Title
Supplemental Funding for Public Safety in the City of Annapolis, including:
Annapolis Office of Emergency Management; Annapolis Police Department; Mayor’s Office, Neighborhoods Organized, Helping to Avoid and Reduce Mortality, Violence Interruption Prevention (NO HARM VIP); and Annapolis Fire Department - For the purpose of requesting immediate supplemental funding from the City of Annapolis, the State of Maryland, and Anne Arundel County for public safety programs in the City of Annapolis.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 5-24
Introduced by: Alderwoman Pindell Charles
Co-sponsored by: Mayor Buckley
Referred to:
Public Safety Standing Committee
Finance Standing Committee
Rules and City Government Standing Committee
Economic Matters Standing Committee
A RESOLUTION concerning
Supplemental Funding for Public Safety in the City of Annapolis, including:
Annapolis Office of Emergency Management; Annapolis Police Department; Mayor’s Office, Neighborhoods Organized, Helping to Avoid and Reduce Mortality, Violence Interruption Prevention (NO HARM VIP); and Annapolis Fire Department
FOR the purpose of requesting immediate supplemental funding from the City of Annapolis, the State of Maryland, and Anne Arundel County for public safety programs in the City of Annapolis.
INTRODUCTION
WHEREAS, By law, the City Council’s Public Safety Standing Committee shall consider matters affecting public safety in the City; and the Committee shall review all proposed amendments to Title 11 (Public Peace, Morals and Welfare) and Title 12 (Vehicles and Traffic) of the City Code;
WHEREAS, First and foremost: The public’s safety is paramount; and moreover, as this legal obligation relates to the community’s residents, citizens, businesses, organizations, and visitors, the public’s safety, including the public’s peace, morals, and welfare, is best assured when its residents: have access to quality, comprehensive, and multi-faceted health care as well as healthy foods; have and promote schools and educational facilities and programming that inform and meet all pre-natal needs, and the needs of all children, students, youth, and adults, including our seniors, in order for them to be successful; are meaningfully engaged in the enhancement of professional and volunteer workforces; have been provided with sufficient and meaningful employment opportunities; are good money managers of their finances; are residing in safe and affordable housing communities; are mobile, i.e., easily able to access adequate and affordable transportation when needed; are in pursuit of social, community, entertainment, the arts, historical, and recreational and environmental activities and initiatives; as well as possibly choosing to enlighten themselves spiritually;
WHEREAS, www.fairpunishment.org <http://www.fairpunishment.org> provides “16 Examples of Public Safety” including, but not limited to, “public security”, “public health”, “urban planning”(implementing building regulations and safe design), “food safety”, “safety culture” (for example, safety issues that are often reported in the media, which encourage people to look after themselves and one another), and “emergency management”;
WHEREAS, This all-encompassing Public Safety “blueprint” results in the laying of a firm “foundation”, “block by block”, and the securing of the necessary “construction” resources, toward a commitment to “build” a magnificent “structure”, as we all work together in diverse, equitable, inclusionary, and trusting ways, i.e., an ANNAPOLIS “edifice” that values and benefits everyONE, and that raises the City’s quality of life, and in turn, uplifts all residents, citizens, families, communities, neighborhoods, enclaves, businesses, and organizations, and increases the number of visitors to our City and contributes to their positive experiences, and therefore, everyONE thrives;
WHEREAS, The evolution of “Public Safety” has and continues to be fluid, expansive, and defined and redefined in many ways, and is considered to be one of the first duties and functions of government: from operating the emergency operations center, and protecting, and providing emergency planning, responses, and services to the public which can result from a whole host of local, regional, national, and international and actual and potential dangers, threats, natural elements, pandemics, risk of injuries, harms, disasters, tragedies, calamities, and special events that are initiated and that can strike immediately and where resources must be marshaled at a moment’s notice (for example, competing First Amendment protests on the same day and at the same time and in the same place), as well as being the premier coordinator for the entire City-wide and very successful efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and including securing grants for flood mitigation projects and mitigation planning efforts, and assisting with addressing substance use disorders, as well as providing educational and community outreach, and (emergency) warming and cooling centers for the unhoused, and assisting with the very robust Food Fridays program (with well over 200 households served each week, and growing); to involving every facet of our law enforcement (sworn and civilian professional staff) and legal justice systems as it assures, safeguards, secures, prevents, and protects the public and individuals from crime, criminal behavior, hurt, harm, danger, damage, losses, undesirable effects, and injuries to person and property, providing emergency communications via the 911 and non-emergency systems, and also including providing crisis response/intervention (CIT) services (where, for example, 25 APD officers, to date, have already gone through an intensive level of continuous training), community policing, and outreach; to, and resulting in a more balanced and holistic approach, that centers around individual, community, and organizational well-being, as well as public welfare and peace;
WHEREAS, “Public Safety” also involves providing essential, vital, and critical Fire Services, which include fire prevention and suppression, rescue services, and hazmat services and hazardous materials, and responses; ambulance and paramedic services; and community, education, and outreach services;
WHEREAS, Our City’s Public Safety Team communicate effectively, regularly, and successfully, as they work in coordination and in tandem with one another, as well as with every City Department;
WHEREAS, “Public Safety” can also involve Code Enforcement, and Transportation;
WHEREAS, As quoted in The Times, Sunday Times, in 2016: “Safety is something we cannot do without.”;
WHEREAS, The lack of “safety” felt by the public can cripple, disable, weaken, immobilize, incapacitate, debilitate, and even paralyze a city and its entire economy;
