“Every human being deserves dignity”: Baltimore Activists Fight Against Inhumane ICE Detentions

Detainees at the Baltimore Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office are reportedly being held for a week or longer in an office building never designed for long-term detention, according to immigration attorneys who have spoken with former detainees and their families.

As the number of immigrants being detained has skyrocketed due to the Trump administration’s push for mass arrests, facilities around the country are faced with overcrowding and inhumane conditions. In Baltimore, detainees have been forced to sleep on the floor, denied access to showers, and refused critical medical care, according to immigration advocacy organizations CASA and Amica Center for Immigrants Rights. 

“People are being thrown into cages for prolonged periods and denied basic necessities, including medical care,” Ama S. Frimpong, CASA’s legal director, told Baltimore Beat. “We are hearing from families who say their loved ones were held incommunicado, without access to medication, and forced to sleep on the floor in overcrowded conditions.”

Read more of our reporting online at: baltimorebeat.com/every-human-being-deserves-dignity-baltimore-activists-fight-against-inhumane-ice-detentions/

New York Senator Senator Chuck Schumer Cancels on Baltimore

Just a few days after his controversial decision to vote with Republicans on their budget bill, Chuck Schumer pulled out of a planned visit to the Enoch Pratt Free Library on March 17, where he was to kick off his book tour. 

“Schumer’s decision has been widely criticized as a strategic blunder, with some House Democrats reportedly supporting a primary challenge against him and some senators questioning whether he should remain in leadership,” we reported.

“Before the vote, House Democrats urged Schumer to vote against the bill, writing that the ‘American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican dysfunction and chaos’ and that the party should not be ‘capitulating to their obstruction.’”

Activists from the Baltimore chapter of the organization Jewish Voice for Peace still held a protest and town hall as originally planned. 

Read more of our reporting online at: baltimorebeat.com/u-s-senator-schumers-baltimore-book-talk-indefinitely-postponed-after-planned-protests/

“Hearing Things” on Infinity Knives and Brian Ennals 

Ahead of the April 4 release of Baltimore producer-rapper duo Infinity Knives and Brian Ennals’s third album, “A City Drowned In God’s Black Tears,” the two got a write-up from worker-owned music and culture platform Hearing Things.

“They’re known for Ennals’s shockingly direct lyrics, which read more like unfiltered and passionate thoughts on everything from racism and overcoming mental illness to rape culture and politics,” writes journalist Dylan Green. “It also helps that Ennals is one of just a handful of modern rappers willing to take a public stand against Israel’s war on Gaza and Palestinians without a shred of cowardice.”

In the piece, the two discuss how they found each other, what they’ve been up to since the 2022 release of “King Cobra,” and their battles with post-tour comedown.

“There’s power and catharsis in naming your demons,” Green writes about the upcoming album. “For all the blood and sweat that went into its creation, God’s Black Tears put love on full display. It tackles calamities and setbacks both personal and grand; from the constant newsfeed of atrocities in Gaza to the Trump administration’s dismantling of marginalized Americans’ rights to eviction notices, mass layoffs, and life-altering illnesses.”

“Malcolm Peacock: a signal, a sprout” opens at Baltimore Museum of Art

“Malcolm Peacock: a signal, a sprout” just opened at the Baltimore Museum of Art as part of their “Turn Again to the Earth” initiative. Peacock is an artist, long-distance runner, and Studio Museum of Harlem resident, based in New York. However, he grew up in Baltimore. “A signal, a sprout” is Peacock’s first solo museum show. It opened on March 19 and will be on view through August 2025. 

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a monumental, eight-foot-tall tree-like sculpture inspired by the redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest. What makes this piece so compelling is its construction: it’s covered in thousands of strands of hand-braided synthetic hair, a process that speaks to both endurance (in running and hair braiding) and care. 

This is actually the second time the artist has shown his work at the BMA. His first time was in 2003 when he was a student at Summit Park Elementary School. A watercolor painting he made was shown as part of “Art is for Everyone,” an annual Baltimore City Public Schools student exhibition.

Unveiling of Zoë Charlton’s “Third Watch” Installation

Zoë Charlton’s “Third Watch,” a multimedia art installation, will illuminate North Avenue beginning March 28 at its public unveiling at North Avenue Market. This installation launches “Inviting Light,” a year-long public art initiative in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District, commissioned by Bloomberg Philanthropies and facilitated by Central Baltimore Partnership. 

The event, hosted by Currency Studio, will feature remarks from Zoë Charlton, artist Derrick Adams, and curator and community coordinator José Ruiz. Attendees can also experience Ada Pinkston’s durational performance, “More than Four Women for Four Hours,” with Black women performers including Ada Pinkston, Noelle Tolbert, Amorous Ebony, Sheila Gaskins, and Tracey Beale (with Konjur Collective) exploring themes of confinement, kinship, and healing. 

