Annapolis Capital Punishment

Lee Finney, Chair of Eastport Civic Association’s Public Safety Task Force has been kind enough to provide us with a copy of her group’s November 15 letter to Mayor Moyer and the Mayor’s response of November 28. What I have done below is taken each point in Lee’s letter and provided the Mayor’s response to each (in red). I have done nothing else to edit the questions or responses. CP provides comments after the Mayor’s quotes in black italics.

Dear Mayor Moyer:

The Eastport Civic Association (ECA) Public Safety Task Force has a continuing interest in crime prevention and public safety. We have taken on several tasks to organize ourselves to be as pro-active as possible in keeping our neighborhoods safe for all of our citizens.
We have recently completed a survey of the lighting and related tree-trimming needs for some of the Eastport area that we have provided to Alderman Arnett to facilitate corrective action with the City's Public Works Department. We have also reinstituted an active Neighborhood Watch program in parts of Eastport and have recruited fifty-six Neighborhood Watch volunteers to date. The ECA is committed to maintaining a vigorous Neighborhood Watch program in cooperation with the Annapolis Police Department.
Another goal is to keep our members informed about public safety issues in the City. The Public Safety Task Force needs to report on the status of the crime initiatives you put forth in August, 2007. Specifically, we would appreciate having a written progress report on the following that we can share with our members:

(The Mayor responded on November 28, 2007)

