Report: Fire Marshal tried to shut down April NACA hearing at City Hall, but order was not relayed to police
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Fire Marshal directed an inspector to cut off entry to a packed, heated city council hearing in April on a bill reviving the Dollar House program, but the order was not relayed to Baltimore police officers staffing City Hall, according to a new report from the Office of the Inspector General.
More than 500 people, many of them joining the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) in supporting the Dollar House program, attended the committee hearing. Capacity in the council chambers and adjoining vestibule is capped at 80, according to the report.
Bruce Marks, the Boston-based nonprofit's CEO, led a group of supporters to Mayor Brandon Scott's office and banged on the metal door, telling the crowd the mayor had refused to meet with his organization to talk about the program.
The group dispersed after about five minutes and returned to council chambers, according to the investigation.
A Baltimore police lieutenant raised concerns about large crowds in the city's house of government and the potential for danger, Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming wrote in her office's report.
"The BPD Lieutenant explained if the crowd had turned violent, it could have overpowered BPD or the Abacus security officers," she said. "Further, the BPD Lieutenant believed if there had been a fire or other need for an evacuation of City Hall, the crowd's volume could potentially endanger individuals."
After interviewing six fire department employees, four police employees and three City Hall staffers, investigators learned of the fire marshal's order, and determined communications issues hindered crowd control at the hearing.
Fire inspectors told investigators they believed it was the responsibility of police officers to keep a headcount at the building, but the fire department confirmed the duty falls to the inspectors.
Additionally, Baltimore police officers working security at the public entrance to City Hall continued to let visitors stream in after an ID system failed. Officers continued to check the bags of visitors and had attendees go through a metal detector, according to the report.
"The lack of controls both in tracking identification and restricting the movement of roughly 500 people that entered City Hall that evening, allowed security issues to arise as the crowd wandered around the building unrestricted," Cumming wrote.
The city does not have a standard operating procedure for large crowds in City Hall, according to the report.
Cumming suggested city leaders develop such a plan for larger meetings and provide a defined timeframe to allow for the Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore City Fire Department and government staff to adequately plan.
In a response, City Council President Nick Mosby, who put forth the Dollar House program bill, said his office has started communicating weekly with the mayor's office and the Department of General Services, which manages City Hall, about scheduled meetings, pointing out ones that could draw a large crowd.
"While we have added those adjustments, it remains informal with room for improvement," he said.
In a separate response, J. Leslie Carter, Mayor Scott's deputy chief of staff, said the ID system at City Hall has been upgraded and more security has been added for evening hearings and meetings.