Additional programming will be provided by Dreamseeds, a socially engaged artist project focused on creating transformative space for visionary and more just futures, Baltimore Youth Arts, and more! This event is free and open to all. It will be held this Friday, March 28, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at North Avenue Market, 30 W. North Avenue.

The post Around Baltimore: ICE detentions, a new Infinity Knives and Brian Ennals album, and art exhibitions opening soon appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Alsobrooks votes to confirm Trump nominee

After spending election season warning Americans of the dangers of Project 2025 — a plan to dramatically transform many aspects of American life by expanding the power of the president and erasing many hard-fought civil liberties in favor of more conservative ideals  — many Democrats are now voting to confirm his nominees for cabinet positions.

On Jan. 23, Maryland’s newly elected U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks was among 20 Democrats to vote to confirm John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA.

“Mr. Ratcliffe was known as a loyalist to the president when he served as director of national intelligence in the final year of the first Trump administration,” the New York Times reported. “During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, he promised to lead a more aggressive spy agency.”

“I voted to confirm John Ratcliffe for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),” Alsobrooks told Baltimore Beat in an emailed statement. “He stated clearly that his position is apolitical, and, if confirmed, he would not politicize the CIA. I, like many of my colleagues, hope he will honor that promise and carry out the important work of the CIA with a focus on the mission and not on politics.”

Alsobrooks and fellow Maryland leader U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen were both among 45 other Democrats to confirm Marco Rubio for the position of Secretary of State.

A “City in Crisis”? That’s what David Smith wants you to think

Did you know that Fells Point has a “perception” problem? That’s according to The Baltimore Sun, which reports that the “perception of crime” in the neighborhood has led to local businesses closing up shop in recent months.

We’re curious about how exactly this perception might have come about. Could it be that FOX45’s breathless reporting last summer — blaring an alarm about large crowds in Fells Point after the bars closed at 2 a.m. — might have led to a perception of a “City in Crisis”? FOX45 and The Baltimore Sun stationed reporters at an Atlas-owned bar to record Black residents committing the awful crime of walking around a nightlife destination on a summer night. They didn’t have anyone in Federal Hill, another popular nightlife destination in the city where crowds tend to be whiter. 

In the Sun’s own story, the paper notes that inflation has impacted both the costs of running a restaurant and the amount of spending money the average customer has. But maybe that doesn’t matter to David Smith, owner of FOX45’s parent company Sinclair and The Baltimore Sun. Maybe he just wants more local businesses in Fells Point gone so his nephew’s Atlas Restaurant Group can take over even more real estate for cheaper.

Get ready for the Fifth Annual Tom Miller Week from February 15-22. 

It’s almost time to celebrate the legacy of this groundbreaking African-American artist. Born in Sandtown-Winchester, Tom Miller was a true pioneer. He was one of the first African-Americans from Baltimore to have a solo exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and his art and impact on Baltimore are still felt today.

You might recognize Miller’s signature “Afro-Deco” style, with its bold colors and shapes, as his murals are located across the city, but it wasn’t until five years ago that his legacy was commemorated in his city. In 2021, Deyane Moses and Blackives, LLC established “Tom Miller Week” to honor the innovator’s work and preserve his legacy. 

Events will be held at the Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

We are really looking forward to viewing Out of the Woodwork! Bringing Tom Miller’s Legacy to Light, an exhibition that showcases locally owned art and memorabilia related to Miller’s practice. On February 18, it is Tom Miller Day! You can visit the Eubie Blake Cultural Center for a reading of “Can A Coal Scuttle Fly” and a live performance by Rufus Roundtree and Da B’More Brass Factory. The week concludes on February 22 with a family-friendly art-making activity and oral history circle. 

For more info about Tom Miller Week, including a full schedule and ways to donate, contact Blackives, LLC, at hello@blackives.org or visit tommillerweek.org. Let’s celebrate the life and work of this extraordinary artist and his indelible influence on Baltimore’s culture!

The post Around Baltimore: Trump confirmations, a city in crisis (?), and remembering Tom Miller appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Baltimore Beat is proud to announce our selection as a Report for America host newsroom. 

The beat’s title is “Justice and Accountability: Investigating Policing, Incarceration, and Civil Rights in Baltimore.” The reporter will use their time with us to investigate policing from a grassroots perspective, examining the ways community activism, money, and power all shape how we think about crime and policing.

The Report for America program matches journalists with newsrooms to report on under-reported issues and communities. 

