The sponsor of a bill seeking to return control of Baltimore Police back to the city said Friday afternoon he is withdrawing his proposal. Del. Curt Anderson, a city Democrat, discussed the bill with his colleagues in the city delegation which he chairs. He cited a three-page opinion from the Attorney General’s Office that said … Continue reading Effort to give mayor control of Baltimore Police is dead

Apprenticeships have always been a way to provide on-the-job training for people who want to work in the skilled trades; like a carpenter or electrician. Not so much for IT, until now. Steve Grega, for example, has bounced around a lot of jobs in the IT industry, including computer retail, for more than 20 years. … Continue reading The next generation of the apprentice

A group of central West Baltimore residents gathered near Triangle Park Wednesday night to march against the surge of violence in their neighborhood and the city at large. “Our deal is to show that we are the majority of this community and we won’t let a small percentage of violent individuals define what we are … Continue reading The real question about crime in Baltimore

Gene Ryan, president of Baltimore City’s police union, planned to respond to comments made recently by Mayor Catherine Pugh and Commissioner Kevin Davis about staffing issues in the department and contract negotiations. But the union tweeted Sunday evening that the news conference scheduled for Monday will be postponed “due to unforseen (sic) circumstances.”  And that … Continue reading FOP to address mayor, commissioner and contract…at some point

Originally posted on wypr.org on Oct. 14, 2016 In case you missed it, the Baltimore City Police Department is a state agency. It has been that way since the 19th century and it might affect the city’s negotiations with the Department of Justice for sweeping police reforms. It all started in 1854 when the Know-Nothing … Continue reading Baltimore Police a state agency? What does that mean for consent decree?

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js Baltimore’s farewell to local rap artist Tyriece Watson took a New Orleans flavor Friday; a somber funeral in the morning at the Empowerment Temple AME Church in Park Heights and an upbeat community repast in the afternoon at Pennsylvania Avenue and McMechen Street. But instead of jazz, the music was hip-hop. Watson, known as … Continue reading Baltimore celebrates Lor Scoota

Story originally posted on news.wypr.org on Feb. 25, 2016.   Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake often talks of her commitment to police reform. She says her background shows she’s "very meaningful" and "intentional" about "getting [it] right." But her record is a mixed bag of pushing her own ideas for reform and avoiding a definitive stance on a … Continue reading SRB’s Mixed Record on Police Reform

Story originally posted at news.wypr.org on Jan. 28, 2016. Some residents in East Baltimore did not heed the pleas from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to be patient as city crews work to clear streets after the biggest snow storm in city history. Individually or, in some cases, as a block, people shoveled their streets out. Mark Pash shoveled … Continue reading D.I.Y. Snow Removal In East Baltimore

Story originally posted at news.wypr.org on Jan. 8, 2016.   While 2016 is a new year, the public frustrations and political criticisms from 2015 that followed high profile police incidents - like the deaths of Freddie Gray locally and Sandra Bland in Texas – continue to plague officers.  Many of them are worrying over whether or not … Continue reading Cops Ask If They Can Do Their Job This Year