COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY CRIME PLAN, YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED

To the stakeholders of Woodlawn Precinct 2, after having over 100 meetings since being assigned on January 8, 2021; meetings that included officers and members, which is still ongoing, I am beginning to construct an outline for a viable comprehensive community crime plan that reflects some of the strategies to help with crime, concerns, complaints, and community engagement. This plan will be a collaboration with each of us, as stakeholders, and will be tailored to our community’s uniqueness in the frame of the organizations structure as a supplement to the goals, objectives and expectations of the Chief of Police. It will not supersede any requirement that the Chief of Police has or will put in place. That means that your input and participation will be required as to ensuring how the plan is designed, implemented, and measured for success.

In the Baltimore County Police Department, the values of our organization - Integrity, Fairness, and Service - must be a factor in our decisions, the existence of written policy and procedures notwithstanding. The exercise of good judgment and the application of common sense, together with the highest degree of cooperation by those entrusted with police services, is essential for effective police work.

• Integrity: “We uphold the public trust by being honest. We maintain the highest standards of ethical and moral character

• Fairness: “We treat everyone with respect and dignity in an unbiased manner. We protect constitutional rights through impartial enforcement of the law

• Service: “We provide dedicated and compassionate assistance by promoting leadership, cooperation, and creativity. We aspire to improve the quality of life in partnership with the community.”

We will strive to achieve this by enhancing our attitudinal skills which entails the servant’s heart, both positive and persistent. “The development of a well-disciplined and efficient police department which has the confidence and respect of the public can only be accomplished when we realize that our every action, whether it is an official duty or a part of private life, is closely observed by the public.” It is for this reason that it is imperative that mutual respect and trust is congruent with the community and the police officers in the command at Woodlawn Precinct 2.

VISIONS OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE

We will be the model of an innovative, community-oriented police department. We are committed to excellence and professionalism in delivering comprehensive law enforcement services. Our core responsibility is to prevent and reduce crime and victimization. All Department members have an obligation, a duty, to pursue those who commit crimes.

Using current and developing technologies, we are committed to research, innovation, and competency. Technology will enhance our highly skilled workforce in the investigation of traditional criminal acts, and the latest crime challenges such as internet, economic and predator crime, organized gang, and youthful violent offenders.

Homeland security will remain a priority as we focus on the goal of moving beyond communities where our citizens feel safe to communities that are safe.

We recognize the value of all our employees and partners, from professional staff and sworn members, to the many citizens who come forth to volunteer, assisting us in fulfilling our mission. We remain committed to the further enhancement of these partnerships. We will continually strive to develop the skills of our members; to efficiently and effectively manage our resources to deliver the highest level of service to the public. The goals, objectives, and expectations as the commander of the precinct are as follows. They are not limited or all-inclusive to the following:

• Strengthen relationships between Woodlawn Precinct 2 officers and community, which includes our youth population.

• Further the community’s role as a partner in crime reduction efforts.

• Identify and address social issues that diminish the quality of life.

• Link those in need to services and resources that currently exist in the community.

This will be accomplished by fulfilling the vision of the Chief by enhancing community policing efforts through healthy productive relationships. Community policing is a proactive approach to law enforcement that goes beyond the traditional policing model of the three “R’s”; rapid responses to call, random patrol, and reactive investigations that lead to arresting and incarcerating criminals. This requires a move in the direction of relational policing beyond transactional policing. Crime does not occur in a vacuum and one of the best ways to control crime is to address the continuum of human and community issues that lie at the root of most criminal activity. This will require our precinct to join forces with the community, forming problem-solving relationships to develop viable strategies for dealing with the constellation of factors associated with crime and disorder.

The stakeholders in this endeavor includes but are not limited to the following: Woodlawn Precinct Officers, Faith-Based Organizations, Business Leaders, Community Association Leaders and their constituents, Office of Community Engagement, District 4, and District 1 Council representatives.

There is also a specific crime project, Zone Mapping, which will accompany the plan that allow us provide a frame work with how we will plan to deal with crime. It is a tactical approach to mapping our crime in the area and there will be 3 zones that identify the areas. The Zone Mapping Objectives are as follows:

• Specific Objectives:

Eliminate disorder, reduce robberies, reduce motor vehicle thefts, and reduce burglaries.

• Timely and accurate intelligence:

Ensuring reports have efficient data, daily Intel sheet(s) to each shift, and zone maps with treatment areas for each post-car.

