Global Warming Solutions Act...Explained

Holly Gorman from Chesapeake Climate Action Network will brief us on what has been done, and what still needs to be done in order to push this important piece of legislation through the Maryland General Assembly.

Date: Thursday February 28th 2008
Time: 7:00pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church
333 Dubois Road Annapolis MD
www.uuca-md.org for directions

Public Invited to View Documentary Film "The Protocols of Zion"

"No Jews died in the World Trade Center on 9-11" claim some of the lunatic fringe conspiracy theorists who believe this is because the attacks were masterminded by "Zionists" and the Israeli secret service who warned Jews in advance to stay away. While questions may remain about the nature of the September 11 attacks, one thing is for certain and that is that hundreds of Jews did indeed die in the World Trade Centers that day. However, when it comes to conspiracy theories, reason and facts fly out of the window as fast as...well, I won't go there.

On Saturday, February 23rd, Capital Punishment's Publisher Paul Foer will introduce and then lead a discussion following the showing of the 2006 film documentary, "The Protocols of Zion". "Protocols" attempts to unravel the anti-Jewish beliefs and theories of those who believe that "Jews" and "Zionists" control the world and attacked New York City. The film traces the development of such ideas to an early 20th century book published by Tsarist secret police called "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" which has been repudiated and discredited numerous times yet is still published and read today.

That event begins at 7 pm and is free and open to the public. The film is 95 minutes. Temple Beth Shalom is located at 1461 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd. just off Route 2 in Arnold.

Monday's City Council Meeting: THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION

A Special Meeting (i.e., Public Hearing) of the Annapolis City Council will be held on February 25, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The Council meetings are broadcast on Comcast channel 99 Verizon channel 34. I urge you to attend and testify against this bill and instead urge the Council to adopt a city manager form of government.

"CA-01-08 City Administrator [Israel]– For the purpose of clarifying the role of the Mayor as chief executive officer and the City Administrator as chief administrative officer; enhancing the supervisory powers of City Administrator with respect to departmental directors; barring the Mayor and Aldermen from directing the work of departmental directors; providing that the dismissal of the City Administrator must be approved by the mayor and four or more aldermen; requiring the Mayor to include funding in the annual operating budget to provide professional and administrative assistance to the aldermen; and generally relating to the powers and duties of the elected and appointed officials."

PLEASE--if you believe that the challenge in our local political system is not just a matter of the who is the mayor and city administrator, but the how and the what of their powers, you should come and testify against this bill. It will muddy already muddied waters but will detract from the real issue. It will ostensibly tie the mayor's hand, but it will still be the mayor who controls the city administrator. And considering the fact that we pay the administrator less money than any of the administrators he supposedly supervises, you can only imagine what this new scenario might mean. Will we have to pay this person more money? I think so. And finally, the Council, the people we elect directly, will be left in their current pusillanimous positions.

Currently all executive power and in fact, all real power in our government rests with the mayor who serves as CEO and Board Chair. The mayor appoints a city administrator who acts like a chief of staff, or in our case, pretty much does little of anything, maybe the term "sinecure" or lapdog would be more fitting. Supposedly this person oversees the daily activities of government and directs the department heads, all of whom are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the mayor and make more money than does he. We are talking about millions of dollars in salaries and benefits collectively. Remember--only the mayor can hire or fire these top administrators, and giving the city administrator more power WILL NOT CHANGE THAT. Therefore, this tells the mayor not to oversee or supervise people only he or she can hire or fire, but allows him or her to hire or fire the one person who oversees everyone else. This is worse than snakes on a plane!

Alderman Israel proposes to give the city administrator direct control over department heads and relieve the mayor of such executive responsibility. However, this does not address nor does it fix the current problem which is that IT IS STILL THE MAYOR WHO HOLDS ALL THE POWER.

The mayor has too much power and we have had little if any success from having a city administrator. This bill gives only a teeny-weeny amount of power to the Council by allowing four of them to join the mayor to vote out the city administrator. In fact, it will give that unelected but appointed person more power and weaken the mayor. Does the bill's language mean that the mayor has to be a part of that five person majority? Either way, the city administrator still reports to the mayor!

WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS A CITY MANAGER chosen by a super-majority of the Council, reporting to the Council and who can only be fired by a super-majority. And that Council will still include the mayor to serve as its chair. That may mean six or seven of the nine total, whether or not the mayor votes yea or nay.

A city manager is a highly qualified and certified professional who is trained to understand budget, finances and public administration and who is sworn to adhere to professional ethics which means being non-political. A city administrator does not necessarily have any of these qualifications, training or certification. Is it a perfect system? Of course not! Nothing we humans do is personal but our current system is seriously flawed because we never get appropriate professionalism and we can only fire the CEO by citywide election every four years. Now are we beginning to see the picture?

A city manager will set priorities and performance standards, run daily administrative functions and hire and fire the top administrators. The mayor and alderman have input and supervision but only through the manager who they oversee.

Below is a chart that compares the current strong mayor and city administrator situation with a a possible city manager/weak mayor scenario:

What We Have Now	What We Might Consider Having
Mayor chairs city council	Mayor chairs city council
Mayor elected citywide	Mayor elected citywide
Mayor hires City Administrator based on Mayor's interest and preferences and he or she serves at the pleasure of the Mayor.	City Council hires City Manager based on professional credentials and experience after a nationwide search and majority vote. City Manager serves at pleasure of City Council.
City Administrator earns less than department heads that he or she supervises	City Manager will demand a higher salary yet provide more supervision, oversight, authority and a more managerial link to City Council.
Mayor solely decides whether to dismiss City Administrator in case of incompetence or breach of trust. City Administrator is able to retain position even if exempt employees (department heads, police chief etc.) do not perform according to requirements.	City Council holds City Manager accountable through a contract based on performance measures and evaluations. City Manager able to retain position only if performing according to contract, which will require exempt employees (department heads, police chief etc.) to perform according to standard.
Mayor can choose department heads, create new positions, and place political allies in these positions. Mayor and City Administrator are supposed to oversee city departments, but with varying regularity or consistency. Exempt employees are not hired or fired based on performance standards.	City Manager hires and fires all exempt employees based on qualifications and not political preferences. City Manager oversees city departments with consistency and regularity because his or her job depends on meeting performance criteria.
Only Mayor or City Administrator can interfere with or provide oversight or supervision directly to city departments. City Council is not necessarily informed of or properly communicated with in regard to activities and operations.	Only City Manager can interfere with or provide oversight or supervision directly to city departments. However, since the City Manager answers directly to the nine City Council members, communication and involvement, if indirect, is at least much closer to being guaranteed.
Non-performing officials can remain in office for years, even if not competent. Or, we see a major debacle (or a major success) and nobody will necessarily get fired (or promoted or rewarded).	Non-performing officials are more easily relieved of duties because of accountability and performance standards, and are more likely to be promoted or rewarded when so deserved.
Today, the Board (I,e, City Council) cannot fire the CEO (the Mayor). Only the shareholders (voters) can do this, and only every four years.	The nine Board members elected by the shareholders can fire and replace the CEO at any time.

The below table was provided by Dennis Conti and Trudy McFall of Citizens for a Better Annapolis:

Comparison of Existing Charter to Proposed Charter Amendment CA-1-08:

Roles of Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator

		Mayor	City Council	City Administrator
Hiring of City Administrator	Existing:	Mayor appoints	Council confirms hiring
	Proposed:	Mayor appoints	Council confirms hiring

Compensation of City Administrator	Existing:	Mayor fixes compensation
	Proposed:	Mayor fixes compensation

Supervision of City Administrator	Existing:	Mayor supervises City Admin.
	Proposed:	Mayor supervises City Admin.

Removal of City Administrator	Existing:	---	---
	Proposed:	Mayor approves removal	At least 4 Aldermen must approve removal

Hiring of Acting City Administrator	Existing:	---
	Proposed:	Mayor appoints

Hiring of Department Directors	Existing:	Mayor nominates	Council confirms hiring	---
	Proposed:	Mayor approves	Council confirms hiring	City Admin. appoints

Compensation of Department Directors	Existing:	Mayor fixes compensation		---
	Proposed:	Mayor approves compensation		City Admin. fixes compensation

Supervision of Department Directors	Existing:	Mayor may delegate functions to Dept. Directors		City Admin. supervises Dept. Directors
	Proposed:	Mayor may delegate functions to Dept. Directors		City Admin. supervises Dept. Directors

