Mayor Scott launches Safe Passage initiative to improve student safety

BALTIMORE -- Mayor Brandon Scott has announced the launch of the city's Safe Passage initiative, a strategy to help improve safety for students traveling to and from school. 

The program is a combined effort between the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), the Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS), Baltimore City Public School System, and the Maryland Transit Administration Police (MTA). 

The city said it will use data on student involved incidents to determine ideal areas for Safe Passage sites.  The sites will be staffed with Safe Passage Partners from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., monitoring student traffic and ensuring safe travels for students at the end of each school day. 

The city has set Mondawmin, and Sate Center as the first Safe Passage priority areas. 

"I want to thank all of the partners who have convened to make Baltimore Safe Passage a reality for our young people," Scott said. "As we head into the final weeks of school, this initiative is a critical part of our broader youth safety focus during the summer months."

The city said Safe Passage Partners work in partnership with area schools, Frederick Douglass High School, Vivien T. Thomas, and Renaissance Academy school communities, MTA Police, and Baltimore City agencies.

The city also launched an interactive map that shows Baltimore's Safe Passage priority locations.