Dixon says violence 'has to stop'
Week of mayhem prompts limited police overtime increase, surveillance camera shifts
By Annie Linskey
sun reporter
Originally published May 25, 2007
Amid a bloody week in which 17 city residents were shot - four fatally - Mayor Sheila Dixon announced yesterday that she will selectively increase police officer overtime and move some surveillance cameras to higher-crime areas.
"The violence is unacceptable, and it has to stop," Dixon said at a City Hall news conference in reaction to the spike in violence. "I'm outraged that a small number of armed thugs can make so many citizens in this city feel unsafe in their own homes."
Dixon could not give figures on the proposed overtime increase, but she said that it would be targeted to specific units. As mayor, she has pushed reducing police overtime, compared with the prior administration, but she insisted that the new directive does not signal an overall increase in overtime availability for officers.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III said that only some "highly motivated" squads would be allowed to take the overtime.
The mayor noted that violent crime in Baltimore is down, but acknowledged that city residents are shaken by the recent shootings.
"They have watched too many of their neighbors, including children, being killed in the senseless shootings that occurred on our streets every day," Dixon said.
There have been 75 more non-fatal shootings this year than there were last year at this time, an increase of 37 percent, according to city police statistics. The number of homicides is up, with 114 killings this year, compared with 104 at this time last year.
Recent victims include Jasman Elmore, 18, of the 800 block of W. Lexington St. He was a victim of a triple shooting Wednesday night at the 2300 block of Frederick Ave. Four others were shot, but not killed, that day in other incidents around the city.
Another recent homicide victim was Curtis Taylor, 22, of the 1200 block of Bloomingdale Road, who also died Wednesday. He was one of four people shot Tuesday evening on Mount Royal Avenue, near Guilford Avenue, a few blocks from Baltimore's Pennsylvania Station. Five others were shot in other incidents that day.
Killed Tuesday in separate incidents were Alexander Rose, 23, who was shot in the 2300 block of E. Fayette St., and Adrian Smith, 23, shot in the 200 block of E. 21st St.
We need other people to be outraged with us," Dixon said. "I don't think anyone wants to live in the midst of violence and murder and killings. Nobody does. We need to hear from them."
People who live in the first block of Gorman Ave. - near the scene of a shooting early yesterday morning - sat on front steps yesterday and worried about safety.
"You can't walk out here without being ... shot at," said Twinkle Scott, 22, holding her six- month-old boy on her hip. "This summer is coming, and there are going to be bodies dropping left and right."
Although everyone had heard about yesterday's nonfatal shooting, nobody said they knew who aimed the gun at a 22-year-old. He was struck in the right arm and shin when leaving a bar about 1:40 a.m. and was in good condition yesterday, said Officer Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman.
Deon Johnson, 13, said he heard gunshots. He said he wishes a police camera were on every block.
With his grandmother, LaTanaya Scott, looking on, Deon explained that the cameras would help solve crimes. He said such assistance is needed because most people, including himself, would never "snitch" to a police officer about a crime. "If someone tells the police and then that person finds out, they might get killed," he said. Adults nodded.
When Deon was 4, he said, his father was shot and killed.
Down the street, Janet Robertson was preparing for the funeral of her son, Alvin Parson, 22. He died at Maryland Shock Trauma Center on Saturday, nine days after two people rammed him with their car. Her son's death had been considered an accident but is now being investigated as a homicide.
When asked if she felt safe in her neighborhood, she paused for a while and said: "No."
"We as a community are trying to do something," she said, sitting in her living room. "But it is not working. It's hard when you have the drugs and the police that you can't trust."
At the City Hall news conference, Police Commissioner Leonard D. Hamm compared the relationship between the citizens of Baltimore and the police to that of a spurned lover.
"The way I look at trust in the community is the same way I look at a love affair," Hamm said. "If you've ever had a lover and you cheat on her, how are you going to get that trust back?"