Removal of Department Directors	Existing:	Mayor removes		---
	Proposed:	Mayor approves		City Admin. proposes

Hiring of Acting Directors	Existing:	Mayor designates		---
	Proposed:	Mayor approves		City Admin. designates

		Mayor	City Council	City Administrator
New hires and Terminations of all City staff	Existing:	---		---
	Proposed:	---		City Admin. approves

Limitations on Conduct	Existing:	---	---
	Proposed:	Mayor may not direct the work of a director or employee, subject to removal from office	Individual aldermen may not direct the work of a director or employee, subject to removal from office

Staff Support for Council	Existing:		---
	Proposed:		Council has 3 professional and administrative staff; employment and supervision is a matter for the aldermen

		Mayor	City Council	City Administrator
Powers, Duties, and Responsibilities	Existing:	---	---	---
	Proposed:	Mayor formulates policy and long-range plans, recommends implementing legislation, has general supervision of City’s finances	Council has oversight of the expenditure of money and delivery of services	City Admin. has day-day administration of the government and delivery of services

Copyright © 2008 Citizens for a Better Annapolis

Governor Brings Show of Unity and Force to Annapolis and Especially Eastport

The Cavalry just rode into town. Yesterday's news conference at the Eastport United Methodist Church is a most welcome sign that our elected officials are listening and responding to citizen's concerns about crime in our beleaguered city. This was just two weeks after a citizen's meeting was held in the same church that focused on asking for a crime fighting plan. The cameras rolled yesterday and in case you missed the media reports, CP suggests you tune in, but the bottom line is that every elected official from the Governor to the House Speaker to the US Attorney to our entire District 30 delegation to what seemed to be half the top cops in the state to the Mayor and most of our Aldermen stood together and promised resources and coordination.

Does this prove the adage that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"? It is clear that this has come about because of an outpouring of citizen concern and a public show of dissatisfaction for our own local leadership, mainly Mayor Moyer and Chief Johnson, although public protest was not at all on the agenda at yesterday's conference. I think it would have helped further the cause and make the pols look better if they had invited one local resident to stand with them and address the cameras.

Some locals, mainly under the banner of the Eastport Stop The Gunfire Taskforce recently met with House Speaker Busch and staff from the Governor's Office. However, Eastport resident Ton Zwaard did get his two cents in and was picked up on WJZ and The Baltimore Sun. He emphasized the one major point that was ignored by the officials--and that is the preponderance of public housing in Annapolis and its relation to criminal activity.

On a related note, one agency was conspicuously missing from the display board showing the names of each agency involved in the new campaign and that is the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The only other federal agency listed was the US District Attorney, represented by Rod Rosenstein, and while local HACA Executive Director Eric Brown was present, CP and many others are increasingly convinced that until we drastically overhaul, transform or end public housing as we know it today, we will never address one of the root if not the leading causes of drug-related and violent crime. It remains the political sticking point but perhaps as more people in Annapolis are willing to speak out about this challenge, we will begin to develop fair, equitable and workable solutions to the gaping wound of public housing. Many of us remain confused about exactly who owns and oversees and who can eventually determine the future of the vast public housing complexes in our tiny town.

Citizens want a plan about crime more than anything, and it seems that this addresses many of the concerns that have been expressed but it remains to be seen if we will actually get a local plan. This plan must be made with citizen input and with the recognition that our concerns as residents is what has brought this about and is what should be driving further action.

Of course, good citizens hope for the best, but keep a skeptical eye focused.

We especially thank Governor O'Malley, Speaker Busch and Mayor Moyer for your pledges, your support and your commitment. My impression is that you are serious and sincere and will act. It was mentioned that Senator Astle, Speaker Busch and the Governor himself also live in Annapolis. Please work with the local residents, continue to listen to us and call upon us to work with you. Please work with us to track progress, monitor and report on results.

We will be watching this very closely.

A COMMENT FROM BOB MCWILLIAMS:

Paul:

I don't know if they're the Cavalry, or the Gang that couldn't shoot straight. So far in O'Malley's administration, I've seen more of the latter. But, hopefully this effort won't go the way of the income tax cuts everyone was going to get, the reduction in BGE rates and all the other "promises" that were easy to make, but hard to keep. We'll see.