WHEREAS, For example, it only takes just one robbery to make a resident feel a lifetime of being unsafe no matter where he/she may go; just one burglary of a home can make these residents feel forever invaded and uncomfortable in their own home; just one assault can permanently impair a visitor physically for life; just one gunshot can force a very successful business to make a decision to uproot and move away immediately and completely and thereby, leaving employees unhoused and without employment; just one attempted sexual assault can change a victim’s regular routine and fear of leaving home as well as the impact felt on his/her job situation and location, and thereafter resulting in suffering a substance abuse disorder; just one kitchen stove grease fire during the holidays can result in residents’ being unhoused and food insecure immediately; just one DUI as experienced by a victim/resident can impair the victim so much as not to ever drive again and to suffer a mental health breakdown, and the driver needing to be immediately transported to the hospital to receive life-saving care; just one homicide by a handgun can change a victim’s family and loved ones for their entire lives in ways unimaginable; etc.;
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
WHEREAS, On July 1, 2023, the City Council’s Public Safety Standing Committee Chair [hereinafter referred to as the “Chair”], decided to take, and deliberately took, a mid-calendar year assessment of the state of the City’s public safety in 2023, especially after reviewing the very concerning and troubling data and statistics up until June 30, 2023, as well as reviewing the data from 2022, with a plan in mind to compile a final and comprehensive Report to be shared with our elected and administrative officials, and with the expectation that there would be documented evidence supporting a request for additional City, and State and County funding;
WHEREAS, Mayor Buckley agreed;
WHEREAS, Three strategic partners were necessary as the Chair embarked upon going forward with this assessment-namely, our Mayor’s Office; our City’s Office of Community Services (as supervised by our City Manager’s Office); and our Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department, which provides recreational, educational, and environmental experiences and opportunities for all ages;
THE MAYOR’S “POP-UP RESOURCE FAIRS”, SUMMER 2023
WHEREAS, In response to recognizing the need for increased and sustained community outreach efforts as it relates to what our communities are actually experiencing, “in their own words”, and the need for resources that address these needs, in July and August 2023 (and continuing into September and October 2023), our Mayor’s Office (as well as our community and City Departments partners, our community “credible messengers”, our City’s Summer Interns, and our City’s Office of Community Services) hosted a series of at least 5 “Pop-Up Resource Fairs”, which included “Listening Sessions” where Surveys were conducted that addressed a variety of topics, including “Public Safety”;
WHEREAS, The locations of these events, and the communities that they serve, are (and some events had to be canceled/rescheduled due to rain, school reopening, etc.): People’s Park (Bloomsbury Square; College Creek Terrace; O’Bery Court; The Homes at Monument; Morris H. Blum Senior Highrise, formerly Glenwood Highrise; Bowman Place, formerly Timothy House; and the Bowman Housing for Veterans); Newtowne Drive (Woodside Gardens; and Wilbourn Estates, formerly Newtowne 20, on July 27, 2023); Eastport Community Center, outdoor grounds (Eastport Terrace; and Harbour House); Bywater, Copeland Street (Bywater Mutual Homes); Robinwood Community Park (Robinwood homes);
THE CHAIR’S “PUBLIC SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS” AND “PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC HEARINGS”, SUMMER AND FALL 2023
WHEREAS, The Chair “piggybacked” off of these Mayor’s Office’s events, and co-hosted a series of at least four simultaneous “Public Safety Listening Sessions” at these “Pop-Up Resource Fairs”: People’s Park (July 20); Eastport (August 3); Bywater (August 8); Robinwood (August 17);
WHEREAS, The Chair’s “Public Safety Listening Sessions” continued: a City Staff and Residents walk along the Bywater Road Corridor (Sunday, July 23); Annapolis Gardens, National Night Out (August 1); Annapolis Gardens (August 3); Clay Street Corridor Walk (August 8); Heritage (August 9); Bay Ridge Gardens (August 21); Admiral Oaks (September 5); Bywater Community Center (October 3); Eastport Community Center (October 11);
WHEREAS, The Chair also hosted two “Public Safety Public Hearings”: Asbury United Methodist Church, Ward 1/downtown-focused (August 22); and Anne Arundel County Public Library, Eastport/Hillsmere branch, Ward 8/Eastport area-focused (August 28);
WHEREAS, The Chair hosted or co-hosted a total of 13 “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, plus 2 “Public Safety Public Hearings”; and had an opportunity to review the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” information and Surveys;
“POP-UP RESOURCE FAIRS”; AND “PUBLIC SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS”, AND “PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC HEARINGS”:
IN GENERAL
WHEREAS, Those who participated in the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings” provided their insights, which included a wide swath of ages, genders, communities, economic, educational, criminal backgrounds, etc.;
WHEREAS, Every elected official, and administrative officials’ offices, were represented in at least one “Pop-Up Resource Fair” or “Public Safety Listening Session” or “Public Safety Public Hearing”-State Delegation; County (County Executive’s Office; Arundel Center; and the County Health Department); and Anne Arundel County Public Schools (the Board President attended at least 3; and the Superintendent’s Office); as we were very interested in them “Listening” to our residents and citizens;
THE MAYOR’S “POP-UP RESOURCE FAIRS”, SUMMER 2023:
RESPONSES
WHEREAS, The Mayor’s Office’s “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” provided the following insights, etc., from their Surveys, on a scale of 1-5 where “5” is the highest and “1” is the lowest (in general): the majority of respondents rated community services in the City as a “3”; in their neighborhoods as a “1”; public safety (evenly, as “3” and “1”);
WHEREAS, The Surveys’ list contained responses “more/increased/enhanced/better/support”:;