We have always described ourselves as a teaching newsroom, and this program helps us further that mission.

Journalists can apply for open positions by February 3, 2025. 

The post Baltimore Beat is Selected as a Report for America Newsroom appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Many Questions, Few Answers After Brooklyn Homes Shooting

On July 13, the Baltimore City Council’s Public Safety and Government Operations Committee held a hearing to learn more about what took place in the hours leading up to the July 2 mass shooting at Brooklyn Homes.

Eighteen-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi were killed and 28 people were wounded at a Brooklyn Day event that has been held every year for the past 27 years.

The tone of the hearing, which lasted about four hours, was stern — with city leaders pressing Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley — as well as officials from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, and the Department of Transportation — for answers. 

In statements to the committee, Worley was clear that something went wrong — he said he just wasn’t sure what yet. 

“We received calls for various complaints throughout the day. There are multiple points at which the public was requesting assistance at which we should have had a broader understanding of what was happening on the ground, and we should have requested more resources for the Brooklyn Homes,” he said.

He told city leaders that police are working to investigate the incident, and were looking to produce a report in 45 days.

“They are currently reviewing body-worn camera footage, radio discussions, emails, text messages, and conducting in-person interviews to determine who knew what and when and what decisions were made or not made by whom,” he said.

City Council President Nick Mosby repeatedly pressed the issue of equity during the hearing. He said that he didn’t believe that wealthier, whiter sections of the city would have been ignored as Brooklyn residents asking for assistance were in this incident. 

“Why is policing in Baltimore always different depending on the socioeconomics of the community in which we’re policing?” Mosby asked.

“I don’t think it is,” Worley responded. He said that police in the city go where they are needed.

The police department argued that they couldn’t have known about the event because they often use social media to track large gatherings. As a result, some people “go underground” to hide this information.

Councilperson Phylicia Porter — who represents the 10th District, which includes Brooklyn Homes — pushed back against that claim.

“With regard to the social media intelligence, I just pulled up Brooklyn Day on my Instagram right now, and you’re telling me that we have an entire unit associated with this, and they weren’t — they didn’t pick that up?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s one of the after-action things that we want to look at,” Worley responded.

During the part of the hearing reserved for public comment, Baltimore City NAACP President Kobi Little had stern words for Mayor Brandon Scott, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Housing Authority of Baltimore City.

“I was very disappointed by your testimony, Madam CEO,” he said to Housing Authority President and CEO Janet Abrahams. 

“I did not hear any mea culpa. I did not hear any discussion of the many, many things that the Housing Authority could have done to be in touch with this community. I didn’t hear it said tonight, but there are over 150 people who are in arrears in their rent in Brooklyn to the tune of close to half a million dollars, and that’s been going on for, now, five years. And if anybody knows that information, I don’t know how they cannot know that there is a crisis waiting to happen in that community.”

Little also reminded the council that the NAACP has called for a national search for the city’s next police commissioner, along with a more inclusive nomination process. 

“We told you guys this incident was going to happen,” he said. “This is why you need community engagement on the front end.”

On July 17, Scott officially nominated Worley to be the city’s next police commissioner.

A second hearing about the deadly shooting is scheduled for September 13 at 1 p.m. at Baltimore City Hall.

Angel Reese Receives a key to the city

It can be scary to say what you mean and stand on it, but that’s what LSU Tigers basketball star and Baltimore native Angel Reese did in April when she faced public backlash following her team’s first NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship win. 

Some said Reese wasn’t being sufficiently humble in victory after she waved her hands in front of her face, mimicking a move that University of Iowa player Caitlin Clark had done earlier in the tournament. First Lady Jill Biden offered to host both teams at the White House,  and later backpedaled on the offer — but not before Reese rejected it, calling it “a joke.”

Since then, she’s been reaping the rewards of her hard work and her bravery with endorsement deals, a cameo in rappers Latto and Cardi B’s video for “Put It on Da Floor Again,” and more. On July 18, Mayor Brandon Scott presented Reese with a key to the city. 

“She is unapologetically passionate, unapologetically a Black woman, and isn’t afraid of a little competition,” Scott said at the City Hall ceremony. 

“I’ve been playing basketball for a really, really long time, and this moment right now is just for the girls that look up to me and being able to be unapologetically me,” Reese said. “Breaking the narrative of being able to be a Black woman in sports and being able to stand our ground.” 

“Hopefully, I can run it back next year,” she added.

The Saint Frances Academy graduate was also honored with a proclamation from the Baltimore City Council and, later that day, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Orioles game at Camden Yards.  

Reese is hosting a Back to School Giveback Block Party on August 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held at Saint Frances Academy, 501 East Chase Street, and will feature free school supplies, bounce houses, a live DJ, and more. For more information, email: contact@angelcreesefoundation.org.

