Posted on 04/26/23
| News Source: FOX45
On the heels of a review showing a decrease in shootings and homicides in the 10 Safe Streets catchment zones, Baltimore City leaders announced an additional $5 million will go toward the gun violence prevention program.
The money will come from the city’s $641 million federal American Rescue Plan allocation, according to Shantay Jackson, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. Jackson said the funding will be on top of the budget already allocated for the Safe Streets locations.
In addition to the funding, Jackson announced a new effort to provide more transparency and accountability surrounding the Safe Streets program; FOX45 News has been questioning Jackson and other city leaders about Safe Streets’ effectiveness and accountability, and now some of those questions will be answered with the new details that will be published.
“In partnership with LifeBridge and catholic Charities, MONSE will be producing quarterly and annual Safe Streets reports,” Jackson said, noting some mediation data will also be provided.
It’s unclear when that information will become public.
Throughout FOX45’s investigation of Safe Streets, it was uncovered each location is allowed to have a petty cash stash, to be used for various needs. However, it’s unclear if there are receipts for that spending or how the money should be spent.
When asked, Mayor Brandon Scott told FOX45 News he would follow up with more details. Those follow-up questions were ignored by Mayor Scott’s team.
Mayor Scot also told FOX45 News he would “see” about an interview request with him and Director Jackson to learn more about how the $5 million will be spent and about Safe Streets overall. Both the Mayor’s Office and MONSE ignored emailed questions about setting up an interview.
The community violence intervention ecosystem also includes school-based intervention efforts. When the pilot program was announced in the Fall of 2022, city leaders said the efforts would launch in the spring of the 2022-2023 school year. Now, the efforts will go live in the Fall of the 2023-2024 school year, according to the city. It’s unclear why the efforts are being delayed; again, more questions went ignored by city leaders.