City of Baltimore - File #: 09-0108R

• File #: 09-0108R
• Version: 0
• Name: Legislative Oversight - Baltimore Police Department
• Type: City Council Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 2/9/2009
• In control: Public Safety and Health Committee
• Final action: 8/10/2009
• Title: Legislative Oversight - Baltimore Police Department FOR the purpose of requesting the Baltimore Police Commissioner to report to the City Council on the effect of overtime spending budget cutbacks on crime prevention; and on the efficacy of restructuring the present formation of police districts as well as reporting methods of minor crimes in order to shorten response time and to provide better service to the citizenry.
• Sponsors: Stephanie President Rawlings-Blake, Sharon Green Middleton, Bill Henry, President Young, Robert Curran, William H. Cole, IV, James B. Kraft, Nicholas C. D'Adamo, Agnes Welch, Warren Branch, Edward Reisinger, Belinda Conaway, Mary Pat Clarke, Rochelle Spector
• Indexes: Baltimore City Police Department, Police, Resolution

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
8/10/2009	0	Public Safety and Health Committee	Recommended Favorably
8/10/2009	0	City Council	Adopted
2/12/2009	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
2/12/2009	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
2/9/2009	0	City Council	Introduced
2/9/2009	0	City Council	Assigned
2/9/2009	0	Public Safety and Health Committee	Scheduled for a Public Hearing

* 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 R
(Resolution)

Introduced by: President Rawling-Blake


A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Legislative Oversight - Baltimore Police Department

FOR the purpose of requesting the Baltimore Police Commissioner to report to the City Council on the effect of overtime spending budget cutbacks on crime prevention; and on the efficacy of restructuring the present formation of police districts as well as reporting methods of minor crimes in order to shorten response time and to provide better service to the citizenry.
Body
Recitals

This past year Baltimore City addressed a continually worsening economy and accompanying reductions in State aid by imposing drastic across-the-board spending cuts that required City agencies to cut spending by more than 12%. And while public safety agencies budgets had to impose less-severe cuts, the Police Department was instructed to curtail overtime spending that had consistently exceeded budgeted amounts in past fiscal years.

To address the budget crisis, the Police Department disbanded several specialty units and attempted to curtail overtime spending, actions, it has been speculated, which may have contributed to the worst November homicide rate in 9 years. The media reported that Baltimore’s deadliest month of 2008 coincided with substantial reductions in overtime spending that resulted in shifts across the City being short of personnel.

Last year, homicides were r...