Press Release - Office of the Governor

Governor O'Malley Addresses Parole and Probation's Violence Prevention Initiative

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 29, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley today addressed agents of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Parole and Probation Violence Prevention Initiative at their training session at the Judicial Training Center in Annapolis. 

“Improving public safety in our neighborhoods and communities is the most important duty we have as a State,” said Governor O’Malley.  “The importance of this initiative is changing the way we prevent violence in our communities through Parole and Probation. Already, in the short time since we created this initiative, we have taken real, tangible strides in turning around our department and making real progress in some of the most violent jurisdictions in our State.”

Governor O’Malley created the Violence Prevention Unit, as part of the Violence Prevention Initiative last July, to identify individuals with violent histories who are at risk of continuing down a violent path.  Modeled after the New York Parole and Probation Violence program, the Violence Prevention Initiative would monitor and supervise these violent offenders more closely, and share information between local and state law enforcement.  As a result of the new initiative, 1,200 individuals have been identified in the State as the most violent offenders, and working together with local law enforcement, warrants are tracked much faster.  

During his remarks, Governor O’Malley outlined his vision for the new unit, and stressed the importance of sharing and working with local law enforcement to make Maryland a safer place. 

“With some simple adjustments, our State government is becoming a partner again with local jurisdictions to reduce violent crime,” said Governor O’Malley.  “We are committed to giving our agents the tools they need to help us fight back against violent crime – wherever it occurs in Maryland.”

This year, Governor O’Malley has proposed legislation that would expand the State’s DNA database to arrestees of “Crimes of Violence” and burglaries to improve public safety and solve violent crimes in our communities. Governor O’Malley has also proposed a $1 million allocation for the purchase of GPS Electronic Monitoring equipment to monitor, track, and supervise 200 of the State’s most at-risk juvenile offenders, and the creation of the Violence Prevention Unit within the Department of Juvenile Services that will supervise and monitor these at-risk youth. 
In the last year, the O’Malley-Brown Administration took important steps to increase security in communities in every region of our state.  Together, we have:

• Ended parole for child sex offenders with Jessica’s Law.
• Invested $2 million in monitoring child sex offenders – including GPS tracking.
• Closed Maryland’s most violent prison, the Maryland House of Corrections.
• Passed a tough anti-gang law to help prosecutors get convictions.
• Boosted drug treatment by $5 million.
• Began long-needed reform of Juvenile Services, opening the first new, smaller facility in years.
• Initiated a Comstat Technical Assistance program to enhance crime analysis.
• Launched a Gang Intelligence Gathering Initiative to track gang members by sharing information between State and local governmental correctional facilities.
• Forged a partnership with the District of Columbia to fight cross-border gun trafficking.
• Begun sharing live arrest data with DC to enable Parole and Probation to get re-offenders off the street.
• Enabled State Police to access mental health data before approving gun purchases – in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy.