By Mekhi Abbott,
Special to the AFRO
Community engagement and public safety were the main topics covered at a town hall hosted by Baltimore mayoral candidate Sheila Dixon on Oct. 4 at New Metropolitan Baptist Church.
Dixon, a former Charm City mayor, was joined on the panel by Melvin Russell, retired Baltimore Police Department chief of Community Policing, and retired Judge Wanda Heard. The trio spoke for about 20 minutes before fielding questions, comments and concerns from the community.
Among the more pressing issues voiced by Baltimore residents are the uptick of crime by juveniles and the law enforcement-community relationship.
“[The police] have to work with us and not just police us. There’s a difference between community policing and community engagement,” Heard said in response to comments about how Baltimore police no longer have a relationship with community members. She also added that citizens must get back to “policing ourselves” and that it really starts with leadership– both from inside the household and from community leaders and officials.
“They want us to tell them when crime happens, but they can’t even come out of their car to say hello or ask, ‘How are you?’” Heard said.
Russell added that it is law enforcement’s job to fully engage with the community, and that when those relationships are built then the community will feel safer.
Another major concern was the well-being of seniors, including how seniors can realistically afford to live in their lifelong neighborhoods amid rising property taxes and safety concerns. Mixed population buildings are more common in Baltimore and it has led to more crime being directed toward older adults, experts say.
“When legislation was passed to allow disabled [and mentally ill] individuals to be grouped in with older adults and citizens, it led to a lot of issues,” said Dixon. “We need more affordable housing for elders, and they are a priority for my administration.”
In regards to the uptick of crime being perpetrated by juveniles, Dixon, Russell and Heard all agreed that there must be more accountability on the part of our youth, schools and parents. Additionally, Dixon said Baltimore needs to reestablish more programs and offer more resources to the youth, such as pre-apprenticeship programs and reinstating the academy for public safety, which includes emergency medical services and firemen. This way, Dixon said, Baltimore youth would feel more connected to their community and understand that there are other ways to make a living outside of having to get a college degree.
Russell shared stories about programs he was involved in when he was in law enforcement. The programs allowed him to work directly with underprivileged and troubled youth, which led to a “98 percent success rate,” he said.
At the conclusion of the town hall meeting, Dixon shared that she will be hosting other town halls focused on education and other community issues in the near future.
Dixon is vying for her second stint as the mayor of Baltimore after she was removed from the position as part of a 2010 plea agreement when she was found guilty of embezzling gift cards intended for the poor and giving them as gifts to her family and staff.
Mekhi Abbott is an AFRO Intern from the University of Maryland.