EXPLANATION: CAPITALS indicate matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL
Introduced by: Councilmembers Harris, Curran
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ORDINANCE concerning
Title
Police Districts - Criteria - Periodic Reconfiguration
FOR the purpose of establishing certain criteria for configuring and reconfiguring police districts; establishing certain procedures for configuring and reconfiguring police districts; requiring an initial redistricting plan to be prepared and submitted by a certain date; requiring periodic redistricting plans to be prepared and submitted at certain times; authorizing interim adjustments under certain circumstances; providing for a special effective dates and generally relating to the establishment, configuration, and reconfiguration of police districts.
Body
BY adding
Article 1 - Mayor, City Council, and Municipal Agencies
Section(s) 25-1 through 25-6, to be under the new subtitle,
"Subtitle 25. Police Districts"
Baltimore City Code
(Edition 2000)
SECTION 1. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Laws of Baltimore City read as follows:
Baltimore City Code
Article 1. Mayor, City Council, and Municipal Agencies
SUBTITLE 25. POLICE DISTRICTS
§ 25-1. IN GENERAL.
THE CITY SHALL BE DIVIDED INTO 9 DISTRICTS FOR THE EQUAL ALLOCATION OF NON-CENTRALIZED POLICE PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES.
§ 25-2. CRITERIA.
THE CRITERION FOR CONFIGURING THESE DISTRICTS SHALL BE SUBSTANTIAL EQUALITY AMONG DISTRICTS IN THE NUMBER OF CRIME-RELATED CALLS FOR SERVICE OR BACKUP PER POLICE OFFICER.
§ 25-3. REDISTRICTING PLAN - PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION.
(A) PREPARATION BY COMMISSIONER.
FOLLOWING EACH MAYORAL ELECTION, THE POLICE COMMISSIONER SHALL PREPARE A REDISTRICTING PLAN.
(B) SUBMISSION TO COUNCIL.
ON OR BEFORE MARCH 31 FOLLOWING THE MAYORAL ELECTION, THE POLICE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THAT PLAN TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
§ 25-4. REDISTRICTING PLAN - COUNCIL OPTIONS.
(A) IN GENERAL.
ON OR BEFORE MAY 31 FOLLOWING THE MAYORAL ELECTION, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY TAKE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS BY CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION:
(1) IF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER FAILS TO SUBMIT A PLAN BY THE DATE SPECIFIED IN § 25-3 OF THIS SUBTITLE, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY ADOPT ITS OWN PLAN; AND
(2) IF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER TIMELY SUBMITS A PLAN, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY:
(I) ADOPT THE COMMISSIONER'S PLAN;
(II) AMEND THE COMMISSIONER'S PLAN AND ADOPT THE AMENDED PLAN; OR
(III) ADOPT ANOTHER PLAN.
(B) INACTION BY COUNCIL.
IF THE CITY COUNCIL FAILS TO ACT BY THE DATE SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION:
(1) THE POLICE COMMISSIONER'S PLAN, IF TIMELY SUBMITTED, IS ADOPTED; OR
(2) IF NO NEW PLAN WAS TIMELY SUBMITTED, THE THEN-EXISTING DISTRICTS CONTINUE IN EFFECT.
§ 25-5. REDISTRICTING PLAN - EFFECTIVE DATE.
UNLESS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY SPECIFIED, A REDISTRICTING PLAN ADOPTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE IS EFFECTIVE ON JULY 1 FOLLOWING THE MAYORAL ELECTION.
§ 25-6. INTERIM ADJUSTMENTS.
INTERIM ADJUSTMENTS TO A REDISTRICTING PLAN MAY BE MADE ONLY ON APPLICATION OF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER AND APPROVAL BY CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That, within 90 days of the effective date of this Ordinance, the Police Commissioner shall prepare and submit to the City Council, for its approval, an initial redistricting plan that comports with the criteria specified in this Ordinance. Within 60 days of that submission deadline, the Council may take any one of the actions authorized by City Code Article 1, § 25-4(a), as enacted by this Ordinance. If the Council fails to act within the time specified, City Code Article 1, § 25-4(b), as enacted by this Ordinance, applies. Unless otherwise expressly specified, an initial redistricting plan adopted under this Section 2 is effective 30 days after its adoption.
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That the catchlines contained in this Ordinance are not law and may not be considered to have been enacted as a part of this or any prior Ordinance.
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That this Ordinance takes effect on the date it is enacted.
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