Baltimore Police Commit to Additional South Baltimore Patrols Following Crime Spike

Councilman Eric Costello provided the following update in regards to an increase in robberies, car jackings, and auto thefts on the South Baltimore Peninsula after speaking with the Baltimore Police Department (BPD):

RE: Recent Crime Surge on South Baltimore Peninsula

SUMMARY: Today I spoke with Commissioner Davis to address the increase of brazen evening robberies and car jackings (as well as auto thefts). Our conversation was followed shortly after by a meeting I had with Major Hance of the Southern District, and his boss Chief Worley, of the Patrol Division.

BPD NEXT STEPS TO A SOLUTION: By tomorrow evening (Jan 17), there will be an additional and significant surge of officers patrolling the Peninsula on foot, during evening hours. This deployment will stay in place until the robberies stop and the suspects are caught.

HOW YOU CAN BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION: There are two critical ways you can be involved: 1) immediately dial 911 if you see anything suspicious; 2) file a Community Impact Statement; and 3) participate in a regularly scheduled community safety walk.

DIAL 911: If you see ANY suspicious behavior (ex., peeking in windows, checking door handles on houses and cars, following individuals closely), if you even have to think for a split second about whether or not a person’s personal safety or property are at risk, please dial 911 immediately.

COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENTS: After a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty of a crime, a Judge sentences the defendant (whether they are an adult or juvenile). The Judge responsible for sentencing the defendant reads and considers Community Impact Statements before setting the sentence. A Community Impact Statement includes three things: 1) “brief” summary of the harm or trauma suffered by you and your community as a result of the crime; 2) a summary of the economic loss or damage suffered by you and your community as a result of the crime; and 3) a concise statement of what outcome that you and your community would like and the reasons to support this opinion.

Since much of the recent crime is believed to have been committed by juveniles, it is critical for community associations and surrounding neighbors to file a Community Impact Statement with the State’s Attorney’s Office. Court proceedings are closed to the public (based on State law), so the Community Impact Statement is the only way to let the Judge know how much of an impact this incident had on you, your family, and neighbors.

For more information on how to file a Community Impact Statement, including acquiring the case number, please contact Derrick Greene, at: dgreene@stattorney.org — he is the Southern District Community Liaison for the State’s Attorney’s Office. (Derrick D Greene)

COMMUNITY SAFETY WALKS: Participate in a regularly scheduled community safety walk. These walks are conducted monthly on the peninsula (and other places throughout the city) with the Baltimore Police Department. They are a great way to discuss recent crime activity, meet the officers who work in your community, and identify areas that need additional police and other city department resources. Contact your neighborhood association to learn when the next walk is scheduled or how you can start one.

BACKGROUND: There have been at least five incidents since Jan 5 of robberies or car jackings. I do not have other specific information on the incidents and some of the hours below may be slightly off. Please note that I do not plan to research these any further. If you have information related to any of these incidents that could be helpful to BPD, please call the Southern District Police Station at 410-396-4816. If you have specific questions related to any of the incidents below, please contact Officer Sheena Newman, at Sheena.Newman@baltimorepolice.org (Sheena Newman)

1. Jan 05 – evening – Unit block of E Hamburg St – robbery at gunpoint – 1 suspect arrested (male, juvenile), 1 suspect still at large
2. Jan 11 – ~830pm – 1200 block of Light St – robbery at gunpoint – 2 suspects, black, males
3. Jan 12 – ~830pm – 1200 block of Riverside – robbery at knifepoint – 6 suspects, juveniles
4. Jan 15 – ~300am – Unit block of E Henrietta St – robbery at gunpoint – 1 suspect, male, and additional suspect(s) in a blue Rav 4 with partial tag 0068
5. Jan 15 – ~1115pm – Unit block of E Wells St – car jacking (of a 2015 blue Toyota Corolla)
6. At least 4 auto-thefts in Locust Point (BPD’s Citywide Auto Theft Unit has an ongoing investigation into this)

via http://southbmore.com/2017/01/18/baltimore-police-commit-to-additional-south-baltimore-patrols-following-crime-spike/