• Effective Strategies and tactics:

Focus on the geographic post at a time, initially to measure effectiveness, on each post initially on the designated shifts, tracking time, and enforcement.

• Rapid deployment of personnel and resources:

Directing post-cars (particularly those with permanent post cars are expected to be able to detail the hotspot areas and their accountability for their post), community action team, outreach, business patrol units to the designated areas as needed and based on results.

• Relentless follow-up and assessment: (this will require the supervisors to pay attention to the hot spots, type of crimes, etc. and track the activity)

Ongoing process of rigorous follow-up and assessment to ensure the desired results are actually being achieved by communicating with crime analysis from the beginning of the project and analyzing specific location to analyze change, if any, while retrieving data. Regularly report progress time spent in the area and using both qualitative and statistical assessments.

• Following up with community complaints and concerns in a timely fashion, walking with community members in their community.

• Permanent post-cars make contact with community leaders on their assigned post when possible.

Each stakeholder will have a series of questions that will be the guide for the collaborative effort. These questions will aid in the effort to ensure we all have a buy-in and responsibility in the success of a viable plan that has measures or benchmarks that will indicate if it is effective. There is no one answer to social issues, criminal behavior or crime; this document will not be used to suggest that it will eradicate all of the crime or social issues in the area, but suffice as a tool to ensure that it is a collaborative effort to help the community be more engaged with the officers in the command and enhance the community’s ability, where appropriate, to address its own issues. Remember, that it takes a community to maintain a community; the police department is just one of the many tools to aid in that effort.

For the sake of transparency, each of the questions that are being asked of the stakeholders will be viewed by us all, however, each of you should answer the questions within the group you associate with to determine what you think would help us engage with you better. Also by answering what you can and are willing to do to ensure the success of the effort, in addition, fulfilling the collective role of helping to keep your community safe.

Woodlawn Precinct Officers

1. What do you believe we should do to be proactive in dealing with crime and provide a method beyond responding to a call?

2. What do you believe we should do to strengthen relationships in the community and how would you suggest we do it proactively?

3. How should we measure what is a collaborative relationship between the precinct and the community we serve?

Faith-Based Organizations

1. What are some of the barriers do you see as an institution or leader hinder police-community relations, and what steps can be taken to eliminate them?

2. What are some of the strategies do you believe will help strengthen the police and your community of faith?

3. What role as a faith-based institution are you willing to commit to, to help with the community, crime, and extend resources; services?

4. How do you see the police serving you?

Community Association Leaders and Constituents

1. What do you believe are the primary resources to preventing crime in your specific community and how will you participate as a community member to help?

2. How would you like for the police officers that are responsible for your community to engage with you and you as a community member engage with the officers?

3. What changes have you seen in the nature of crimes being committed over the last 10 years? What aspects of our culture do you think are feeding these crimes?

Office of Community Engagement

1. What special problems, if any, do you encounter that require police attention and a more detailed response? What recommendations and suggestions would you make and how will you help?

2. What can the Woodlawn Precinct do to achieve greater transparency and accountability to the public we serve?

3. What circumstances would you like to be apprised of and involved in to ensure consistent communication with your office?

District 4 and District 1 Council Representatives

1. What are the identified priorities from the respective leaders that citizens are concerned about in regards to crime and community relationships with the police?

2. What are you able to do to help bridge gaps, if any, and develop solutions for any past or current conflicts?

3. What input would you like to have for a comprehensive program for community engagement and crime prevention?

The plan will not be fully developed until all the stakeholders have an opportunity to make their comments and suggestions for implementation. This is a commitment to sharing-power and decision making. We cannot operate autonomously in establishing community engagement and crime prevention related to public safety. Community policing and extending the platform to build relationships engages the community as team members and not just consumers of the services the police department are sworn to do. It gives each stakeholder a say in defining the problems of crime and the social issues that diminish the quality of life in our community. By forging this relationship we will collectively arrive at solutions that will not only deter crime and reduce the fear of crime, but also improve the quality of life for residents. The Police + The Community multiplied by the balance of enforcement and engagement will dictate the behavior of the server and those being served P+C (E/E) =B.

For more information, please contact:

Captain Orlando Lilly #3687

Woodlawn Precinct 2

6424 Windsor Mill Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207

Tel: 410-887-6818 Email: olilly@baltimorecountymd.gov