The post Around Baltimore: Police admit failures at Brooklyn Homes shooting, and honors for Angel Reese  appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Eighteen-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi were killed and 28 people were wounded in the early hours of July 2 following a daylong gathering in the Brooklyn Homes public housing complex. The Baltimore Sun reported that the Baltimore Police Department responded to multiple shooting reports at about 12:35 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of Gretna Court.

“A night that began as a boisterous block party — a quasi-family reunion for current and former neighbors — became a sprawling crime scene for what likely was the largest mass shooting in Baltimore history. In total, 30 people were shot, most of them teenagers,” The Sun reported. 

The “Brooklyn Day” event where the young people were killed has been held, according to The Sun, for almost three decades. There were hundreds of people in attendance. The incident quickly made national and international headlines. In its aftermath, city and state officials made sure to make shows of visible support.

A joint statement issued by Mayor Brandon Scott, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and the Baltimore Police Department blamed the incident on illegal guns.

“This tragedy again shows why we must continue to focus on the amount of illegal guns on our streets that make it into the hands of individuals who should not have them and continuously carry out violent acts in our city,” city officials said. “There must be accountability at each level of the illegal gun trade from those using them, those trafficking them to those who manufacture them in ways they know will lead to violence.

The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and other city agencies have also flooded the area with resources like fresh produce, mental health counseling, and wraparound supports. 

On the Fourth of July, Governor Wes Moore traveled to Baltimore to meet with community members. In a statement released the following day, he linked the gun violence here in Baltimore with another mass shooting event that happened on July 5 in Salisbury, Maryland.

“These incidents show that this scourge of gun violence is not something that any one community or any one group is wrestling with,” the statement read. “Whether you live in a big city or a small rural town, these tragedies impact all of us.”

However, leaders are also facing intense scrutiny following the incident. Initially, acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said that the party wasn’t permitted and that police were caught unaware by the incident. 

Local media spent the days after the shooting scrutinizing police scanner transmissions, and what they found calls that assertion into question.

“The scanner transmissions confirm accounts given by many residents, who say they were calling police frantically, but got no response until gunshots rang out in the streets about 12:30 a.m.,” Baltimore Brew reported.

Other dispatches Baltimore Brew found: “A Southern District dispatcher told officers about ‘armed people’ as early as 9:45 p.m., but no concrete steps were taken to respond or investigate. One officer joked that the dispatcher should redirect the call ‘to the National Guard,’ while another remarked, ‘They say everybody got a gun or a knife.’”

“A tragic reminder that cops are under no legal or ethical obligation to keep you safe from harm,” activist group Organizing Black tweeted about the story. The group has organized actions to decrease funding to the Baltimore Police Department, arguing that diverting that money to other community resources would do a better job of improving safety in the city. “Community members often do way more than cops to intervene when there’s violence.”

“Police wouldn’t have protected anybody if they had been there that day,” artist, activist, and former NFL football player Aaron Maybin said in a video with his thoughts on the incident. “Police respond to crimes when they have already been committed. They don’t prevent them from happening, especially not to Black folks like us,” he said.

“We keep taking resources away from these communities that need them most desperately and we’re surprised that is happening when we decide to put them back too late,” Maybin said.

By July 7, the BPD said they had arrested a 17-year-old suspect in connection to the incident. The teen is charged with possession of a firearm by a minor, assault weapon possession, reckless endangerment, and handgun in vehicle.  

A fundraiser has been established for Gonzalez to help lay her to rest. A fundraiser has also been established to help lay Fagbemi to rest.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact homicide detectives at 410-396-2100. There is up to a $28,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and charges.

The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement is also encouraging residents needing direct support to reach out to them by phone at 410-929-5488 or via email at MONSE.VictimSupport@baltimorecity.gov.

The post Around Baltimore: A deadly shooting in Brooklyn Homes appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Baltimore City Youth Curfew

There’s ample evidence that curfews don’t work. 

“Evidence suggests that juvenile curfews are ineffective at reducing crime and victimization. The average effect on juvenile crime during curfew hours was slightly positive — that is a slight increase in crime — and close to zero for crime during all hours,” wrote the authors of a 2016 study that examined the effect of curfews, as cited by the Marshall Project. “Similarly, juvenile victimization also appeared unaffected by the imposition of a curfew ordinance.”

Still, Mayor Brandon Scott forged ahead with one that went into effect on May 26 and lasts until Sept. 4. The curfew applies to “any young person under the age of 14 out after 9 p.m. and between the ages of 14-16 out after 11 p.m. on weekend or holiday nights, without a parent or guardian,” according to language from the city.  There are exceptions for things like young people traveling to or from jobs, or young people taking part in city-sponsored activities. 

