Acting Baltimore police commissioner to start community meeting series Monday
BALTIMORE -- A chance is coming for Baltimore residents to meet face-to-face with the city's acting police commissioner, Richard Worley, and express their thoughts about public safety.
Mayor Brandon Scott and Worley will be in Park Heights Monday night for the first of several in-person community engagement meetings.
A major aim of the meetings is to build trust between the police department and community members, that's why the conversation will be held at The Lord's Church on Park Heights Avenue.
Community members from across Baltimore will have a chance to hear Worley's vision for the future of the BPD and voice their concerns about public safety issues.
"When I'm out, I'm out all of the time, I don't see police talking to people," a Baltimore resident said. "I don't feel as though I can talk to them."
That relationship is one Baltimore's new acting commissioner is hoping to fix.
"He's seen everything that has gone around and happened within Baltimore, so it should change," A Baltimore resident said.
This comes more than after the mass shooting in Brooklyn that killed two people and injured 28 others.
The city is still reeling from the tragedy and trying to figure out what went wrong, and how to make sure this doesn't happen again.
City agencies have faced scrutiny for not being present at the annual Brooklyn Day block party. Both the housing authority and police stated they were unaware the massive party was taking place that evening until it was too late.
One teenager has been arrested in connection with the mass shooting and is expected to go on trial this fall. The 17-year-old is facing gun and riot charges which are not connected to the murders or attempted murders.
At the time, these community engagement meetings were coinciding with the city council's confirmation process of Worley, but last week, Tuesday's confirmation hearing was postponed.
The reason for the postponement was not immediately clear. As of Monday morning, no rescheduled date has been set.
Last week, Worley and Mayor Brandon Scott held a virtual event where he emphasized building back the community's trust and improving community policing strategies are his main priorities, saying he believes his officers need to get out of their car more and do more proactive enforcement.
"That's the only way we are going to build back the trust," Worley said. "By getting to know the community and getting the community to know us."
Worley, a Baltimore native, has been serving as interim commissioner since Michael Harrison resigned from the department.
Harrison announced his resignation in June after he said he made the mayor aware of his decision.
In an exclusive interview with WJZ, Harrison said he wasn't forced out and the timing was right to "pass the torch" to Worley.
There will be a series of seven community meetings with Scott and Worley across the city this month, including one virtual meeting, and two Telephone Town Halls, with one specifically catered to older adults.
The schedule includes:
Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, 10 am
Telephone Town Hall for Older Adults
Dial-in info to come, please RSVP at the link below to receive updates directly.
Wednesday Aug. 9, 2023, 7 pm - 8:30 pm
Virtual Community Meeting
To be streamed on: Facebook.com/MayorBMScott
Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, 6 pm - 8 pm
The Lord's Church
5010 Park Heights Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21215
Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, 6 pm - 8 pm
Shake & Bake Family Fun Center
1601 Pennsylvania Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217
Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, 6 pm - 8 pm
National Federation of the Blind
200 E. Wells Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Monday Aug. 28, 2023, 6 pm - 7:30 pm
Telephone Town Hall
Dial-in info to come, please RSVP at the link below to receive updates directly.
Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Greater Paradise Christian Center
2900 E. Oliver Street
Baltimore, MD 21213
To RSVP, please visit: bit.ly/baltcitymeet0823 or call 311.
A telephone Town Hall will be from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 8 and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 28.
A virtual event will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 9.