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
Bmore:5/26 - 20 shot/7 killed during week- 114 homicides
-
Qdawg
- Super Heavy Weight
- Posts: 3926
- Joined: December 20th, 2005, 4:42 pm
- Location: Bx,ny-(secor houses) 2 bmore
Three men slain in Baltimore
Correctional officer who worked at city jail among victims in unrelated incidents
By Gus G. Sentementes
sun reporter
Originally published May 26, 2007
A longtime Baltimore correctional officer was one of three men killed in separate incidents overnight yesterday.
Lt. Perry Van Brooks, a 23-year correction veteran who has worked at the city's Central Booking and Intake Center since 1997, was shot in the left forearm and in the head at his car behind his Northeast Baltimore home.
Detectives said they believe Brooks might have known his killer, though they did not elaborate.
A grandson found Brooks, 48, dead in the car yesterday morning, police said. Brooks' 2004 Nissan Altima was parked in the rear driveway of his home in the 1900 block of Hillenwood Road.
Barbara Cooper, a spokeswoman for the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services, said there are no indications that Brooks' slaying was related to his job.
But Glenard S. Middleton Sr., executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local, which represents correctional officers, issued a statement saying: "If we find that this senseless death is in any way connected to his employment as a corrections officer," the union will "use every resource at its disposal to help bring those responsible to justice."
Cooper called Brooks a "diligent worker" who was well-liked. He worked the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift on the booking floor, overseeing the detainee release process.
Two other people were killed in the city yesterday.
About 4 a.m. in West Baltimore, firefighters arrived at a burning rowhouse in the 400 block of W. Mosher St. Around the corner, in the 1500 block of McCulloh St., authorities said a man was found suffering from gunshot wounds, a handgun lying near him.
The man was identified as a tenant of the rowhouse, said Officer Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman. He was pronounced dead at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. His name had not been released.
Detectives have preliminarily classified his death as suspicious until an autopsy is completed, Monroe said.
About 6:25 a.m., a man was found fatally stabbed in an alley in the 4000 block of Belvieu Ave. in Northwest Baltimore's West Arlington neighborhood. Emergency crews pronounced the man dead at the scene. His name had not been released.
The spate of violence followed Mayor Sheila Dixon's announcement Thursday that she would increase police officer overtime and move surveillance cameras to areas hit hard by shootings.
Dixon and police had reined in high overtime spending, even as homicides and nonfatal shootings this year have been ahead of last year's pace, and while the department struggles with a shortage of roughly 200 officers.
Not including the three deaths being investigated yesterday, the city has had 114 homicides this year - 10 more than during the same period last year. Through last week, crime statistics show that there were 263 nonfatal shootings, 73 more than last year for the same period.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
Correctional officer who worked at city jail among victims in unrelated incidents
By Gus G. Sentementes
sun reporter
Originally published May 26, 2007
A longtime Baltimore correctional officer was one of three men killed in separate incidents overnight yesterday.
Lt. Perry Van Brooks, a 23-year correction veteran who has worked at the city's Central Booking and Intake Center since 1997, was shot in the left forearm and in the head at his car behind his Northeast Baltimore home.
Detectives said they believe Brooks might have known his killer, though they did not elaborate.
A grandson found Brooks, 48, dead in the car yesterday morning, police said. Brooks' 2004 Nissan Altima was parked in the rear driveway of his home in the 1900 block of Hillenwood Road.
Barbara Cooper, a spokeswoman for the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services, said there are no indications that Brooks' slaying was related to his job.
But Glenard S. Middleton Sr., executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local, which represents correctional officers, issued a statement saying: "If we find that this senseless death is in any way connected to his employment as a corrections officer," the union will "use every resource at its disposal to help bring those responsible to justice."
Cooper called Brooks a "diligent worker" who was well-liked. He worked the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift on the booking floor, overseeing the detainee release process.
Two other people were killed in the city yesterday.