WHEREAS, “What community services would you like offered in your neighborhood; and what would improve your everyday life?”: “activities for kids; immigration services; police protection; everything that makes the community better; safer environments; activities that allows kids to thrive and be secure in their needs; street and public maintenance (potholes, etc.); convenient services provided to people; transit; youth activities and programs and events; teen help; care for the elderly; community meetings and events; newsletters; after school programs; school related, centered around drugs; interaction with the community; sporting events; maintaining playgrounds; lack of knowledge; make youth work around the community, take pride in their community; weekly clean-up days; Double Dutch Club; more pop-up tours; get young people off the street; pool; center for the kids resources like a food pantry or a therapist; jobs for young ones that dropped out or have finished classes for the young parents”; and “mental health; need more money; money management; transportation; more school funding, parents helping schools; ask people what they need; more healthcare; more funding for recs and parks; child care; better living conditions in homes”;
WHEREAS, “What do you think can be done to further the relations between Annapolis Police and communities that have experienced gun violence?”: “more communication; more police engagement in the community; having better management; more work with the schools; events where people can get to know police beyond just the badge; they can’t; try to be more fair when it comes down to petty affairs and be more knowledgeable about the communities’ inhabitants; people don’t like snitches, don’t listen to them; train officers from the communities and do more events like National Night Out; more events, more cops, volunteers, etc.; more presence; reach out more to the community, find something for the communities to do; be normal, don’t try to be a tough guy; they don’t like police officers because of how aggressive they are; more community involvement and more patrols; police feel scary to people, they need more 1 on 1s with residents; reach out to the community more; more presence; families need to get involved with police; change the narrative, need more interactive activities between the young and officers; community outreach program; instead of policing the police the [sic] serve the community; more communication from police; they shouldn’t stay in one area, they should walk around; more presence, more participating in fun activities; police presence is needed, people see a presence of policeman walking around, talking to kids; become more personal with the community; less killing/more empathy and involvement; want the police to do their job & get out in the community; gates in neighborhood; more involvement and less killings; I’m not out in the community so idk; transparency && communication && community involvement;”
WHEREAS, a Summary is provided by one of the Survey-takers: “Many residents want and believe that there is still some potential for community-based organizations and police to have a better working relationship with communities that have experienced some kind of un-representation and/or historic gun violence. Many agree that simple acts like walking the neighborhoods and having more of a consistent ‘presence’ could better the relationship between said parties”.;
WHEREAS, “What do you feel is the best way to communicate with residents about city services and resources?”, and overwhelmingly, the responses were: “texts; fliers; door to door/door knocking; social media; and better planning, i.e., let people know beforehand instead only the day before; provide transportation to get to places;”
WHEREAS, Other survey questions were: “What obstacles are there when trying to access resources from the City of Annapolis?”; “How do you feel about the City of Annapolis response to the opioid epidemic?”; etc.;
WHEREAS, A Summary is provided by one of the Survey-takers: “…There is a dire need for community enrichment programs aiming to improve the Quality of Life for all ages and dynamics of families. ...”;
WHEREAS, The feedback garnered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, and hosted by the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP Team, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings” provides an opportunity to compile all of this feedback, and to develop a list of “assignments” as to who/what is accountable for strategic and meaningful follow-up and follow-through;
THE CHAIR’S “PUBLIC SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS” AND “PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC HEARINGS”:
RESPONSES
WHEREAS, The Chair’s “Public Safety Listening Sessions” and “Public Safety Public Hearings” yielded some of the following suggestions, comments, concerns, challenges, insights, perceptions, notations, visions, etc.: “more after school programs are needed; mentors are needed; there is a food desert (at Madison and President Streets); car break-ins are increasing; there should be referrals for students who may be violent; status of the cameras; re-entry program is good; what are the non-profits’ involvement; Office of Community Services’ offerings; Naptown Anti-Dope MoveMeant and need more information; “no shoot” zones and messaging should be utilized, e.g., texts, fliers distribution, door-to-door/face-to-face contacts; the use of an APD “Anonymous Reporting Portal” (e.g., Metro Crime Stoppers)”; and “more My Sistas Keeper and My Brothas Keeper programs; more parent classes; bigger and more basketball courts; more trash cans around the neighborhood; cameras around the neighborhood; food pantry; water fountains; junk removal; programs for teens; scholarship opportunities; address generational community beefs; a better relationship with the rental office when it comes to more activities when it comes to teens; lack of resources; parents need help, outlets for parents; trauma children; dispense the Crisis Response/Intervention Team immediately; relationships in the community with AACPS; kids need paid jobs since the drug dealer is waiting for them; students’ voices are needed; need credible messengers; more parent involvement; Double Dutch League for parents; want to be treated with dignity; need parent leadership; lack of investments in the communities; some children have become desensitized to violence; lack of security, hole in fence; trees are blocking windows and doors; keep your porch lights on; reestablish Friday Night Parent Nights; handicap units are missing back doors on homes; have community engagement nights and invite/offer information about jobs for teens, expungements, DSS, Health Department, Community Action Agency, Crisis Response/Intervention, Re-entry, AFD/CPR, AACC [Anne Arundel Community College], Food Bank, Backpack Giveaways, financial literacy, invite the Hispanic community”; and “need a basketball court; paint positive messages on murals on buildings; utilize USNA Mids as mentors; start a basketball league; take monthly or weekly field trips to King’s Dominion, Museums, Six Flags, etc.; Teen Club; access to community pool; use canoes/kayaks on the creek 1 Saturday per month; boxing program; secure an Activity Bus every Saturday that visits all neighborhoods; social media class; open the Stanton Center for adults from 7-10 p.m.; pool for the Clay Street area; enact a curfew for youth; promote positive community events, e.g., decorate [entrance] doors to your homes; more police officers on the regular, 24/7; bring summer jobs for youth back; no more recreation space or play space-everything is gone; the youth are raising themselves-youth need something to do; ain’t nothing gonna happen”; and “there are many traffic issues along Forest Drive that are bad”; and “cars drive along Bywater Road too fast, someone is going to really get hurt”; and “make public safety a major and public focus in communications from city government, big ideas, tourists attractions, and big development plans are great, and every community needs them, but making public safety a major and verbalized focus from the mayor’s office will make a difference, communicating the efforts and initiatives of the city, APD, and community partners is important to both residents and may deter those involved in criminal activity, relocate funds from larger capital projects to annual operating revenue for after school programs and additional community programs for youth year-round, hire APD personnel to actively monitor CCTV in target areas at higher risk times of the day, allocate funds to match hiring bonuses for new police recruits, Chief Jackson has mentioned hiring challenges due to hiring bonuses (that are not that much in total funds) that are offered by neighboring jurisdictions, fill the vacancies and provide the resources requested by APD; provide additional funds for APD to be resources for the schools, as requested by the school system, Chief Jackson mentioned wanting to support the school system and would make it happen with the limited resources, please give them more resources, (skip the electric ferry and get the deposit back!), more teachers and school support!, city/school sponsored field trips to City festivals and attractions and provide tickets and mentors for trips to Seafood Festival, Navy games, Board [sic] Shows”; and “gunshots are unnerving and the level and type of violence is increasing and it will get worse; tell the residents what the City is doing; the unhoused/homeless population; unfamiliar faces in the neighborhood; car break-ins and we have never had to take keys out of our cars in the past; willing to participate in change; older folks are afraid; newer younger folks are unfamiliar in the community; speeding traffic and kids playing; parking can be an issue sometimes; commercial vehicles are taking up a lot of space, and pedestrian walkways are being blocked; it’s frustrating”; and “there has been a spike in referrals regarding violence in schools; the new AACPS #BePresent where community members can come to the building to act as mentors but first going through the background checks, etc.; need more adults in the schools and to be there for the students; develop healthy relationships with the students; illegal access to weapons; after-school programs are needed; children need to be able to see their own possibilities; COVID has had an impact; kids and parents/adults-all need help; but don’t label a child as a problem”; and “those who want to ‘get out of the game’ need to contact APD’s Re-entry program; violence is not normal; need Love; “no shoot” zone is needed”; and “1 - Transportation: add antenna signals on stop lights to enable EMTs, Fire, Police to automatically change the light to favor their direction of travel when enroute to an emergency response, 2 - Add more speed cameras and speed control, 3 - Add better signage to ensure proper lane usage (going from Forest Drive to Hilltop/Spa Road), 4 - Improve pedestrian crossings (Severn/6th St.) and at City Dock (and many other places), 5 - Stop allowing a left turn at Duke of Gloucester and Compromise Street, traffic can go down St. Mary’s St. instead, this would allow for a bike lane, 6 - More cameras to capture criminal activity, 7 - Reschedule community outreach meetings, preservation by ?___? of Command staff”; and “cameras; after school programs; an uptick in dangerous weapons being found in schools; mentors are needed; metal detectors in schools; Charting Careers, Seeds 4 Success, STAIR are great programs; gun locks; CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] and ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds; cameras”; and “public safety mitigation is being proposed by ADOT, DPW, and APD along the Bywater Road corridor”; and “more teens programs for the approximately 150 teens in this community, and increase collaboration with ARPD (Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department); prenatal, and birth to 5 initiatives; behavior modification program for parents is starting; increase communication with the schools; programs for seniors are starting and continuing, e.g., “sip and paint”, bingo, gift cards and giveaways; church partnerships are reconnecting, and a computer program for adult beginners is starting at one of local the churches”; and “more information is being distributed throughout the community and especially now that the community has a bilingual Community Information board in the rental office”; and “more outreach and activities and resources for kids in the community center, it’s underutilized-in the community and outside of the community; more parental involvement; kids need to be taught respect, etc.; the drug dealers have returned to the community; use the Mega Family organization, the Conflict Resolution Center, the Family Support Center; need a recording studio, work and occupations information, vo-tech/trades; police not involved enough, they are slow to respond to fights, they need to circulate, they just sit, put them on the basketball court; the youth need a trade and money, and then you will get their attention; a community advocate says he can’t get money from the City to run some programs, ‘I’ve been begging’ for financial resources; parents need programs to help with their kids; reestablish family dinners in the community center, and schedule a family event once per month, and the community needs spirit; teens and youth just need simple and positive messages; have activities in the community so there is not transportation