Bob McWilliams
____________
Bob:
All politicians break promises. O'Malley is no better and probably no worse. It's the nature of the beast.
CP
______________________________________

Mayor to All Of Us: "Go To Time Out"

The most recent press release from our city's CEO and Board Chair:

In a recent conversation, Chris Nelson, President of St. Johns College, identified three concerns that we all face in today’s world:

1. A crisis of authority

2. Middle-class anxiety

3. The problem of speed and urgency that overwhelms our time for personal reflection

Let’s Talk about the latter point.

2008 is a Leap Year. We have been given the gift of an extra day…let’s not waste it!

I propose making February 29, 2008 a Time Out Day.

Why don’t we all let the rats run their race without us on that day?

Use this gift of time to relax, read, take a walk in our beautiful City and State, read a book (may I recommend "The Discovery of Slowness" by Sten Nadolny), call old friends or simply reflect on all of the good things that are happening in your life.

On Friday, February 29, take a Time Out from the stress and agitation of the modern world and live life at slower, more reflective pace.

Perhaps we’ll find something inside ourselves that we can give back to each other.

Ellen O. Moyer

Mayor, City of Annapolis

Dear Mayor:

Perhaps we should talk about the first point, what is called "A crisis of authority." But then again, perhaps not. As far as middle class anxiety, I'm beyond that, but perhaps lowering my property taxes could help. I don't understand how you can say that with a Leap Year we've been given an extra day. Where did it come from? Did it fall from the sky like rain? Ooops, sorry that came from Chairman Mao's Green Book. My mistake.

You suggest we read "The Discovery of Slowness" but I think we Annapolitans have discovered it already whenever we try to get around town on an afternoon or need to get our building permits approved. Might I suggest you read Machiavelli's The Prince? Then again, maybe not.

Well, thanks for the idea. I am all for slowing down, being less busy and less hectic in our daily lives, but might I suggest that rather than preaching to us, you just try to lead by example? Or do we need a book to learn how to do that? Does this "day off" mean that if I need City Services that day that I should just expect to solooooowwww dooowwwwwnnn and wait?

Mayor to Capital: In Writing Only Please!

Capital Executive Editor and now Publisher Tom Marquardt told CP that in the wake of Eric Hartley's recent column that was strongly critical of her crime-fighting effectiveness, Mayor Moyer told the newspaper that she would not communicate with or respond to any inquiries from The Capital unless they were in writing. On February 18, CP asked her press secretary Ray Weaver to confirm and comment on this. Here is a copy of that letter sent via email:

Mr. Weaver:

I have been informed by a reliable source that that the mayor has refused to take any telephone calls or make any comments to The Capital unless all communications are in writing since the recent column regarding crime by Capital columnist Eric Hartley. Is this true? How long has or will this be in effect? Is this or was this for all Capital staff or just Mr. Hartley? Does the mayor contend there were any factual errors or misrepresentations in Mr. Hartley's column? I would certainly appreciate confirmation or denial and a reply to my questions at your earliest convenience.

Thank you. Paul Foer

Mr. Weaver has not seen fit to respond to this media inquiry. Maybe he will only answer letters sent on actual paper in actual envelopes. Who knows?

IT GOES ON....About thirty minutes after posting this, CP received this from Mr. Weaver:

In a recent email to me, Paul Foer, the CEO of this media outlet wrote, and I quote,

"I'm done and am not going to read any more of your letters or respond to them."

He said he wasn't going to read my letters...so why write?

I was OK with that then and I still am.

Neither the Mayor or myself has discussed any "policy" regarding the Capital with Mr. Marquardt, so I am not sure how he was able to discuss it with Capital Punishment.
_____________________________


Hey Ray--I'm now the CEO???? Cooool!!! You failed to mention that the letters you were sending to me were offensive and insulting and that you threatened to sue me although for what I have no idea. You should understand this is not personal, but as with your boss, you have trouble separating what is personal from what is business or political. This is odd behavior for a public servant whose salary we pay, and a public information officer should never do these kinds of things, but it is another reason why we need a city manager form of government.
However, as anyone can see from my letter of February 18, I gave you the chance to respond to certain issues about city government that are of concern to readers. You refused to do so. Instead, and this is what's really interesting, when I posted the above story, you responded in about 3o minutes. Wow! I must really be grating on you-huh?
In a related matter, readers should know that I contacted Mr. Weaver on three separate occasions trying to invite the Mayor to speak at a public event. Finally, just before the event, he let off steam at me because I needed a reply. At that point, weeks later and after repeated contact, he berated me for not writing an official invitation letter, yet he never previously mentioned he needed such a letter.