About 4 a.m. in West Baltimore, firefighters arrived at a burning rowhouse in the 400 block of W. Mosher St. Around the corner, in the 1500 block of McCulloh St., authorities said a man was found suffering from gunshot wounds, a handgun lying near him.
The man was identified as a tenant of the rowhouse, said Officer Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman. He was pronounced dead at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. His name had not been released.
Detectives have preliminarily classified his death as suspicious until an autopsy is completed, Monroe said.
About 6:25 a.m., a man was found fatally stabbed in an alley in the 4000 block of Belvieu Ave. in Northwest Baltimore's West Arlington neighborhood. Emergency crews pronounced the man dead at the scene. His name had not been released.
The spate of violence followed Mayor Sheila Dixon's announcement Thursday that she would increase police officer overtime and move surveillance cameras to areas hit hard by shootings.
Dixon and police had reined in high overtime spending, even as homicides and nonfatal shootings this year have been ahead of last year's pace, and while the department struggles with a shortage of roughly 200 officers.
Not including the three deaths being investigated yesterday, the city has had 114 homicides this year - 10 more than during the same period last year. Through last week, crime statistics show that there were 263 nonfatal shootings, 73 more than last year for the same period.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
-
Qdawg
- Super Heavy Weight
- Posts: 3926
- Joined: December 20th, 2005, 4:42 pm
- Location: Bx,ny-(secor houses) 2 bmore
Man killed in W. Baltimore shooting
Originally published May 27, 2007
An unidentified man was fatally shot in the 1600 block of Vincent Court in West Baltimore yesterday morning.
Police responded to a call about a shooting about 2:30 a.m. Officers arrived to find a victim suffering from multiple gun shot wounds.
The victim was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:52 a.m.
Police said yesterday that they had no suspects or motives.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
Originally published May 27, 2007
An unidentified man was fatally shot in the 1600 block of Vincent Court in West Baltimore yesterday morning.
Police responded to a call about a shooting about 2:30 a.m. Officers arrived to find a victim suffering from multiple gun shot wounds.
The victim was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:52 a.m.
Police said yesterday that they had no suspects or motives.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
-
Qdawg
- Super Heavy Weight
- Posts: 3926
- Joined: December 20th, 2005, 4:42 pm
- Location: Bx,ny-(secor houses) 2 bmore
Homeless men argue; one fatally stabbed
Originally published May 28, 2007
An argument between two homeless men ended yesterday afternoon in a fatal stabbing about a block from Baltimore's City Hall, authorities reported.
The stabbing occurred shortly before 3 p.m. in the 200 block of N. Gay St. The victim - whose name was withheld - died less than an hour later at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He was the third person slain in the city since early Saturday, according to city police.
Police said two men were fatally shot Saturday in West Baltimore, one in the early morning and another in the evening.
At 2 a.m. Saturday, Brian Johnson, 31, of the 500 block of Half Mile Court was found shot in front of a house in the 1600 block of Vincent Court and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Eight spent shell casings from a semiautomatic handgun were found nearby, police said.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, in the 700 block of N. Payson St., police found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Officer Troy Harris, a police spokesman.
Harris said the man had been shot once in the head and the woman had a graze wound to her lower back. Both were taken to Shock Trauma, where the man, Amin Reed, 30, of no fixed address, was pronounced dead at 10:12 p.m., Harris said. The woman's name was not released.
Police also reported two other shootings - about a half-hour apart - in the Western District yesterday morning.
Shortly after 2 a.m., a 19-year-old man was shot in the 900 block of N. Monroe St., and about 2:40 a.m., police found a 25-year-old man shot in the first block of Gorman Ave., Harris said. Their wounds were not life-threatening, he added.
No arrests had been made in any of the cases, police said.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
Originally published May 28, 2007
An argument between two homeless men ended yesterday afternoon in a fatal stabbing about a block from Baltimore's City Hall, authorities reported.