issues; there is now nothing to do in the community center; need career fairs, can be done at the high school but also in the community; guns are a real problem in this community; lights are needed outside in the courts, and cameras too; there needs to be a meeting with the community’s management; safety issue for staff”; and “need a City-led effort; transportation; better communication between residents and HACA; VIP/Cure Violence; GED/Trade-training classes; youth/teen programs and spaces; community-centered programming; early age programs/technology; mental health/trauma care/wellness issues; data streamlining; more coordination; call your representative with issues; more community policing; mentors/robust; close the equitable housing gap; root in reality/programs for returning citizens; more police engagement; integrating more programs with school system; crime prevention; CLASS, Creative Living Applied Thru Social Success; building relationships; resident empowerment; gun control/legislation; more community meetings; listen to residents; afraid of retribution; redevelopment, crime prevention design; supporting parents, real help; drug education; financial education assistance; flexibility; resources; vacant vehicles; predictive policing; real understanding of what HACA’s role is”; and “who will own and execute the plans”;
WHEREAS, Again, the feedback garnered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, and hosted by the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP Team, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings” provides an opportunity to compile all of this feedback, and to develop a list of “assignments” as to who/what is accountable for strategic and meaningful follow-up and follow-through;
“POP-UP RESOURCE FAIRS”; AND “PUBLIC SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS”, AND “PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC HEARINGS”:
UPDATES
WHEREAS, Several City Council members have expressed their wide-ranging public safety insights (as well as receiving feedback from their constituents) regarding, but not limited to: curfews; working with our youth and their parents/guardians as it relates to parental roles and parental accountability (as we recognize that many of these parents are young themselves); the preparation of a “Comprehensive Plan for Public Safety and Social Services”; as well as blocking off certain roadways;
WHEREAS, The Chair, as Acting Mayor, gave the Mayor’s Report at the City Council meeting on September 25, 2023, where she indicated that she would be requesting funding from the City and our other elected officials/bodies in the amount of $1 million for Public Safety;
WHEREAS, Additional positive comments were received after the October 9, 2023, City Council meeting where the Chair made an extremely impassioned plea for more resources for public safety, and reiterating the $1 million request;
WHEREAS, From the State’s side, the conversations, discussions, and community meetings with the State Senator have been very encouraging and hopeful;
“POP-UP RESOURCE FAIRS”; AND “PUBLIC SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS”, AND “PUBLIC SAFETY HEARINGS”:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, TAKEAWAYS, BASIS FOR REQUESTS, ETC.
WHEREAS, While we openly acknowledge that resiliency infrastructure and financing, flood mitigation projects and protection, climate change, sea level rise, and other environmental challenges that are requiring millions and millions and millions of dollars to address, and which are extremely important to our City’s current situation and the future and survival of our City, nevertheless, we likewise emphasize and recognize that these day to day public safety challenges are immediate, and they are directly disruptive to the everyday lives, 24/7/366, of our residents, citizens, businesses, and visitors;
WHEREAS, What is required is the continuing collective and team efforts of our OEM, APD, NO HARM VIP, and AFD, as well as OITS (Office of Integrated Technology Solutions, formerly MIT), as well as their local, state, federal, organizations, and nonprofit partners, on a variety of levels, to address every public safety matter that arises on a day-to-day basis, 24/7/366;
WHEREAS, On par, $1 million in immediate supplemental funding, is definitely not too much to request when it comes to public safety situations that immediately and directly disrupt the everyday lives, 24/7/366, of our residents, citizens, businesses, and visitors; arguably, it is too little to ask;
WHEREAS, Mayor Buckley agrees;
ANNAPOLIS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OEM)
WHEREAS, Again, from operating the emergency operations center, and protecting, and providing emergency planning, responses, and services to the public which can result from a whole host of local, regional, national, and international and actual and potential dangers, threats, natural elements, pandemics, risk of injuries, harms, disasters, tragedies, calamities, and special events that are initiated and that can strike immediately and where resources must be marshaled at a moment’s notice (for example, competing First Amendment protests on the same day and at the same time and in the same place), as well as being the premier coordinator for the entire City-wide and very successful efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and including securing grants for flood mitigation projects and mitigation planning efforts, and assisting with addressing substance use disorders, as well as providing educational and community outreach, and (emergency) warming and cooling centers for the unhoused, and assisting with the very robust Food Fridays program (with well over 200 households served each week, and growing); our ANNAPOLIS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OEM) is extremely busy and committed, and their work and obligations are daunting, tireless, unwavering, and relentless;
OEM: NEW EMERGENCY PLANNING POSITION
($79,965.60 per year)
WHEREAS, Our OEM’s request is to hire a “New Emergency Planning Position”; the cost is $79,965.60 per year;
WHEREAS, The position would be a grade 12, step 1, with a salary of $61,512 under the FY24 pay scale, and with the addition of benefits at 30%, would add $18,453.60, for a total of $79,965.60;
