Press Release - Office of the Governor

Governor O'Malley, Speaker Busch Announce Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Crime in Annapolis

Memorandum of Understanding Signed Establishing the Capital City Safe Streets Coalition; Collaboration between State and Local Officials a Model for communities across the State

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 21, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley, Speaker of the House Michael Busch, Annapolis City Mayor Ellen Moyer, U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein and local officials today announced a comprehensive plan to reduce crime in Annapolis and signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Capital City Safe Streets Coalition. 

“Working together, improving public safety in our neighborhoods and communities is the most important responsibility we have as a State,” said Governor O’Malley.  “In the past, our State has never been the partner our local police departments deserve in the fight against violent crime.  Today, we are working together to improve public safety in every region of our State.”

“The Capital City Safe Streets program is an unprecedented public safety strategy that pairs state and federal resources, with local and community efforts to address crime in smaller communities,” said Speaker Michael E. Busch. "I want to thank Governor O'Malley for lending his public safety expertise to the City of Annapolis to create a model program that can be replicated across the State."

The plan would establish partnerships between the city of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, State and federal agencies to focus on crime reduction.  Under the plan, the Annapolis Police Department would improve their crime mapping capabilities, and would hire a crime analyst and a criminal justice coordinator to help develop strategies to reduce crime.  The plan also includes:

• The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Division of Parole and Probation’s assistance in identifying and enhancing supervision of the city’s most violent offenders;
• Expedited warrant service for most violent offenders;
• Implementation of a Kiosk system to improve supervision of lower level offenders;
• Collaboration with the State Police Gun Trace Task Force;
• Creation of a local, State and Federal prosecution strategy;
• Coordination of social services; and
• Initiation and enhancement of citizen based crime prevention efforts. 

“This program expresses our passionate intolerance for illegal drugs and the violence that accompanies them,” said Mayor Ellen O. Moyer.  “It will require collaboration, cooperation and of all of us working together. Coordinating these efforts is a huge responsibility and we are grateful for the courage that our partners are showing by joining with us.”

“Federal prosecutors are working with the Capital City Safe Streets Coalition to coordinate our efforts and focus our resources on armed criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

The Capital City Safe Streets program is one of the first programs of its kind in the State, which matches local, state and federal law enforcement and social service programs to improve public safety in smaller communities. The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention has the tools to replicate this program in other communities in Maryland, to help match local law enforcement efforts with the resources needed to improve public safety. 

[ View Memorandum of Understanding ]