"We are going to make the choice - the choice - to act on public safety in a way that is robust, in a way that is strategic, in a way that moves with an urgency that the issue demands," said Moore.

The governor said his administration is going to implement a data-driven approach to public safety that will be focused on three pillars:

• Investment in police to make sure they have the resources they need to keep communities safe
• Investment in education and local economies to prevent crime before it happens
• And efficient communication and co-operation between all levels of state and local government

"I'm data-driven. And this approach is backed by data, and it is built on three core pillars. Provide the resources and support that law enforcement needs, build stronger, more vibrant communities that leave no one behind, and coordinate across all aspects of government to make our state safer. This is how we will improve public safety in the state of Maryland," said Moore.

The governor also said that Maryland has been slipping in public safety compared neighboring states.

"In major state rankings on public safety, Maryland underperformed our peers in Virginia, Massachusetts, and also New Jersey," said Moore. "And, despite those numbers, government failed to assemble a robust, a comprehensive, and a full on plan for public safety that would allow us not just to respond to crime but to actually address the root causes of crime. But that was the past. This administration is ready to move in a different way on public safety."

Despite the governor's commitment to public safety, members of his party refused to consider several proposals that would have created more tough-on-crime policies statewide.

Among the bills that were blocked during this past legislative session were the Violent Firearm Offender Act, SB564, and the repeat violent offenders act.

If passed, the bills would have made the use of a gun during a violent crime a felony, made the theft of a handgun a felony, and increased fines and jail time for gun crimes.

Fox 45 News pressed the governor about that bill. After making his announcement in Annapolis he went to west Baltimore for an event. That's where we caught up with him.

We asked about the Violent Firearm Offender Act and the Gonzales poll out this week which found an overwhelming majority of Marylanders, almost 90-percent, believe getting caught with a stolen firearm should be a felony. Currently it's not in Maryland.

Reporter: "(Governor) Why not support anti-crime laws like felony charges for those with stolen guns?"

Moore: "Let me clear, my administration has been very aggressive when it comes to addressing public safety, public safety is our number one priority. But let's be clear, when you're talking about sentencing adjustment, the crime has already happened. We also have to make sure crimes aren't happening in the first place. We got to focus on getting illegal guns out of streets out of our communities and not just focus on sentencing them when a crime has been committed."

The governor says increasing funding toward law enforcement is also part of the plan with $122million in funding already with just over $17million dollars going to Baltimore city alone.