* 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 Rawlings-Blake
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Police Staffing Shortage - Baltimore City's Rainy Day Is Here!
FOR the purpose of respectfully urging the Mayor to approve an emergency disbursement of $2 million from the City's "Rainy Day Fund" to begin an immediate and aggressive campaign to recruit new Baltimore City Police Officers to fill vacancies to enable the Baltimore City Police Department to fully implement the Commissioner's Public Safety Strategy and Baltimore Against Illegal Guns initiative.
Body
Recitals
On May 30, 2 people were shot to death in separate incidents, bringing the homicide toll to 122 this year and underscoring the need for City officials' emergent response to the violent crime that has escalated to a crucial stage, threatening the lives and safety of the residents of Baltimore's embattled neighborhoods.
Baltimore's Police Commissioner has announced that the Department's Public Safety Strategy to achieve the goal of reducing violent crime and strengthening public trust will employ targeted enforcement, community engagement, and building strong partnerships, and that the Baltimore Against Illegal Guns initiative is based on a zero-tolerance for guns that prioritizes the enforcement, prosecution, and punishment of gun crime.
The targeted enforcement strategies that would afford law enforcement the opportunity to focus resources on the most dangerous and violent criminals cannot be optimized because currently the force of 3,118 "funded strength positions" is short at least 140 uniformed officers, a number roughly equal to an entire district deployment.
In this time of a developing violent crime crisis, an emergency plan to fill the existing vacancies is crucial, and the inclusion of the following elements are essential:
• The production of public service announcements aimed at recruiting new officers to air by August 1, 2007.
• The development of recruitment banners to display at Baltimore City Police Headquarters, as well as at facilities in each of the 9 Police Districts.
• The creation of recruitment materials targeted at recent Baltimore City high school graduates, current Baltimore City Community College students, and other eligible City residents.
• Materials to be used at Police Department job fairs to be held in each of the 9 Police Districts, beginning July 15, 2007.
To provide the roughly $2 million needed to implement these and other initiatives to remedy the staffing shortage in the Police Department, it is necessary to use funds not encumbered for other purposes, such as those available in the Budget Stabilization Reserve or Rainy Day Fund. The Fund, established in 1993, is designed to provide General Fund budgetary flexibility needed to address funding shortfalls, and it had a balance of $82 million at the close of the past fiscal year.
It is imperative that the Baltimore Police force be brought to an optimum staffing level immediately to protect the life and property of the citizens, visitors, and workers of the City - the violent crime crisis is the "rainy day" we've been saving our money to address.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body urges the Mayor to approve an emergency disbursement of $2 million from the City's "Rainy Day Fund" to begin an immediate and aggressive campaign to recruit new Baltimore City Police Officers to fill vacancies to enable the Baltimore City Police Department to fully implement the Commissioner's Public Safety Strategy and Baltimore Against Illegal Guns initiative.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Governor, the Mayor, the Police Commissioner, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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