Dear Lee,
I appreciate all the work you are doing to enhance Public Safety in Eastport. Following is the update you requested on a host of crime initiatives proposed in August.
· Reducing the number of shifts at the Annapolis Police Department from five to three.
Shifts are set to change from 5 to 3 in mid-January.
Not sure what this means. Does it put more officers on busiest shifts? Sounds easy--why was it not tried before? Will the Mayor and Chief be monitoring and REPORTING results?
· Purchasing 4 additional Segways and adding a horseback mounted unit.
Segways and a mounted police are budget items to be considered in May.
Good grief! Segways are more of a threat than a help. The Police do not even want them. The Mayor is fixated on these expensive things. Bikes are faster, cheaper and more maneuverable. I know. I’ve ridden both. I am trying to get City Council to propose legislation to ban them from our sidewalks. Just wait until an officer is injured or a person oin a sidewalk is hurt. They don’t belong here. As for a horse?? Again the Mayor is fixated on horses. Why the %^@#)($))) do we need a horse? Where will it be kept?
· Enhancing recruitment by creating a Police Recruitment Team and creating new recruitment materials.
Staff have attended conferences on recruitment. Designs for a new brochure and new web site (the most productive vehicle) are completed. Six officers are in the training academy. The Public Safety Committee was asked to join the police recruitment team to pursue new strategies.
It’s about time. Again--the issue is who is in charge? They have known about recruitment challenges for years. The Mayor still clings to this incorrect notion that we really have enough police officers.
· Submitting legislation to the General Assembly designating the entire City of Annapolis a Drug-Free Zone.
Legislation for a City Drug Free Zone was crafted and delivered to Senator Astle and Delegate Busch in October.
Well, what does a drug fee zone really mean? Stiffer penalties? As if the perps really care. Penalties are already supposed to be pretty tough. But as long as they know that there are not enough police and not enough enforcement (or harsh judges), who cares what are the penalties? Are some areas of the city already drug-free zones? What has happened there? In other words, is this a good strategy?
· Requesting additional state funds for a comprehensive drug plan in the City of Annapolis.
Funds for a comprehensive drug program were also requested of our delegation and are on the agenda for a meeting with Senator Astle and Delegate Busch, myself and the City's lobbyist, Minor Carter, in December.
A comprehensive drug plan? I wish my health care provider would get me one of those? Do you know what I had to pay for antibiotics last summer? But seriously folks, I don’t know what a plan means. Wait. See.
· Initiating a new illegal drugs and illegal guns task force with State and Federal agencies.
You may have noticed in the press the drug raid efforts of the City ASET team. The DEA and the State police are prepared to aid in these efforts.
A new task force. Pardon me if I seem cynical, but have we not had these before? Yes, we note the recent raid. A man was killed, an officer wounded. We pray for the officer’s recovery and we hope that this one dead criminal means fewer crimes. In other words, was it worthwhile?
· Adding real-world job skills training programs for at-risk adults.
The City trained 39 at-risk men and women in 2 programs with Sherwin-Williams. Conversations with the Community College to create green technology courses are in progress. Another meeting with a corporate sponsor is set. I've pushed for job training programs in our revitalization districts under study.
This sounds like progress. Let’s hope it works. Please tell the community how we can help.
· Negotiating a new agreement of understanding with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis including the use of surveillance cameras and a sub-station program.
We've tried to negotiate a new agreement but nothing yet has materialized.
Uhh, maybe, but, I have trouble swallowing this one. I wish the Mayor and HACA would stop sparring. The truth is somewhere in the middle. However, CP thinks he sees a pattern here--possibly resulting from the Mayor’s underdeveloped social skills? CP calls upon the Mayor and HACA President Howard Pinskey, an honorable and fair-minded person, to show progress here. Well--- ask the Eastport folks to play a role in this!!!
· Further implementing a revitalization district for Clay and Washington Streets.
The consultant was hired and is at work on the Clay/West Washington Street revitalization district. The historical sign is finally in place. The creation of the new Department of Economic Affairs will bring new fiscal resources to the proposed CDC.
Hmmm…was this a sole-source contract awarded to Economic Development Officer Mike Miron’s brother again? We need a consultant? Yes, perhaps, but what we really need is leadership. Perhaps this is something the new Ward Two Alderman can get to work on with the Mayor. This is where State assistance would be most needed--it’s only a block or two from O’Malley’s home. Once the Mayor and Aldermen develop a broad-based community effort, then we can get a consultant. Or will the consultant help to do this?
· Installing speed cameras on Duke of Gloucester Street.
Speed cameras were ordered. A host of other requests are being considered with Public Works staff and residents.
Speeding and motor vehicle infractions are the number one, daily threat to public safety. Again--it’s a function of not having enough officers. Routine traffic stops often lead to discovery of major criminal activity. Please keep up efforts in this area.
· Amending the City Code to strengthen the noise ordinance.
An improved noise ordinance was proposed and should be on the agenda for final action in December.
Okay! It is a major quality of life issue. CP hopes for legislation to provide disincentives to using power tools and encourage manual tools--for environmental reasons as well.
· Requesting the City's Community and Housing Board recommend changes to the City's federal housing program needed to enhance public safety.
The Community & Housing Board is considering recommendations. None received to date.
Well--- ask the Eastport folks to play a role in this one too!
Thank you for responding to this request. Please be assured that the ECA Public Safety Task Force will work cooperatively with all City agencies to support continuous improvements in public safety in our community. We have also contacted the Annapolis Police Department directly to request a progress report on filling police officer vacancies. Please let us know if there is anything the ECA can do to assist in addressing public safety in Annapolis.
Very truly yours,
Lee Finney
Chair, ECA Public Safety Task Force

If you have further questions, please feel free to call me at 410.263.7997.
Sincerely,
Ellen Moyer
Mayor
Cc: Chief Joseph Johnson, Ray Weaver

CP’s final comments……IT’S THE RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE. While we have a series of challenges and complexities beyond the City in order to succeed here, the sole responsibility for this is with the Mayor. It is her job to redouble efforts with the Police , Human Resources Director and City Council. However, she must stop brushing this off by falsely claiming that we have more than the national average of officers per capita. It’s phony. It’s wrong. Please, Mayor Moyer, let’s make this the priority.

Thank you for your efforts. Please work with anyone to build up support from HACA. Stop trading barbs with HACA and get together. The criminals laugh every time you go at it with HACA. And finally--let’s not forget the number one cause of crime--the vastly unequal distribution of wealth. Until we comprehensively deal with the public and subsidized housing issue, we will make little progress.