* 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 Young
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Honoring Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld, III
FOR the purpose of expressing the City Council's tremendous gratitude to Police Commissioner Bealefeld for his innumerable contributions to the safety and welfare of our City as he nears the end of his more than three decades of service to the citizens of Baltimore.
body
Recitals
Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld, III has dedicated his entire adult life to keeping the citizens of Baltimore safe. Since joining the Baltimore Police Department as a cadet at the age of 18 in May of 1981, Commissioner Bealefeld has risen steadily through the Department's ranks. He served as a foot patrolman in West Baltimore early in his career before becoming a homicide detective in 1989, and later joining the Police Department's leadership with his promotion to Lieutenant in 2000. He then passed through the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and Deputy Commissioner before becoming the Police Commissioner, building on his reputation for solid police work and leadership at every stop.
When he was appointed as Police Commissioner of the City of Baltimore on November 20th, 2007, he took the reins of the nation's 8th largest police agency at a pivotal moment - and was immediately able to put his decades of police experience to good use. Taking office at a time when community relations were badly strained as a result of controversial 'zero tolerance' policies, and when crime rates were beginning to surge once more as the initial gains from those policies seemed to wear off, Commissioner Bealefeld was able to effectively refocus the force's efforts on the small and violent subset of criminals responsible for a disproportionate share of crime in the City.
This focus on "bad guys with guns" - as Commissioner Bealefeld has famously identified them - has yielded enormous dividends during Bealefeld's 5 years as commissioner. His outreach efforts to communities have improved relations between citizens and the Police Department while more targeted policing and an embrace of innovative techniques and technology has allowed arrests to drop from 89,252 in 2007 to 56,606 in 2011 at the same time that the city has seen dramatic drops in crime across the board.
Homicides have declined from 282 in 2007 to 196 in 2011, including a 92% drop in juvenile homicides over Commissioner Bealefeld's tenure. This has been part of a broader trend in Baltimore that also saw overall violent crime fall more than 14%, nonfatal shootings collapse by 70%, aggravated assault decline 19%, and robberies down more than 12%.
As we prepare to say goodby to the longest tenured Police Commissioner in the City's recent history, it is simply indisputable that Baltimore is safer and more harmonious thanks to Commissioner Bealefeld's efforts. After three decades of steadfast service to the citizens of Baltimore, his presence will be sorely missed. All of Baltimore owes him tremendous gratitude as he embarks on the next phase of his life.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Council expresses its tremendous gratitude to Police Commissioner Bealefeld for his innumerable contributions to the safety and welfare of our City as he nears the end of his more than three decades of service to the citizens of Baltimore.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to Police Commissioner Bealefeld, the Mayor, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
DRAFTED BY DLR 15JUN12 DRAFTED BY DLR 15JUN12
dlr12-0297~intro/15Jun12
ccres/Bealefeld/tw
DRAFTED BY DLR 15JUN12 DRAFTED BY DLR 15JUN12
dlr12-0297~intro/15Jun12
????
ccres/Bealefeld/tw