Local media reported on a memo from Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael S. Harrison that outlined the role the Baltimore City Police Department plays in enforcing the curfew. 

“If police encounter young people violating the curfew, they are instructed to turn on body cameras and contact both their supervisor and the Youth Connection Centers, which officials said should mean the child’s primary contact would be with a non-law-enforcement staff member,” the Baltimore Sun reported.

“Police officers who encounter a crowd of 10 or more school-aged residents in violation of the curfew are directed to tell the group to disperse in three successive announcements, before the individuals could be relocated by a Youth Connection Center employee. The young people then could be picked up by a parent or guardian from the center, the police document said.”

The plan also includes repercussions for parents and guardians of young people caught breaking curfew — including a written warning, a $50 fine, or a $500 fine. Baltimore Beat asked Scott’s office what would happen if parents did not or could not pay the fines and did not receive an answer.

The punitive measures are the most troubling part of this plan. Guidelines for how police can and should interact with young people are great, but police have disregarded policies for interacting with residents in the past. The department is currently investigating a May 11 incident where an officer shot a teenager who was fleeing while holding a gun.

The Scott administration is heavily promoting services that are intended as positive ways to interact with young people. 

Baltimore Beat asked young people from the Baltimore Student Union, a group of young people representing schools around the city, for their thoughts on the plan. 

“I think the plan has good intentions behind it, but it’s still NOT targeting the root cause of a lot of the violent incidents our young people have to endure,” said Dom McClain, a member of the organization. “It’s just making people far more restricted in their lives — after all, if parents want to keep their children home after a certain time, let them do that on their own time, not create one for them.” 

“I think he has good intentions behind it, but the $50 to $500 jump for the fines is overboard,” Baltimore Student Union member Destiny Stewart said.

Renters’ Rights

Organizers at Baltimore Renters United celebrated a reprieve after officials at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City dropped over 200 planned eviction cases in late May. 

HABC Executive Director Janet Abrahams told local ABC affiliate WMAR that the cases were only dropped due to a technicality. However, organizers called it a win.

“We’re learning that some of these cases are actually getting dismissed, which is one of the outcomes we’ve hoped for,” Detrese Dowridge of Baltimore Renters United told the news outlet.

“More time, support & opportunities to build power are what give people a fighting chance,” the organization Baltimore Renters United tweeted.

The organization is also calling on city leaders to put $25 million in funding towards rental assistance for Baltimore residents.

“Right now, the city has committed about $5 million to renters, but the coalition is asking for more,” CBS affiliate WJZ reported.

Carmelo Anthony Retires

On May 22, Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA. He released a video on social media thanking his fans and essentially passing the torch to his 16-year-old son Kiyan Carmelo Anthony. 

If you were a ball player or basketball enthusiast growing up in Baltimore in the early 2000s, more than likely you were obsessed with Anthony before he even entered the NBA. The West Baltimore native and Towson Catholic High graduate declared himself eligible for the NBA draft in 2003. As a freshman at Syracuse University, he had an explosive season averaging 22.2 points per game, leading the team in scoring, minutes played, rebounds, field goals, free throws, and attempts, and was named NCAA Most Outstanding Player. 

In 19 seasons, Melo was named an NBA All-Star 10 times. He played for six teams: the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Lebron James. The 6’7’’ forward would rack up an admirable list of awards and accomplishments during his tenure, representing the USA in the Olympics four times,winning a bronze medal and three consecutive gold medals. 

Melo is also heavily invested in philanthropic work. The kid who once played crate ball in an alley behind Myrtle Avenue grew up to invest millions of dollars in youth programs and outreach efforts. The Carmelo Anthony Foundation has provided opportunities for young people since 2005, and he continues to make giving back a priority. 

Although he never won an NBA Championship, he has been highly celebrated and respected for his tenacity, work ethic, and dominance on the court. Not bad for a kid from West Baltimore. 

The post Around Baltimore: youth curfew, renters’ rights, and Carmelo Anthony  appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Maryland Lawmakers Approve the Bates Bill 

A piece of legislation that Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates lobbied for is on its way to Governor Wes Moore’s desk for his signature.

“I am grateful to the members of the MGA [Maryland General Assembly], especially the leadership, including Senate President Bill Ferguson and Speaker Adrienne Jones, as well as my bill sponsors, Delegate Frank Conaway Jr. and Senator Cory McCray, for passing this legislation and bringing uniformity to this law by ensuring that everyone over 18 is held accountable for possessing an illegal firearm,” Bates said via press release. 