WHEREAS, The justification for this position is: OEM has had a full time staff of 6 personnel going back at least 14 years; in the last few years, OEM has expanded their mitigation program and has opened up new revenue sources for the City totaling $9.8 million in State and federal grants for City Dock flood mitigation projects and mitigation planning efforts; OEM is currently being tasked with securing tens of millions more; the City often looks to OEM to secure major federal grants, some of which do not come from FEMA or sources in emergency management; it usually takes years of diligent efforts to secure these multi-million dollar grants; once secured, these millions in funding must be managed and administered, which is a substantial responsibility; recently OEM has had to decline or delay taking on some new projects due to lack of capacity; these include working with a private business to obtain flood mitigation funding, completing an application for another federal grant, and working with repetitive loss properties to reduce future flood losses;
WHEREAS, A new Emergency Planner position would enable the OEM to maintain and increase the capacity to plan, pursue, secure, and administer mitigation initiatives; the new position would help support the enhanced pursuit of large grants that provide benefits to the entire City; all 3 of OEM’s current planners, half of their staff, are fully grant funded; the proposed position would be the only Emergency Planner paid for by the City; OEM brings in millions of grants connected to public safety, substance use disorder, and mitigation; OEM’s grant awards are several times the cost of staff salaries; the new Emergency Planner would allow OEM to maintain current responsibilities while working to bring in additional funding;
OEM: NEW RADIOS
($70,000)
WHEREAS, Our OEM’s request is for “New Radios”; the cost is approximately $70,000;
WHEREAS, The justification for these New Radios is: Anne Arundel County is upgrading its trunked radio system in the next few months; as a result, many of the Emergency Management’s older radios will not function; the purchase of additional radios will maintain interoperability for Emergency Management staff in addition to Emergency Operations Center representatives during an activation;
OEM: NEW INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT UPGRADES
($35,034.40)
WHEREAS, Our OEM’s request is for “New Infrastructure and Equipment Upgrades”; the cost is approximately $35,034.40;
WHEREAS, The justification for this new Infrastructure and Equipment Upgrades is: Emergency Management supports a wide range of infrastructure and equipment with minimal City investment, including the Emergency Operations Center, Alternate Emergency Operations Center, and the Mobile Command Unit; additional funding would enable the OEM to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of these vital City assets;
ANNAPOLIS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OEM)
($185,000)
WHEREAS, and Mayor Buckley agrees;
WHEREAS, Again, to involving every facet of our law enforcement (sworn and civilian professional staff) and legal justice systems as it assures, safeguards, secures, prevents, and protects the public and individuals from crime, criminal behavior, hurt, harm, danger, damage, losses, undesirable effects, and injuries to person and property, providing emergency communications via the 911 and non-emergency systems, and also including providing crisis response/intervention (CIT) services (where, for example, 25 APD officers, to date, have already gone through an intensive level of continuous training), community policing, and outreach, our ANNAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT is extremely busy and committed, and their work and obligations are daunting, tireless, unwavering, and relentless-at times, going from a community policing mode, then immediately, to a life and death situation literally within seconds;
ANNAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT (APD)
WHEREAS, Training and Education is the “foundation” of every successful police department;
APD: TRAINING AND EDUCATION
($30,000)
WHEREAS, Training and Education, coupled with Recruitment, are the simple and immediate “keys” to “opening the doors” of the “foundation of a (future) structure”-"building” toward improving relationships between the communities and the police, as evidenced by the information gathered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings”;
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request to begin funding for a more intensive, evolving, and continuing “Training and Education” Program, is $30,000;
WHEREAS, Which aligns with APD’s continuing CALEA (the “Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies”) accreditation-rigorous, while maintaining this “gold standard” when it comes to law enforcement accreditation, which requires that APD meet (and can even exceed) a long litany of exceptionally high standards, while CALEA provides APD with the “blueprint” to remaining successful as well as facing challenges;
WHEREAS, “President Barack Obama launched ‘The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing’ [6 Pillars] [hereinafter referred to as “the Task Force”] with the goal of addressing the apparent disconnect between police and the communities they serve; the Task Force issued a report in May 2015 that made five recommendations for each of the three categories of local government, law enforcement and the community”…;
WHEREAS, Number 2, synopsis: “Law enforcement”, states in part: “Review and update policies, training [emphasis added], and data collection on use of force, and engage community members and police labor unions in the process;
WHEREAS, The 5th Pillar of the Task Force, presented as a “flashcard”, is “training and education”;
WHEREAS, Training and Education must go beyond being yearly and/or “spotty” and/or “knee-jerk” and/or only when problems arise; instead, training and education must be constant, consistent, and sustained, creative, enhanced, regular and often, utilizing internal resources (sworn officers) as well as external resources (contractual)-using practical application methods, including implicit bias training, and whether training and education are in the classroom, and/or law enforcement simulator training, and/or role play (including providing “on the street” situations that mimic “confrontation”, while recognizing that general face-to-face interactions, especially for younger officers, have diminished over time due to social media, text messaging, COVID, etc.), assisting with elements of instituting incident command posts and staging areas, and/or field training, and/or field trips, and/or even 30 second videos/reminders that consistently run on monitors throughout the station/headquarters, i.e., “reinforced messaging”;
WHEREAS, Continuous and year-round Training and Education provides officers with the additional and vital confidence to “visually” and directly engage residents and citizens with a “boots on the ground” mentality that is needed in order to assess a situation immediately, to make the correct split-second decisions, which provides communities that they serve with a deeper understanding of community policing and thereby, lessening and/or eliminating “the apparent disconnect between police and the communities they serve”;