The stabbing occurred shortly before 3 p.m. in the 200 block of N. Gay St. The victim - whose name was withheld - died less than an hour later at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He was the third person slain in the city since early Saturday, according to city police.
Police said two men were fatally shot Saturday in West Baltimore, one in the early morning and another in the evening.
At 2 a.m. Saturday, Brian Johnson, 31, of the 500 block of Half Mile Court was found shot in front of a house in the 1600 block of Vincent Court and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Eight spent shell casings from a semiautomatic handgun were found nearby, police said.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, in the 700 block of N. Payson St., police found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Officer Troy Harris, a police spokesman.
Harris said the man had been shot once in the head and the woman had a graze wound to her lower back. Both were taken to Shock Trauma, where the man, Amin Reed, 30, of no fixed address, was pronounced dead at 10:12 p.m., Harris said. The woman's name was not released.
Police also reported two other shootings - about a half-hour apart - in the Western District yesterday morning.
Shortly after 2 a.m., a 19-year-old man was shot in the 900 block of N. Monroe St., and about 2:40 a.m., police found a 25-year-old man shot in the first block of Gorman Ave., Harris said. Their wounds were not life-threatening, he added.
No arrests had been made in any of the cases, police said.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
-
Qdawg
- Super Heavy Weight
- Posts: 3926
- Joined: December 20th, 2005, 4:42 pm
- Location: Bx,ny-(secor houses) 2 bmore
Man, 19, city's latest homicide victim
He is one of 4 killed over holiday weekend; toll for the year is reported to be 118
By John Fritze
sun reporter
Originally published May 29, 2007
A 19-year-old East Baltimore man was shot to death as he sat in a minivan in Baltimore's Cedonia neighborhood, the latest victim during a violent holiday weekend that added four victims to the city's homicide toll.
Davon Williams, whose last known address was in the 3600 block of Dudley Ave., was shot in the head about 5:15 a.m. Saturday in the 5800 block of Waycross Road, Baltimore police said. He was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital hours later. Police had made no arrests in the case.
It was the latest in a spate of killings in Baltimore. The latest reported city homicide toll for the year is 118.
The killings have prompted a city minister, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, to call for a "Stop the Sinning" campaign, and they have pushed Mayor Sheila Dixon's administration to consider selectively increasing police overtime and shifting some of the city's surveillance cameras to higher-crime areas.
"One is too many. So many families are affected," said City Council Vice President Robert W. Curran, who recently proposed legislation that would have allowed the city to close off traffic to certain neighborhoods - a proposal that met with stiff opposition in the council. "We need to figure out how to move this discussion forward."
In one of the weekend killings, an argument between two homeless men ended Sunday when one stabbed the other about a block from City Hall on N. Gay St. Police said they arrested George Kensler, 59, in that stabbing. The name of the victim was not released.
And two men, Brian Johnson, 31, and Amin Reed, 30, were fatally shot Saturday in separate incidents in West Baltimore, police said.
The violence came days after the Dixon administration announced the city would begin offering overtime to specific police units in coming weeks in an effort to halt the violence.
An administration spokesman, Anthony McCarthy, said yesterday the new overtime policy had not gone into effect but would shortly.
Dixon unveiled a crime strategy this month that indicated her administration is shifting away from the zero-tolerance policy of her predecessor, Martin O'Malley. Instead, Dixon has called for more city safe zones - in which high-crime neighborhoods receive extra police attention - and also a greater emphasis on individual violent criminals.
Last week, Bryant, who heads Empowerment Temple AMC Church, vowed to decrease by half the number of killings in the city. He said a gun buy-back is slated for June 1, and members of the clergy and others would go to neighborhoods to talk with young men who are likely to be the perpetrators and victims of violence.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
He is one of 4 killed over holiday weekend; toll for the year is reported to be 118
By John Fritze
sun reporter
Originally published May 29, 2007
A 19-year-old East Baltimore man was shot to death as he sat in a minivan in Baltimore's Cedonia neighborhood, the latest victim during a violent holiday weekend that added four victims to the city's homicide toll.
