Baltimore Dedicates $3 Million To Plug Holes In Police Force
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore's mayor says the city will spend $3 million to put more cops on the beat.
As WJZ's Alex DeMetrick reports, the plan is to hire 100 new officers.
Cops patrolling 24 hours per day is the bedrock of policing, but in Baltimore that bedrock is crumbling.
"The number of people resigning, the number of people quitting and the number of people retiring has exceeded our hiring rate," says Commissioner Kevin Davis.
The Fraternal Order of Police says its hit patrol work the hardest.
Two weeks ago, the mayor moved to plug that shortage.
"I want folks who are sitting behind desks who have the ability to be on patrol, to be patrolling our city and neighborhoods," she said.
So 100 officers are being moved from current duties to patrols, in addition to the 100 planned hires.
"We're very happy that she was able to find the money to hire 100 extra new officers," says FOP President Gene Ryan.
"Of course our biggest concern is the officers on the street. It's going to take time to train officers, recruit them, hire them."
Numbers are an issue.
In 2011 Baltimore had 3,000 officers, 200 murders and 60,000 arrests.
Last year, with 2,500 officers, murders topped 300 with 25,000 arrests.
"I want to say this to all of Baltimore: We're hiring. We need people from Baltimore to step up to the plate," the mayor said.
"But even with 100 new officers, police could still be left scrambling to catch up.
"We're losing more than we're hiring, right? And that's a very scary thought," says Ryan.
Especially when it takes years for officers to master the skills of working patrol.
To recruit 100 new officers, Baltimore will be competing with other jurisdictions, many of which offer better pay and benefits.
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