Series of public meetings spurs new discussions about future of Baltimore's squeegee workers
BALTIMORE -- The spotlight is back on squeegee workers in Baltimore as frustrations over the security of the workers and the drivers they interact with continue to climb.
On Tuesday night, the Squeegee Collaborative Group held a public meeting at a church in West Baltimore to discuss possible long-term solutions to the city's squeegee problem.
"A lot of Baltimore City residents are sick and tired of this and we need the mayor to step up and implement laws," city resident Marcus Trent said.
For two hours, with cameras off, city residents discussed their concerns with squeegee workers, local businesses, and city leaders.
Some of the ideas they batted around included sanctioning squeegee workers at certain locations, issuing citations, helping them find jobs, or eliminating squeegee work altogether.
"We understand there's a need around services and resources, and there's a need for everybody to feel safe, and so, let's figure out how we can do that together," Shelonda Stokes, the President of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, said.
Squeegee workers have been struck by vehicles, involved in altercations, and injured while interacting with drivers on street corners.
In July, a teenage squeegee worker shot and killed 48-year-old Timothy Reynolds after he approached a group of squeegee workers with a bat at the intersection of Light and Conway streets.
Trent said he had a run-in with a teenage squeegee worker too, and whatever the city is doing, it isn't good enough.
"We're pacifying the situation because one life is already lost and, unfortunately, it might happen again," Trent said.
Meeting participants said they have been working on a final proposal to submit to Mayor Brandon Scott that will include a plan for how to help squeegee workers get off of the streets.
There is no exact date for when the plan will be submitted but meeting leaders say they are aiming for the fall.
There will be at least two other sessions for the public in the future.