Davon Williams, whose last known address was in the 3600 block of Dudley Ave., was shot in the head about 5:15 a.m. Saturday in the 5800 block of Waycross Road, Baltimore police said. He was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital hours later. Police had made no arrests in the case.
It was the latest in a spate of killings in Baltimore. The latest reported city homicide toll for the year is 118.
The killings have prompted a city minister, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, to call for a "Stop the Sinning" campaign, and they have pushed Mayor Sheila Dixon's administration to consider selectively increasing police overtime and shifting some of the city's surveillance cameras to higher-crime areas.
"One is too many. So many families are affected," said City Council Vice President Robert W. Curran, who recently proposed legislation that would have allowed the city to close off traffic to certain neighborhoods - a proposal that met with stiff opposition in the council. "We need to figure out how to move this discussion forward."
In one of the weekend killings, an argument between two homeless men ended Sunday when one stabbed the other about a block from City Hall on N. Gay St. Police said they arrested George Kensler, 59, in that stabbing. The name of the victim was not released.
And two men, Brian Johnson, 31, and Amin Reed, 30, were fatally shot Saturday in separate incidents in West Baltimore, police said.
The violence came days after the Dixon administration announced the city would begin offering overtime to specific police units in coming weeks in an effort to halt the violence.
An administration spokesman, Anthony McCarthy, said yesterday the new overtime policy had not gone into effect but would shortly.
Dixon unveiled a crime strategy this month that indicated her administration is shifting away from the zero-tolerance policy of her predecessor, Martin O'Malley. Instead, Dixon has called for more city safe zones - in which high-crime neighborhoods receive extra police attention - and also a greater emphasis on individual violent criminals.
Last week, Bryant, who heads Empowerment Temple AMC Church, vowed to decrease by half the number of killings in the city. He said a gun buy-back is slated for June 1, and members of the clergy and others would go to neighborhoods to talk with young men who are likely to be the perpetrators and victims of violence.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... timorecity
-
Qdawg
- Super Heavy Weight
- Posts: 3926
- Joined: December 20th, 2005, 4:42 pm
- Location: Bx,ny-(secor houses) 2 bmore
Man killed, 2 others hurt in city shootings
Death in West Baltimore was fifth of weekend, 121st for the year
By a Sun Reporter
Originally published May 29, 2007, 8:24 AM EDT
One man was killed and two others were wounded in separate shootings this morning and last night in West Baltimore, city police said.
The city's latest slaying occurred about 1:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Moreland Ave., just north of Easterwood Park. Police said officers responding to reports of gunfire found a 27-year-old man lying on the front porch of a rowhouse.
He was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where police said he was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. Police said he had been shot several times but released no other details. They said there is no known motive or suspects.
Earlier this morning, about 12:45 a.m. police said a man was shot in the foot several blocks from the slaying scene, in the 1600 block of Presbury St., near Fulton Avenue. Police would say only that the victim is 19 years old and was treated at a city hospital.
Yesterday about 10:30 p.m., police said a gunman chased a 17-year-old male into Jemella's Liquors and Cut Rate store in the 1800 block of W. Mosher St., also in West Baltimore. A police spokesman said that as the teen huddled in a corner of the carryout, the gunman shot him in the back and in the back of the head.
The teen was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition this morning, police said.
Five people were slain in the city over the three-day holiday weekend. Police say that 121 people have been killed in the city so far this year, compared with 109 at the same time last year.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... -headlines
Death in West Baltimore was fifth of weekend, 121st for the year
By a Sun Reporter
Originally published May 29, 2007, 8:24 AM EDT
One man was killed and two others were wounded in separate shootings this morning and last night in West Baltimore, city police said.