Back in February, we wrote about Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates and his tough-on-crime approach to stopping crime in Baltimore. 

“Is Bates, as many politicians before him, putting weight on quick actions rather than long-term, true success?” asked Editor-in-Chief Lisa Snowden. 

In the piece, Snowden also discussed the heavily contested piece of legislation that increased penalties for people 21 and older found with a handgun without a permit. Academics — especially some at the University of Baltimore School of Law — and local activists opposed the bill, saying that it would not stop crime.

“It will result in the unnecessary incarceration of first-time gun possessors for longer and further from home, despite the research demonstrating that disconnection from family is a direct contributor to recidivism,” Heather Warnken, executive director of the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform said, testifying against the bill in late March.

Bates went on a media blitz to promote the legislation, writing op-eds where he insisted that people in Baltimore don’t want progressive policies and appearing on WBAL-TV to say that those who oppose his plans “don’t care about the city.” 

Violent Crime is Down in Baltimore

According to the Baltimore Police Department, city crime is down. 

“Many neighbors across Baltimore City may believe crime is getting worse, but the numbers tell another story, as the Baltimore Police Department reports violent crime has dropped 16 percent since 2018,” according to a report from WMAR-2. 

For some, especially those who don’t live here, this city is synonymous with crime and Blackness. Mainstream news channels tend to favor headlines that stoke fear rather than those that enrich communities, so perception often beats reality. 

Police pointed to the work of people at the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement as a reason for the sustained drop — especially the organization’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy. Shantay Jackson leads the program.

“City officials say a pilot in the Western District showed promise, reducing homicides and nonfatal shootings, and are working to expand it citywide by the end of 2024. Already, it has expanded to the Southwest District and will be implemented in the Central District by the end of June, according to the Mayor’s Office for Neighborhood Safety and Engagement,” the Baltimore Sun reported.

Baltimore Baby Bonus Petition Drive

The Maryland Child Alliance is pushing for a charter amendment that would put money directly into the hands of new parents. The amendment would create the Baltimore Baby Bonus Fund, which would offer a one-time payment of at least $1,000 to new parents upon the birth or adoption of a child. 

Organizers at the advocacy group are focused on ending child poverty. They announced on April 11 that they need 10,000 signatures from registered voters in Baltimore City by July 27, 2024.

“Research shows that direct financial support for new parents can have a profound impact on a child’s cognitive development and future success. The Baltimore Baby Bonus Fund is an investment in our youngest residents and in the future of our city,” the group tweeted.

The post Around Baltimore: The Bates Bill, Crime Is Down, And Possible Funding For New Parents. appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Local Control Delays

Last November, voters approved a charter amendment that granted city leaders control over the Baltimore City Police Department. The amendment went into effect in January. Prior to that, Baltimore was the only Maryland jurisdiction still under state control. 

But the November vote didn’t end the fight over control of the department. As February ended and March began, leaders and activists were at odds over who currently had control of the department and when the switch to local control would happen. 

Activists and some city leaders argue that Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration is slow-walking the process.

“Some advocates, including one member of the Local Control Advisory Board tasked with implementing the new power structure, have bristled at how Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration has shepherded the process,” The Baltimore Banner reported on March 1. “Their frustrations spread to City Council chambers last week, with council members admonishing the administration to get the ball rolling on what voters had already decided was a priority.”

“Y’all are really out here playing in our faces,” testified Rob Ferrell, senior organizer with Organizing Black. “We want the City Council, our local, elected legislators, to have legislative authority to make changes to BPD policy.”

“Several bills have been introduced by the General Assembly to address the wording change necessary to enact local control,” the Baltimore Sun reported. “Currently, city law states no ordinance other than those enacted by the mayor ‘shall conflict, impede, obstruct, hinder or interfere with the powers of the Police Commissioner,’ effectively leaving the City Council powerless.” 

Those bills were introduced by state Senator Jill Carter and Delegate Stephanie Smith. If successfully passed, it would bring the Baltimore City Police Department under local control by June 1.  

“I testified today in Annapolis for @jillpcarter’s bill, SB 758, which would restore local control of the Baltimore Police Department,” tweeted City Councilperson Mark Conway, who chairs the council’s Public Safety and Government Operations committee. “I hope we can honor the will of the voters who overwhelmingly passed this measure last year. Let’s get this done.”

New Public Safety Accountability Dashboard

On February 28, Mayor Brandon Scott, along with Shantay Jackson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, unveiled a new public safety accountability dashboard. 

The portal tracks crime in the city by pulling data from a number of places, including local and state agencies, police districts, Safe Streets sites, hospital-based violence intervention programs, and information provided by the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. 

