Despite Baltimore Police Department policies that call for officers to de-escalate in behavioral health emergencies, police forced entry through two different doors and shouted commands at 70-year-old Pytorcarcha Brooks before fatally shooting her on June 25, newly released body-worn camera footage shows. Police initially sought to leave the scene, stating that Brooks clearly didn’t want […]

Amid calls for the adoption of more ambitious harm reduction initiatives to combat Baltimore’s unprecedented overdose crisis, Councilman Ryan Dorsey says it’s important not to mince words: overdose prevention centers are needed now. Dorsey’s endorsement of OPCs, which provide people a safe, judgment-free space to use drugs under the supervision of medical professionals, came at […]

In Baltimore, thousands of families still struggle with unreliable or no internet access, limiting their ability to work, learn, and access healthcare. According to Maryland’s Statewide Broadband Access and Equity phone survey, 38% of low-income Baltimore households either lack a computer or rely on a smartphone to get online. Greenlight Networks, a fiber internet provider […]

Baltimore officials have unveiled a sweeping plan to combat the city’s unprecedented overdose crisis — one largely predicated on acknowledging shortfalls in the city’s harm reduction infrastructure and the need to double down on compassionate care for drug users. The two-year, 20-page draft plan, which aims to cut fatal overdoses 40% by 2040, was unveiled […]