So, which one is it? We communicate? We don't communicate? We only communicate in writing? We take our time responding? We respond immediately? We told The Capital that all inquiries had to be submitted in writing and there would be no immediate comments or replies? Which one is it?

One has to wonder, why does the mayor's press secretary refuse to answer a legitimate question from a reporter, yet he immediately responds when a story is posted about that? Finally, he seems to deny, but it is not clear, that the mayor has insisted that any inquiry from The Capital has to be in writing, which is the point of this whole thing. Such requests mean that the paper has to mail a letter and wait for a response, but newspapers work fast, and reporters work the telephone, not the postal service. Mr. Weaver really did not respond to my letter of inquiry, except to suggest that, obliquely of course, that both Mr. Marquardt and I are liars. I'll let readers draw their own conclusions.

Did You See The Incredible Double Rainbow Over Annapolis Today?

It was about 4:30 as I came down West Street toward downtown and saw the most intense rainbow ever. As if the day was not odd enough-starting with record temperatures, then darkness, wind and rain and even thunder in February no less--and then sun and clearing. Not just any rainbow but a richly hued, intense rainbow. Hints of a double ring as well. A strange day, a beautifully strange day.

The rainbow looked as if it ended by The State House. Surely, if there was a pot of gold, the leprechauns of the legislature have already raided it. ...Happy Presidents Day. Used cars. Furniture. Whatever...it's all on sale today.

Paul Foer to Speak on "Is There Sustainable Transportation?"

CP Publisher Paul Foer will address the Maryland Institute College of Art's Sustainability Lunchtime Lecture Series on the topic of "Is There Sustainable Transportation?" on Monday, February 25th. Foer will discuss the impact of individual decisions in choosing modes of transportation and innovations in sustainable transportation in the Baltimore region, the US and abroad.
Foer, former transportation marketing specialist for the City of Annapolis, is a nationally recognized expert on marketing and promoting public transportation and is affiliated with the National Transit Institute of Rutgers University. Foer has written columns for leading transportation journals such as Bus Ride, Metro and Community Transportation and has addressed state and national transportation conferences across the US.
The series takes place in the Digital-Tech center at noon.

Annapolis Green....every little bit helps...

Although CP takes a more active and hard-hitting approach to environmental issues, I am pleased to provide information about a new way to become more environmentally conscious and active--and you may even meet some new friends. Annapolis Green started with a couple of friends talking about how it's not easy to get the big picture of Green initiatives in the Annapolis area. Why not gather information from the community – from the work of non-profits and government agencies to green businesses – and put it all in one place for the benefit of all? That's the purpose of annapolisgreen.com, but it's also serving as the "official" website of Green Drinks Annapolis.

People who share a passion for the environment (CP note: yeah I like to be able to breathe every few seconds and drink some water every day too...) and concern for our Chesapeake Bay get together roughly once every six weeks to network and discuss issues as diverse such as how to help improve the health of the Bay, the Buy Local movement, how to support local organic farmers by buying and eating locally grown food, and how to live an environmentally responsible life in general. The "meetings" are casual, fun, unstructured… just get together and chat... usually in a bar or restaurant… with drinks and great green ideas! Occasionally we'll have a short presentation on a specific topic. The dates and locations are not fixed. Green Drinks itself is international. It was started in a pub the U.K. – now doesn't that sound like it fits Annapolis? (The Green Drinks website is http://www.greendrinks.org)

And it's growing! There were some 80 people at the last Green Drinks in January at the Purple Tooth.

They welcome everyone's ideas on how to make this a real community effort, providing needed information to all. Lynne and Elvia ask that suggestions and comments be sent to starboard@annapolisgreen.com. Also, go to the website and sign up for the email notifications of Green Drinks Annapolis. (CP notes--this kind of reminds me of those plethora of books such as " x number of things you can do to save the planet" etc., etc. and though I sound cynical, it's worth a try...but where do those drinks come from? or the coffee? and how do these folks get to all these glorified cocktail parties?)