Users can access information sorted by police district or by neighborhood — or they can look at city statistics as a whole. Data available goes back to 2012. 

“Evaluation and accountability are central pillars of Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan because when it comes to public safety, progress can and should be measured,” Scott said in a press release about the dashboard.

City leaders said they hope to further develop the dashboard in the future with more information and the ability to break down statistics by city council and state legislative districts.

Strengthening Renters’ Safety Act

Baltimore Councilperson Zeke Cohen is pushing new legislation intended to help renters by targeting slumlords. He introduced the Strengthening Renters’ Safety Act at a city council meeting held in late February. The legislation is aimed at eliminating several long-standing issues facing Baltimore renters by requiring more rigorous inspections for large buildings that are in bad condition, establishing a task force to oversee rental inspections, and allowing tenants to request inspections anonymously.

Cohen, along with Councilperson James Torrence, held a press conference to announce the legislation. 

“We need a process that is different. Not just resident-driven, but a process that will be proactive in identifying these buildings,” Torrence said, according to Baltimore Brew. “We can’t allow people to sit and feel powerless when the city can do better.”

“A rental licensing overhaul that came out of the Council five years ago was supposed to solve this problem,” the Brew reported. “But it ended up more ‘carrot’ than ‘stick,’ rewarding landlords who fix violations promptly and pass their inspections with a less frequent inspection schedule.”

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Lexington Market Opens

Local leaders like Governor Wes Moore, Mayor Brandon Scott, and more were on hand in late January to cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Lexington Market. The project to renew the over 200-year-old market began several years ago. The $40 million needed to finance the project was secured in January 2020. 

Many in Baltimore have eyed the renovation project with wariness – wondering if this meant that much of what made the space so essentially Baltimore — fresh fruits for sale next to older Black folks gathering to dance to Baltimore Club next to unhoused residents who used the space to hang out — would be swept away to create something more tourist-friendly.

“While many of us will miss the old building and the memories we made there, Lexington Market 2.0 will build upon what made the old market so special and an unparalleled sense of Baltimore community,” said Scott.

Half of the businesses currently inhabiting the market are Black-owned, and half of them are women-owned, Baltimore Fishbowl reported. 

There are a number of events scheduled at Lexington Market to celebrate Black History Month this February, including a health and wellness fair and art on display. Go to lexingtonmarket.com/events for more information.

Baltimore Reacts to the Death of Tyre Nichols

Several Baltimore groups, many already familiar faces due to their persistent efforts to organize around the issue of police brutality, took to the streets in late January. They were motivated by the release of a graphic video that showed Memphis police officers brutally beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. Officers initially claimed to have pulled Nichols over for a traffic stop. They beat him so badly that he died at a hospital three days later. At the time of this issue’s printing, seven of the officers who were involved in the incident were relieved of duty, five of them charged with murder. Three members of the Memphis Fire Department have been fired.

The Baltimore Sun reported that about 80 people gathered the day after the video’s January 27 release. Among them was Tawanda Jones, who has been protesting for years, searching for justice after the death of her brother, Tyrone West. West died after he was apprehended by Baltimore City police in July 2013.

“I miss everything about him,” Jones said.

Danielle Brown, the mother of Donnell Rochester, an 18-year-old shot and killed by police last year, asked people to remember the fight over police brutality right here in Baltimore.

“We need to focus on the police brutality that’s happening here, with Donnell and a lot of others, in Baltimore City,” The Baltimore Banner reported that she said. 

Baltimore’s mayor, state’s attorney, and police chief released a joint statement regarding the Nichols video that didn’t address anything that protestors here in Baltimore have been asking for in order to stop the killing of Black people by Baltimore police — but they did ask that people not riot. 

The video of Nichols’ beating was released just one day before a quarterly hearing about the Baltimore Consent Decree. The city entered into the decree with the federal government in 2017, after officials uncovered that Baltimore City Police engaged in a pattern of discriminatory practices under the guise of stopping crime. At the hearing, Judge James K. Bredar asked if there were incidents where police should have actually used more force, the Baltimore Banner reported. 

Rent Assistance to End

Access to millions of dollars in federal pandemic rental aid is about to end, and there’s currently no money in Governor Wes Moore’s proposed 2024 budget for rental assistance, according to the Baltimore Banner.

The news outlet reported that Moore did not answer questions about why rent assistance wasn’t included. Although he didn’t answer their questions, a representative for the new governor said that he hopes efforts to increase the state’s minimum wage, as well as budgeted funds for renters seeking legal assistance, will help solve the problem. The news outlet also reported that 2022 saw a sharp increase in evictions. 

In our last issue, Baltimore Beat talked to Kevin Lindamood, president and CEO of Healthcare for the Homeless. 

