* 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: Councilmember Clarke
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
title
Request for State Action - Maryland State Police Patrols on I-83 in Baltimore
For the purpose of calling on the Governor and the Superintendent of the Department of State Police to find a way to immediately extend State Police patrols of I-83 into Baltimore City in order to allow the Baltimore City Police Department to focus more of its resources on critical, crime-preventing, neighborhood patrols.
body
Recitals
Recent Baltimore City Police Department reports and actions, including a planned redeployment of 100 officers into patrol duty from other roles, have made it clear that Baltimore currently does not have sufficient numbers of sworn officers patrolling our neighborhoods. These patrol officers are our first line of defense against crime, the people who respond when citizens call for help, and, critically, the officers best positioned to deter and prevent crime before it happens.
Any shortage in their numbers is a serious problem that puts lives at risk. Recognizing this, the City has made addressing the shortfall in patrol officers a top priority and is looking into multiple short and long term solutions.
The State of Maryland could immediately assist these efforts with an effective step to alleviate the patrol officer shortage by extending the Maryland State Police force’s responsibility for Maryland’s highways to include I-83 within Baltimore City limits.
Currently, the Baltimore City Police Department is responsible for I-83 traffic enforcement and accident responses. This takes officers and patrol cars out of the neighborhoods adjoining I-83 in the Northern and Central police districts on a regular basis; and, in the all too common event of an accident, can pull multiple cars away from anti-crime efforts for hours at a time.
Elsewhere in Maryland these responsibilities lie with Maryland State Police troopers specially trained for highway policing and well acquainted with its particular requirements. Troopers patrolling the beltway and I-83 up to the City line could hopefully extend their patrols south along the rest of I-83 with a manageable increase to their routines and staffing.
This change to Maryland State Police deployments would of course impose some additional burden on State resources. But, given the current specializations and deployments of the two police forces involved, it is likely that this change would free up more resources for the City than required from the State, making it a highly cost-effective way for State leaders to honor their appreciated and repeated pledges to assist Baltimore in this difficult time. It also represents one of the only ways available to immediately start filling the gaps in the Police Department’s patrol shifts while the City works on longer term solutions to the staffing shortage, giving it a very real potential to save and improve lives that otherwise would be impacted by crime.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Baltimore, That the Council calls on the Governor and the Superintendent of the Department of State Police to find a way to immediately extend State Police patrols of I-83 into Baltimore City in order to allow the Baltimore City Police Department to focus more of its resources on critical, crime-preventing, neighborhood patrols.
And be it further resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Governor, the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, the Honorable Chairs and Members of the Baltimore City House and Senate Delegations to the Maryland General Assembly, the President of the Maryland Senate, the Maryland House Speaker, the Mayor, the Police Commissioner, the Baltimore Police Department Community Relations Council presidents, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the City Council.