Q & A -- CONVERSATIONS WITH TWO PROMINENT OFFICIALS ABOUT CRIME IN BALTIMORE

The Baltimore Sun

SHEILA DIXON

Sheila Dixon became the city's 48th mayor on Jan. 17 when her predecessor, Martin O'Malley, was sworn in as governor. In an interview this week, Dixon talks about what she believes is causing crime and how she intends to deal with it.

What do you think is causing this year's increase in homicides and shootings?

I think it's an increase in the number of illegal guns that people have access to. I think it's also a mechanism where people are choosing to kill versus [to] resolve unresolved issues of disrespect. This is the route that people have chosen. And it buries [the] why - some of it is drug related, some of it is respect related, some is gang related.

Could you briefly summarize ... your approach, your crime plan?

I think we need to continue to focus on the quality of life, but we need to put even more emphasis on our most violent offenders.

The community engagement piece, I think, is extremely important and significant because when you have information, when folks are trusting officers and vice versa, when they're out there and they're visible, people will begin to be able to give information because that's a big piece of this. ...

I think there's a breakdown in the judicial system. I'm not just saying from the Police Department and the state's attorney, but I think on all levels. I think we need to look at all of that and evaluate it.

What is the appropriate level for a mayor to be involved in crime fighting versus a police commissioner?

I think that the police commissioner should be the leader in the crime-fighting effort. I think that the mayor should support the Police Department and the police commissioner and the command staff in their plan and provide them with the necessary tools and resources needed.

I also think the mayor should be the one to evaluate what they're doing so that that accountability is there.

The 300 number [of homicides], we're on pace for that right now. ... Is that symbolic? Is that substantive? How important is that 300 number if we hit it and if we continue to be on pace to hit it?

My hope is that we don't reach it. It is significant in moving the city backward versus forward. We're at a point where we have every element, every ingredient to be a successful city. And that's why we have to stop taking these Band-Aid approaches.

John Fritze

LEONARD D. HAMM

Leonard D. Hamm has served as commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department for 2 1/2 years, after a long career on the city force. In an interview this week, Hamm talks about crime and possible solutions.

What is your sense of crime in this city, about halfway through the year now? Do you feel that it's gotten worse? Are there some positive things?

Of course, we're still struggling with murders in the city, and we're still struggling with nonfatal shootings in the city. Robberies are down, aggravated assaults are down, rapes are down. We're seeing property crimes down. But ultimately, as a police department, as a commissioner, we're going to be judged on murders and nonfatal shootings.

Baltimore is on track to possibly surpass 300 [homicides this year]. ... What are your thoughts on that?

I don't like the fact ... that we have 100 murders in this town. Three hundred is unacceptable, but I don't like the fact that we have 100. All of those [murders] affect me psychologically.

What's going on that's gotten worse?

It's younger people with weapons killing younger people. The nexus, we believe, are gangs, revolving around drugs, territory. ... It's a dangerous combination when you put those together. ... We've had 17 more juvenile [nonfatal shootings] than this time last year. ... We're coincidentally up 19 [homicides as of June 26] than this time last year. So you can see that young people with guns clearly are affecting that.

You grew up in a different time in the city. You've seen it, you've been here. ... How do you perceive [the crime and the drug problem]?

We had different value systems growing up. In Cherry Hill, we valued family, church, community, education. ... Those value systems in a lot of our communities have changed. When you have changed value systems, then you start seeing crimes like you're seeing now.

With redevelopment has come dislocation ... of poor people moving to other parts of the city. ... Is that something that the Police Department is seeing as resulting in a shift in crime patterns?

Clearly when we imploded the [public housing] high-rises on east side/west side, they went to Northeast Baltimore. And clearly we have more calls for service in Northeast Baltimore, we have more crime in Northeast Baltimore, because that's where those people went. So we have done some things in Northeast Baltimore as a police department to address that. I think now it kind of behooves the City Council and behooves the city that, as we're doing all this development, that affordable housing be built in also.

Gus G. Sentementes

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