“We’re poised to see, I fear, growing homelessness among entire intact families that can’t make ends meet. And we know that homelessness rips people, rips families, apart, and that so often results in premature mortality,” he said.

Baltimore Councilwoman Odette Ramos has submitted an inclusionary housing bill, aimed at making it easier for people in need to access a place to live. It’s intended to replace legislation that expired in June of 2022. 

At the beginning of the month, advocacy group Citizens Planning & Housing Association tweeted out an image that read: “Reminder Baltimore City Council, it’s been 215 days without an Inclusionary Housing Law. #stopthestall #BmoreEquitable”

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The cover of the January 14 issue of the Baltimore Sun illustrated two different realities.

Above the fold, a jubilant Keith Davis Jr. embraces a supporter. The day before, new Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced he was dropping charges against Davis, who had been locked up since 2015, when he was shot at by police and then apprehended in connection with the murder of security guard Kevin Jones at Pimlico Race Course. 

Former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was in the process of taking Keith to trial for a fifth time when she lost her bid for reelection last year. Through every trial, Keith’ wife, Kelly Davis, fought for his freedom. Absent help from anyone currently in power in Baltimore, Kelly had to build her own advocacy support system from scratch. Along with a group of supporters who called themselves Team Keith, she passed out fliers, rented billboards, and protested on behalf of her husband.

It can be argued that Kelly’s support for Bates, and Team Keith’s work highlighting the problems with Mosby, helped Bates win the office.

“There were times during this fight that I couldn’t see my way through this horrible ordeal,” Kelly said in a statement on social media posted the morning of her husband’s release.

Below the fold on the Sun’s front page was a different story. Kevin Jones’ grandmother, Earlene Neales, sat solemnly with her hands clasped. “The system failed Kevin,” she told the newspaper. 

The Davis’ win is remarkable — this country’s justice system isn’t designed with the intention of reuniting families, especially Black ones. But we are still left with a system that can’t give one family a win without breaking another family’s hearts. 

Supporters of the Davis family have created a GoFundMe to help Keith get back on his feet. 

No Charges for Baltimore Officers in Donnell Rochester’s Death

One day before he announced the release of Keith Davis Jr., Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced that his office would not be pursuing charges against two Baltimore City Police Officers who shot and killed 18-year-old Donnell Rochester in February of 2022. He also released the results of an investigation into the incident. 

Officers were attempting to arrest Rochester because of an open warrant regarding an alleged carjacking. Rochester eluded the cops, but they spotted him again, on foot near his car. When he saw them, according to police, he got back in his vehicle. Officer Connor Murray approached Rochester’s car on foot. Rochester accelerated, and Murray fired three shots into the front of the car. He fell to the side and fired a fourth shot which went through Rochester’s arm and into his chest. Officer Robert Mauri also shot at Rochester. Rochester got out of the car with his hands raised and fell to his knees, blood coming from his mouth as he said, “I can’t breathe.” 

The shooting was captured on body-worn cameras and shows both officers violating departmental policy, which trains them not to step in the way of moving cars in a manner that might precipitate the use of force and prohibits firing into moving vehicles. 

Particularly questionable is the fourth and final shot fired by Murray, after he had already fallen out of the way of the vehicle. 

Rochester’s family and friends have been protesting and marching to draw attention to his death — and have argued that police waited too long to administer aid. 

“We would say that this is a bad start to the new State’s Attorney ‘enforcing all laws,’ except there aren’t actually laws against police shooting someone when the officer(s) ‘fears for their life,’” progressive legal group Baltimore Action Legal Team tweeted after Bates’ announcement.

Wes Moore Becomes Maryland’s first Black Governor

On January 18, with pomp, circumstance, and an appearance by Oprah, Wes Moore was sworn in as Maryland’s governor. He is this state’s first Black governor and one of only a handful of Black men ever to hold the position of governor in the United States. 

Moore is a young man with a beautiful family. His campaign slogan, “no one left behind,” was an attractive alternative to the violent rhetoric we’ve seen in politics, an environment encouraged by an increasingly extreme Republican party. It’s not hard to think of him as Maryland’s own version of the second coming of Barack Obama (in fact, whispers about a presidential run for Moore have already begun).

For many people, especially many Black Americans hopeful for a country that would treat them with more equity than it had their ancestors, the Obama years felt ideal. The current reality, with glaring economic inequalities exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic and the rise of extreme hate, feels grittier and much more grounded in reality. In many ways, this country is back to square one. Moore has a lot of work ahead of him. 

So far, he has spent the beginning days of his term outlining his fiscal priorities, including increased funding for access to abortion care training, climate change initiatives, and education.

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