From the Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention:
The State of Maryland has committed $1,914,907 to nine jurisdictions for the current fiscal year under the Safe Streets Initiative. The funds will be used to find and arrest the most violent offenders in those jurisdictions.
This year, GOCCP has awarded a grant to the Dorchester County Council to create a Safe Street Initiative Site centered on the City of Cambridge and surrounding areas. The Cambridge Police Department is the lead law enforcement agency for this Safe Streets Coalition Team and will work closely with other law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in the region.
“Our most solemn obligation is to protect the public’s safety. That’s why we’ve focused strategic, targeted efforts to meeting our goal of driving down violent crime 20 percent by the end of 2012,” said Governor O’Malley. “By breaking down silos and bringing together law enforcement resources at every level to bear, we’ve not only reached our goal, we surpassed it twice, driving down violent crime to its lowest levels in 30 years. With the help of the Safe Streets program, we’ve stabilized neighborhoods, removed dangerous offenders from the streets, and made our communities better places to live, work, and raise a family. “
“Over the past eight years, we’ve driven crime down to 30-year lows by working closely with local law enforcement and giving them the tools and resources they need to succeed,” said Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “Through our Safe Streets Initiative, we’ll continue to work each day with community leaders, our state police, and local law enforcement to go after our most violent criminals, and we will not rest until every community in Maryland is safe and free from fear.”
The objective of Safe Streets is significant violent crime reduction through seamless coordination, consistent interagency collaboration and information sharing by focusing on the core group of offenders who commit the majority of violent offenses locally. The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention (GOCCP) forms partnerships with local jurisdictions that demonstrate both a need for and commitment to comprehensive collaboration across their local criminal justice systems. Deciding on better choices for better results, typically, the Initiative involves coalitions of local and state law enforcement, prosecutors, the Department. of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Department of Juvenile Services.
Since 2007, a year before Safe Streets was initiated; Annapolis has seen a significant 67.0% reduction in violent crime. The city has also seen significant reductions in robberies (-76.8%), aggravated assaults (-59.4%), burglaries (-61.9%), larceny/theft (-43.5%), and motor vehicle thefts (-63.1%) over the same period.
Since 2009, a year before Safe Streets was initiated; Salisbury has seen a significant 52.3% reduction in violent crime. The city also had significant reductions in robberies (-49.0%), aggravated assaults (-55.4%), burglaries (-62.3%), larceny/theft (-31.4%), and motor vehicle thefts (-56.2%) over the same period.
In its first full year of Safe Streets Cumberland has seen a 6.4% reduction in violent crime, and Frederick has seen a 13.9% reduction in violent crime. Furthermore, Cumberland has reduced its warrant backlog from 2,400 to less than 1,200.
Cecil County experienced a drop in violent crime of over 20% after the program had been in place only six months.
At a minimum, local Safe Streets Coalitions create custom collaboration and information sharing strategies to achieve the following 10 Safe Streets goals:
1. Identify and prioritize offenders.
2. Supervise and contain priority offenders.
3. Identify and prioritize warrants.
4. Establish a watch center model for information sharing among all relevant agencies at the time of booking.
5. Train patrol officers on Safe Streets strategies.
6. Establish a prosecution strategy for priority offenders.
7. Track the prosecutions of priority offenders.
8. Identify and enforce suspended and truant children.
9. Nuisance abatement.
10. Ensure local law enforcement agencies are equipped with the highest level of technology available.
As in past years, the funds also include a Baltimore City program: High-risk Youth – Prevention and Enforcement Coalition, through which the Police Department, schools and other city agencies work to reduce juvenile violence and victimization.
SAFE STREETS RECIPIENTS AND AWARDS, FISCAL YEAR 2015
Annapolis City Police Department – $217,000
Cumberland Police Department – $200,000
Dorchester County Council – $148,920
Frederick City Police Department – $214,548
Hagerstown Police Department – $189,439
Harford County Sheriff’s Office – $245,000
Maryland State Police/Cecil County – $180,000
Salisbury Police Department – $260,000
Baltimore City – $260,000
Total $1,914,907
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