WHEREAS, Patrol “is the backbone and spine” of the APD “building”, and they are the connections and the connectors to and in our community”;
WHEREAS, “Calls for Service” continue to be an integral part of police response, and “Frequent Checks” provide our residents and citizens with a direct and personal level of comfort;
WHEREAS, A variety of Thefts are increasing, shots fired investigations (which can be very time-consuming and tedious, i.e., investigating 30-40 spent shell casings fired from a semi-automatic weapon), etc.-all responses require direct and a personal level of comfort for residents, citizens, businesses, and visitors;
WHEREAS, Patrol is called upon to provide a wide range of services that directly benefit our residents, citizens, and businesses, including assisting with our Food Fridays initiative;
WHEREAS, APD’s Professional Standards Division consists of: Internal Affairs; Body-Worn Camera and Video Retrieval Unit; CALEA Compliance; and Policy Research and Implementation; and will soon include Training and Education;
WHEREAS, For example, responding to Freedom of Information (FOIA) Requests, especially from body-worn camera footage, can be very time-consuming, requiring additional woman/manpower;
WHEREAS, Additionally, Training and Education of officers as to their awareness of the “Police Accountability Act of 2021”-its mandates, requirements, situations, etc., which will provide them with the additional confidence to perform their duties;
WHEREAS, For example, Training, as it relates to Professional Standards, as well as Policy Compliance, and which involve even more layers of internal controls, is expanding and forthcoming;
WHEREAS, For example, with the new State law allowing the use of recreational cannabis, cannabis training is necessary, including specialized training from DREs (Drug Recognition Experts);
WHEREAS, The City-wide Homicide/Firearm Data indicates that over the past two years (7/13/21-7/13/23), APD officers responded to and/or engaged: eight firearm-related homicide events with ten victims; 34 contact shooting events with 44 victims; arrested 90 individuals for homicide and/or firearm-related offenses; seized 111 firearms-21 of these firearms were untraceable, i.e., Privately Made Firearms (PMF/”ghost guns”); and served 97 warrants on firearm-related charges;
WHEREAS, Likewise, recognizing and addressing the significant marijuana “Black Market”;
WHEREAS, APD’s “Crime Suppression Plan” was recently implemented as a result of “the recent uptick in violence, particularly discharges and shootings-a crime plan developed to address and mitigate the violence; the objective is the deterrence and prevention of violent crimes through APD’s increased presence, community engagement and targeted enforcement of violent criminals and illegal firearm possession; APD has created a new unit called SEAT (Special Enforcement Action Team/[Unit]), which will engage violent criminals who are repeat offenders, prioritize serving warrants for violent crimes, seize illegal firearms, question those arrested for intelligence on criminal activity, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations; APD’s patrol officers also have an increased presence in our City and they will investigate any illegal activity, arrest those who are committing crimes, and engage directly with the communities APD serves; effective immediately, all activities by these units will be directly supervised by our three Captains; APD’s Captains will conduct daily inspections of the units involved in implementing this phase of the crime plan; this action will ensure compliance and ensure that APD is making necessary adjustments to this phase of the crime plan as they remove more violent criminals from the streets”;
WHEREAS, A 6-month review yielded 56 total arrests, 30 search warrants executed (including 3 DNA search warrants), and 32 guns seized;
WHEREAS, “Visibility, Engagement, and Enforcement” as well as “Trust” are the themes and focus;
WHEREAS, The NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Team) Team continues to work with HACA and other areas as well;
APD: RECRUITMENT
WHEREAS, A police department that is known for its exceptional Training and Education program, and can tout that as such, is a police department that has the “upper hand” when it comes to successful Recruitment efforts, and once hired, makes promotional opportunities even more attractive for new recruits;
WHEREAS, Recently, an agreement has been reached between the University of Maryland and the City for the University of Maryland to prepare a Workload Study (such a Study could take up to a year to prepare), which will provide an assessment of APD’s resources, etc.; and it will be followed by a revised APD Organizational Chart, as well as a multi-year, yet ever-evolving, Strategic Plan;
WHEREAS, The current officer count is 109 (with 124 budgeted);
WHEREAS, Training and Education, coupled with Recruitment, are the simple and immediate “keys” to “opening the doors” of the “foundation of a (future) structure”-"building” toward improving relationships between the communities and the police, as evidenced by the information gathered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings”;
WHEREAS, Training and Education include a myriad of situations and opportunities, i.e., for the first time ever, APD recently was the Host Agency for the multi-day (from Sunday, September 10-Thursday, September 14, 2023, inclusive) “37th Annual Mid-Atlantic Association of Women in Law Enforcement, Training Conference” where several hundred women from around this Region participated in a variety of training and educational opportunities, and there was 100% participation by APD’s female officers, including honoring retired Capt. Barbara Hopkins-the first APD female police officer;
WHEREAS, An APD Captain/Command Staff very recently participated in the almost month-long “Police Executive Research Forum, Senior Management Institute for Police” in New England;
WHEREAS, An APD Acting Lieutenant/Command Staff very recently completed a several months-long and very intensive training at the FBI National Academy, where, in his words, he now has “249 new friends”, which may be a resource/repository for recruitment efforts;
WHEREAS, In particular, APD Captains are very strongly encouraged by the Chief to go through the Anne Arundel County’s “Leadership Anne Arundel” (LAA) program, especially for the purpose of learning more about this jurisdictional area, as well as networking and increasing their list of professional contacts, and even soliciting possible recruits (and other APD sworn leaders are encouraged to go through the LAA program as well);
