Hours after riots engulfed one of the city's most-troubled areas, the national NAACP says it will open a satellite office in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood.
The office will be supported by the National NAACP and its legal department to offer residents expungement services and legal counsel on a variety of issues including claims of police misconduct, the organization said in a statement. The office will also register voters and process any other requests for assistance by members of the community.
The group will launch the office Tuesday morning at 1135 Gilmor Street with National NAACP President CEO Cornell William Brookes, Chair of the Board Roslyn M. Brock and Baltimore City NAACP President Tessa Hill-Aston.
The Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood has received national attention following the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody.
"We have always been committed to taking the NAACP to the heart of the community," said Hill-Aston.
"In the last several weeks we've heard from people who say they need direct access to us and need help around expungement, police arrests, substandard housing, poor education and massive unemployment. The National NAACP is stepping up in a big way and this may be a model for our branches around the country," she added.
The new satellite office space has been made available by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore Housing Commissioner, the statement said. The office will be open during regular business hours and will be staffed by Baltimore City and National NAACP volunteers and staff.