Community Relations Councils
1) Reports of two field trips to Southeaster Baltimore Police District Community Relations Council
2) Minneapolis, MN Police Department neighborhood policing plans
1) Baltimore trips – Tony Hausner and Woody Brosnan
Baltimore Field Trip Report, Feb. 2, 2010 (by Woody)
Tony Hausner and Woody Brosnan visited a meeting of the Southeastern District Police Community Relations Council (SEPCRC) Monday night to examine whether the council could be a model for a successor organization to the Safe Silver Spring summit.
Baltimore has nine police districts and each district has its own community relations councils and some are organized a little differently. The southeastern council covers a 13-square-mile area and includes neighborhoods troubled by vice and violence. It has about 80 uniformed officers. The Councils were formed in 1968 in response to the riots that occurred in Baltimore.
Before the meeting we met for dinner with Melissa Techentin, the chairperson of the council and also a member of the Maryland Commission for Women, and Joyce Adamski, fundraising coordinator for the Council. Melissa took over 8 years ago as SEPSEPCRC reorganized itself.
The Council is a 501c3 tax-exempt organization and functions both as an advocacy group for the community with the police department and as a support group to raise money for police activities within the district. Techentin noted that the Council must be headed by a community member because the police are not allowed to handle outside money.
The Council sponsors fund-raisers each year. Proceeds have gone to support a mounted patrol in a business area of the district, buy police vests, and improve the station house. They also have been used to buy toys, books and food baskets for families in need in the district. They have also served as an advocate for police with the City council especially on budget matters to ensure that funding was not decreased.
Any resident of the district can be a member of the council so long as they make a three-year commitment to participate and do not have a criminal record. They are currently only 15 members on the Council. Techentin said she spends as little as five hours a week on council activities to as much as 35 hours during fund-raising weeks.
For more background go to http://www.SEPCRC.org/
The Council holds public meetings at the district station house on Eastern Avenue once a month. Public speakers are invited. At Monday’s meeting Congressman John Sarbanes spoke. Next month it will be a representative of the Red Cross.
The meeting, which was attended by about 20 citizens, began with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the monthly “officer of the month” award. This award is a $25 gift certificate donated by a local restaurant. While the award sometimes goes to an officer for a heroic deed or bust, this month’s award went to a patrolman who had distinguished himself on “community engagement.” He led a group of police carolers for a holiday parade down one of the district’s toughest streets and was an active participant in a “community walk.” That is where an officer walks through a neighborhood with community residents who point out issues, such as vacant houses that might be used for drug dealing etc. The idea of the walk is not just to prevent crime but to build trust and interaction between the neighborhoods and their assigned officers.
Following the remarks and Q&A with Sarbanes, the district commander, Major Bill Davis, who was just promoted to the post, gave his monthly crime update.
(It should be noted how comfortable and at ease Davis was with the group, frequently cracking jokes. This may be attributable to his outgoing personality and some training in communications, but it also could be due to the long history of the council’s relationship with the district police officers. Earlier, Woody observed Adamski being greeted with hugs by two other officers at the station.)
Davis outlined his priorities for 2010. Topping the list is their drive to get guns out of the hands of criminals. Baltimore has a gun offender registry program. Persons convicted of gun offenses must register their addresses with the police and police regularly stop by to check on them.
“We are harassing them around the clock,” said Davis.
Another priority is their Cops on the Dots program, where they will station officers on foot in areas where they have been many crimes reported.
One priority that might be surprising to some is their interest in nabbing youths in violation of the daytime and nighttime curfew regulations. Davis said they will send a squad car out during school hours to pick up 15 and under juveniles. After 11 on weekdays and midnight on weekends they are looking for 16 and under youths in violation of the curfew.
Davis said his fourth priority is community engagement. He said their goal is to break down barriers between officers and the community. He even made an appeal for help in fixing up their “crappy” station house, especially for a memorial to fallen officers. (He added that any help that comes their way cannot be given with any expectation of a quid pro quo.) A bank employee present said she would talk to her bosses about a gift.
After his presentation, Davis took questions. But residents are told NOT to bring up any specific problems in their streets or neighborhoods but to talk to officers afterwards. This is out of concern that word could leak out and that the complaining residents could be targeted by law-breakers.
Davis talked with us briefly about the Council after the meeting. He said the council’s fundraising efforts and monthly awards are very important. He said it gives officers the sense that community is really backing them up and it shows in their effort. Techentin could not provide us with any specific examples of where the council’s efforts directly resulted in a reduction in crime, but she said this is now a district where officers asked to be assigned. We plan a follow-up conversation with Davis to understand his perspective on the value of the council.
Baltimore Field Trip – Part 2 April 2, 2010 (by tony)
Tony Hausner and Woody Brosnan interviewed Major William Davis, Commander Southeastern Baltimore Police district, on April 2, 2010, about his relationship with the Southeastern District Community Relations Council (http://www.SEPCRC.org/ ). The district covers an area of Baltimore that includes Fells Point and Baltimore Harbor and goes east to I95.
Davis said the SEPRC has a positive impact on the morale of the department and in combating crime in the district. The community and police work closely together. The community provides support in cases where the district is facing problems with raises, furloughs, and general moral support, e.g., when officers are injured, they provide support to families and this is appreciated by entire police staff. The council raises money through fundraisers and business contributions to fund its activities, including a monthly award program for officers chosen by the major.
The major develops crime plans in consultation with the SEPCRC and neighborhood leaders.
A key to success is commander’s willingness to work with community. Not all district commanders are so inclined.
SEPCRC provides leads on criminal activity and problems in their neighborhoods, like suspected drug houses. Occasionally, SEPCRC reports problems with police conduct.
All community leaders have the major’s cell phone number.
SEPCRC sponsors cops in literacy program, where cops work with kids on reading. Citizens on Patrol, an officer goes out with each patrol team. They deal with more than crime, such as trash, etc. Commander goes out 1-2 per month on these. It is very useful for establishing communications between citizens and police. Usually 1-2 hours per walk. There are usually 5 walks per week, but in different neighborhoods.
2) Minneapolis, MN Police Department neighborhood policing plans
From Jim Zepp
Training & Technical Assistance Director
Justice Research and Statistics Association
North Four Corners Civic Association
Thought that this may be of interest to you as an example of a police department working with local community groups to strategically address crime issues in a comprehensive and long-term manner. For the last four years, the Minneapolis, MN Police Department in conjunction with resident organizations has developed annual neighborhood policing plans including performance measures for 83 communities across its five precincts - www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/safe/NeighborhoodPolicingPlans.asp. As you can see from reading these documents, an important element in the planning process is the participation of community members as equal partners in setting priorities and developing strategies for crime problems. This is part of the city’s multi-pronged ”Smart Policing” initiative that combines staff resource allocation and adoption of new technologies to address emerging crime problems - www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/news/20081228saferMpls.asp.