The city's latest slaying occurred about 1:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Moreland Ave., just north of Easterwood Park. Police said officers responding to reports of gunfire found a 27-year-old man lying on the front porch of a rowhouse.
He was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where police said he was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. Police said he had been shot several times but released no other details. They said there is no known motive or suspects.
Earlier this morning, about 12:45 a.m. police said a man was shot in the foot several blocks from the slaying scene, in the 1600 block of Presbury St., near Fulton Avenue. Police would say only that the victim is 19 years old and was treated at a city hospital.
Yesterday about 10:30 p.m., police said a gunman chased a 17-year-old male into Jemella's Liquors and Cut Rate store in the 1800 block of W. Mosher St., also in West Baltimore. A police spokesman said that as the teen huddled in a corner of the carryout, the gunman shot him in the back and in the back of the head.
The teen was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition this morning, police said.
Five people were slain in the city over the three-day holiday weekend. Police say that 121 people have been killed in the city so far this year, compared with 109 at the same time last year.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... -headlines
-
Qdawg
- Super Heavy Weight
- Posts: 3926
- Joined: December 20th, 2005, 4:42 pm
- Location: Bx,ny-(secor houses) 2 bmore
Three men fatally shot in city
Pace of homicides in Baltimore averages one a day for the month
By Gus G. Sentementes
Sun Reporter
Originally published May 30, 2007, 8:45 AM EDT
Three men were killed in separate incidents last night and early this morning, pushing the pace of homicides in Baltimore to an average of one a day in May.
Law enforcement officials attribute at least part of the violence to drug turf battles and an increase in gang rivalries. In many cases, police and prosecutors complain that victims and witnesses are reluctant to cooperate with investigators, and instead settle scores outside of the city's criminal justice system.
The latest slaying occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Officers who were responding to a call for a shooting found a man lying in the 100 block of N. Warwick Ave., with gunshot wounds to his chest, police said. The man was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead this morning.
Officers who were investigating the incident determined that the shooting originally occurred about one block away, in the 2400 block of W. Lexington St., police said. The victim's name was not immediately available.
Last night about 11 p.m., police found a person fatally shot in the 700 block of Denison St., south of Leakin Park. No further details were available from police.
The third victim was found shot yesterday shortly before 3 p.m., police said. Responding to a call for a shooting, officers found a man lying in a parking lot at Clifton Avenue and Denison Street, north of Leakin Park. The man was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he died at 4:16 p.m., police said.
No arrests have been made in any of the cases.
Pace of homicides in Baltimore averages one a day for the month
By Gus G. Sentementes
Sun Reporter
Originally published May 30, 2007, 8:45 AM EDT
Three men were killed in separate incidents last night and early this morning, pushing the pace of homicides in Baltimore to an average of one a day in May.
Law enforcement officials attribute at least part of the violence to drug turf battles and an increase in gang rivalries. In many cases, police and prosecutors complain that victims and witnesses are reluctant to cooperate with investigators, and instead settle scores outside of the city's criminal justice system.
The latest slaying occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Officers who were responding to a call for a shooting found a man lying in the 100 block of N. Warwick Ave., with gunshot wounds to his chest, police said. The man was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead this morning.
Officers who were investigating the incident determined that the shooting originally occurred about one block away, in the 2400 block of W. Lexington St., police said. The victim's name was not immediately available.
Last night about 11 p.m., police found a person fatally shot in the 700 block of Denison St., south of Leakin Park. No further details were available from police.
The third victim was found shot yesterday shortly before 3 p.m., police said. Responding to a call for a shooting, officers found a man lying in a parking lot at Clifton Avenue and Denison Street, north of Leakin Park. The man was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he died at 4:16 p.m., police said.
No arrests have been made in any of the cases.
-
Mcminister
- Heavy Weight
- Posts: 2900
- Joined: July 4th, 2006, 4:15 pm
- Location: Africa
- Contact: