Mayor Scott Balances Budget | EP. 1557 | TDKS

ONFIRE-TV.com – Temporary, alternate channel established for commercial vessels after Key Bridge collapse. President Biden to visit Baltimore following last week’s collapse of Key Bridge and Mayor Scott says Baltimore’s 2025 budget is balanced without raising taxes or cutting services.

The Diamond K Show EP. 1557

Mayor Scott: 2025 budget is balanced without raising taxes or cutting services

ONFIRE-TV.com – Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott released details of his $3.4 billion 2025 operating budget on Monday, saying he has closed a $61.9 million budget gap without raising taxes or cutting services.

The mayor cited some strategic moves and good economic timing for a balanced budget proposal.

“We are putting forth a budget that completely covers the gap without furloughing employees, closing fire stations or rec centers, and without cutting city services or turning our back on the priorities of Baltimore while moving forward,” Scott said. “It takes into consideration both the financial health of the city and the very real needs that we all have ahead of us.”

According to the mayor, the next fiscal year’s budget is smaller than this year’s spending plan by 3.4%. The mayor said he instructed agencies to find 5% savings.

As part of the plan, 89 vacant city positions have been frozen, education funding is not as high as expected, property tax assessments have increased by 6.7%, income tax receipts are up by 4.2%, investment earnings increased by 59.8%, and there is a 21.3% jump in state highway user fees.

The mayor said it’s too early to tell what kind of impact last week’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could have on the city’s budget.

“At this point, it is still too early to tell fully how the bridge collapse will impact our overall financial outlook,” Scott said.

The administration took 55 vacant positions at the Baltimore Police Department off the books. There is no reduction in the force, and civilians will fill in, when necessary, with the help of a state grant.

Additionally, several other city departments have lost positions, they include:

– Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks: eight

– Enoch-Pratt Free Library: seven

– Baltimore Housing: five

– Department of Transportation: three

– Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights: two

– Department of Human resources: one

The mayor and city officials said the balanced budget proposal comes, in part, through savings and higher-than-anticipated property tax revenues, singling out south Baltimore as an area of growth.

“The good news that we are seeing on the residential side is that property, even though we are in this marketplace because of inflation, things have cooled, those properties are holding their value. That is really good news for the city’s overall property tax assessable base,” said Laura Larsen, the city’s budget director under the Bureau of the Budget and Management Research.

The mayor is also relying on future revenue-generating proposals.

After the city made a $650,000 investment in license plate readers, the mayor plans to establish a pilot initiative to enforce residential permit parking using the license plate readers.

Parking penalties that were waived during COVID-19 will return, and the mayor plans to introduce new parking tax legislation to close loopholes used by online brokers and apps. The mayor will seek an overall increase in parking fines and fees through the city’s Board of Estimates.

“What we are really trying to do there is to ensure that we are maximizing existing revenue streams into the general fund,” Larsen said.

The public will have some say in the budget, and the City Council has the authority to make changes. The lawmakers have until June 26 to adopt the plan.

Source: WBAL

Mayor Scott announces indictments of 12 alleged drug traffickers in Southwest Baltimore crackdown

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was joined by the police commissioner and other city officials on Thursday, March 14 to announce the indictments of 12 individuals allegedly associated with a drug trafficking organization (DTO.)

The activity took place in the southwest Baltimore neighborhood of Irvington. It was reported that the suspects were operating out of the 200 block of Collins Avenue and the 4100 block of Frederick Avenue. A four-month-long investigation that began in November, conducted by the State’s Attorney’s Office and Baltimore Police Department, led to 10 search warrants on a DTO. Detectives recovered nine firearms, 38 grams of suspected fentanyl mixture, 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 256 grams of suspected heroin, and approximately 69 grams of suspected cocaine.

“GVRS’s core mission is to provide a choice to those responsible for driving violence in our city and inflicting harm upon our communities — take a pathway out of the life with our help or ultimately be removed from our streets and held accountable to the full extent of the law,” Scott said in a news release.

“We always want them to take the first option, but when we’ve exhausted efforts to make that happen, they must be held accountable. I want to thank the State’s Attorney’s Office’s Major Investigations Unit and BPD’s Group Violence Unit for their diligence in holding these group members accountable.

Together, we are sending a unified message that those who violate our anti-violence mandate and continue to be involved in group violence will be held accountable.”

Those indicted included a juvenile, Parris Harris, 19, Mikel Wilson, 20, Leaniel Collins, 22, Jamie Kesler, 28, Joseph Barnes, 30, Matthew Bahr, 30, Domick Williams, 31, James Taylor, 31 ,Chris Tomlin, 32, and 35-year-olds Larry Spriggs and Kevin Williams.

“This latest operation illustrates that GVRS is working and shows what we can accomplish when we collaborate,” Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in a news release. “As the drug overdose epidemic rages on in our neighborhoods, we must use every resource and strategy available to dismantle the drug trafficking organizations and put them out of business. Thanks to the tireless efforts of BPD’s GVU/Anti-Crime Unit, the State’s Attorney’s Office, The Mayor’s Office, MONSE, and our many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we were able to do that in this case. We must all continue to work together to reduce crime in our city and improve the quality of life for all.”

Electronic surveillance and undercover officers were used during the course of the investigation to gather evidence. Based on the information they gathered, detectives believe Joseph Barnes and Chris Tomlin were the alleged leaders of the organization.

The searches were conducted at the following locations:

  • 4100 block of Woodbridge Road
  • 4300 block of Eldone Road
  • 4300 block of Garrison Blvd
  • 600 block of Brisbane Road
  • 4500 block of Manorview Road
  • 4700 block of Amberly Avenue
  • 1600 block of Bluffdale Road (Baltimore County)
  • 200 block of Collins Avenue
  • 2500 block of Gatehouse Drive
  • 500 block of Parksley Avenue

Mayor Brandon Scott adds insight on police plans to address rise in traffic violators

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is discussing a plan to increase traffic enforcement across Baltimore City. Appearing on WBAL Radio this Wednesday, the mayor said a directive to pay closer attention to traffic violators came from him, the police commissioner, and demands from the community.

“When people are not obeying traffic laws, when they’re speeding, when they’re blowing through stop signs, they will be pulled over,” Scott said. “People are driving like maniacs.”

As far as having enough cops to do it, the mayor said they’re continuing to work on recruiting and retaining officers, but that they must enforce the basic laws.

Scott explained that authorities were stopping violators, but that it wasn’t a big focus, and that things have changed to allow police to shift that focus.

“As we continue to drive down homicides and shootings in the city, they also have a responsibility to be helping keeping people safe in every way,” Scott said.