Business Tells Annapolis: Parking Should Be Free, We're Off To Bowie

The Capital reports that a 500-employee office decided against relocating to Annapolis because it was unhappy paying for parking. Boo hoo. Why should a business expect something for nothing? Why do some believe that parking is "free"? CP continues to question the notion that it is acceptable to hide, externalize or otherwise absorb the cost of parking into other things.

We need to reframe the argument here, which The Capital is unable or unwilling to do. It seems that the "problem" is not enough parking and therefore we "need more parking" but if we begin by saying the "problem" is too many cars, we can really address the solutions. Otherwise, the only solution is to build more parking spaces and free spaces at that--which is soooo wrroooonnnngggg!

CP turns reader's attention to the groundbreaking research done by planner Donald Shoup which has been published into a critically acclaimed book called "The High Cost of Free Parking." See: http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/. This is what parking guru Shoup wrote in The New York Times last year:

"What causes this astonishing waste? As is often the case, the prices are wrong. A national study of downtown parking found that the average price of curb parking is only 20 percent that of parking in a garage, giving drivers a strong incentive to cruise. As George Costanza once said on “Seinfeld”: “My father never paid for parking, my mother, my brother, nobody. ... It’s like going to a prostitute. Why should I pay when, if I apply myself, maybe I could get it for free?”

Like George Costanza, drivers often compare parking at the curb to parking in a garage and decide that the price of garage parking is too high. But the truth is that the price of curb parking is too low. Underpriced curb spaces are like rent-controlled apartments: hard to find and, once you do, crazy to give up. This increases the time costs (and therefore the congestion and pollution costs) of cruising."

So dear reader, please see how The Capital incorrectly frames this conflict and then ask yourself, are our expensive cars the problem--or is it the lack of free parking spaces? Then ask yourself, what will our city be like if we simply build more and more parking spaces? If you can only see parking garages, why would you visit? www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/02_17-31/TOP

Perils For Pedestrians

You may be interested in learning more about walking and "Perils for Pedestrians." Thanks to reader John Wetmore for providing this information:

Tuesday, February 19, The Universityhouse Channel will show Episode 12 of "Perils For Pedestrians".

Contents of Episode 12 (1997):
--A neighborhood in Raleigh, North Carolina, is concerned about speeding traffic.
--The Institute for Highway Research and Education looks at pedestrian needs in North Carolina.
--Many drivers ignore a busy mid-block crosswalk in Silver Spring, Maryland.
--A driver with a disability is concerned about widespread abuse of handicapped parking permits.
--Little things, like the location of a stop line, can make a big difference.
--The mayor of Mount Rainier, Maryland, discusses improvements for pedestrians in his downtown.

DISH Network Channel 9411 -- The Universityhouse Channel
Tuesday -- 9:30 PM Eastern, 6:30 Pacific

Episode 12 is also available on Google Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3650720113774910150

Note: Public access cable channels are showing different episodes than DISH Network.

Thank you.

John Z Wetmore
www.pedestrians.org

Third Murder This Year in Annapolis: Good Thing We Are Told That Crime is Down!

....and it's only the middle of February!

_____________________________
Annapolis Police Department Public Information Office Media Release

For Additional Information Contact: Officer Hal Dalton (410) 919-7188

Date: February 17th, 2008
Release Time: 06:45 AM

RE: HOMICIDE

On February 18th, 2008 at approximately 12:30 AM, Annapolis Police Dispatch received a report of shots fired in the 1300 block of Tyler Avenue. Upon officers’ arrival, a victim was found suffering from a gunshot wound(s) inside a car. He was identified as a white male from Severna Park. He was flown to Shock - Trauma in Baltimore, where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 430 AM. His identity is being withheld at this time pending family notifications.
No suspects or motive are known at this time. The investigation is still in the active initial stages, and further information is either not available or not appropriate for release. This is the third homicide in Annapolis for 2008. ( The first two were a double homicide on January 18th at Bens Drive )

Further information will be disseminated in this same manner when available and appropriate.
Updates are also posted on the web at:

http://www.annapolis.gov/report.asp?page=7243