WHEREAS, Recruitment possibilities: “young” retirees/”transfers” from surrounding jurisdictions and states, e.g., States; Counties; Cities; Public Schools; Veterans; Private Security Firms/Businesses; etc.; and recruitment “incentives”, i.e., Annapolis is a safe place to work and live, is family-friendly, and is close to many amenities in Maryland and in surrounding and East Coast states; etc.;
WHEREAS, Regarding Recruitment, an exciting and inviting video is being prepared by the Mayor’s Office; a police vehicle will be promotionally wrapped; and VMS (Variable Message Signs) signs will continue to be used;
WHEREAS, Asking current officers for their Recruitment suggestions could prove to be insightful and worthwhile as well as incentivized;
WHEREAS, Again, Recruitment requires a multi-prong and layered approach in order to be successful, i.e., the hiring of a Recruitment Specialist, part-time professional staff;
APD: RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST, PART-TIME PROFESSIONAL STAFF
($10,000 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request to hire a “Recruitment Specialist, part-time professional staff” is approximately $10,000 per year;
WHEREAS, Again, Recruitment requires a multi-prong and layered approach in order to be successful, i.e., Advertising for Officers and as well as for Professional Staff;
APD: ADVERTISE FOR OFFICERS AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF
($20,000 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request to “Advertise for Officers and Professional Staff” is approximately $20,000 per year;
WHEREAS, Again, Recruitment requires a multi-prong and layered approach in order to be successful, i.e., Travel and Event Expenses;
APD: TRAVEL AND EVENT EXPENSES
($20,000 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “Travel and Event Expenses” is approximately $20,000 per year;
WHEREAS, Again, Recruitment requires a multi-prong and layered approach in order to be successful, i.e., Background Investigations for Officers and Professional Staff is critical;
APD: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS FOR OFFICERS AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF
($20,000 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “Background Investigations for Officers and Professional Staff” is approximately $20,000 per year;
WHEREAS, Recruitment requires a multi-prong and layered approach in order to be successful especially because of the competitiveness in our surrounding jurisdictions, i.e., Recruitment Bonuses for Police Officers Hired is vital;
APD: RECRUITMENT BONUSES FOR POLICE OFFICERS HIRED
($110,000 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “Recruitment Bonuses for Police Officers Hired” is $110,000 per year;
APD: HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVES
($15,980, for 20 Officers)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “Health and Wellness” initiatives is $15,980 for 20 officers;
WHEREAS, Maintaining the Health and Wellness of our police officers, primarily those who are assigned to Patrol, is critical to again, lessening and/or eliminating “the apparent disconnect between police and the communities they serve”, i.e., a healthy officer is more likely to make the correct and the healthier decisions; and the 6th Pillar of the Task Force, presented as a “flashcard”, is “Officer Wellness and Safety”;
WHEREAS, Again, Recruitment represents the “planning stages” that are required prior to “building” the “foundation” of Training and Education, and one critical portion of the “building blocks” for building this “foundation” are the Police Communication Operators (PCOs)-a highly stressful position, and especially where we want our PCOs to remain with APD, and for them to continue to provide APD with their experience and expertise that they have maintained over the years which is so critical to this successful operation, and moreover, they can pass along this expertise to incoming and newly recruited and hired PCOs;
APD: RECRUITMENT, BONUSES FOR POLICE COMMUNICATION OPERATORS (PCOS) ($35,000 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “Recruitment, Bonuses for Police Communication Operators (PCOs)” is $35,000 per year;
WHEREAS, In order to continue with a successful Recruitment initiative and effort that assists with the development of a year-round “Crime Suppression Plan”, successful investigations (including discharges and shootings, tracking firearms, serving warrants, etc.), evidence recovery, and prosecutions, all Cameras must be monitored by Camera Operators, 24/7/366; 3 shifts are necessary with 24-hour coverage, plus a Floater who will fill in for a Camera Operator who could be on authorized leave at any given time;
APD: ‘3RD CAMERA OPERATOR’, PROFESSIONAL STAFF, AND A ‘FLOATER CAMERA OPERATOR’, PROFESSIONAL STAFF
($57,400 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for a “3rd Camera Operator, professional staff” and a “Floater Camera Operator, professional staff” is $57,400 per year;
WHEREAS, In order to maintain professional staff, our students’ safety to and from our schools cannot be (nor should it be) overlooked or ignored;
WHEREAS, School Crossing Guards are responsible for the safety of our “smallest” and most vulnerable, but very significant and important “foundational building blocks”;
WHEREAS, Our School Crossing Guards are among the lowest paid in the area, and therefore, we are not competitive when it comes to salaries, and thus, we lose School Crossing Guards unnecessarily to surrounding jurisdictions, resignations, as well as to low morale;
WHEREAS, As a result, too often, sworn Officers are filling in, on a daily basis, as School Crossing Guards;
APD: SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS, PROFESSIONAL STAFF, PAY INCREASE ($69,100 per year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “School Crossing Guards, Professional Staff, Pay Increase” is $69,100 per year;
WHEREAS, The right “equipment and tools” are necessary and vital to assist with “building” and developing a year-round “Crime Suppression Plan”, successful investigations (including discharges and shootings, tracking firearms, serving warrants, etc.), evidence recovery, and prosecutions;
WHEREAS, License Plate Readers (LPRs) are vital to this end;
APD: LICENSE PLATE READERS (LPRS)
($100,000, for the initial purchase, and the initial maintenance)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “License Plate Readers (LPRs)” is $100,000, for the initial purchase, and the initial maintenance;
WHEREAS, Likewise, again, the right “equipment and tools” are necessary and vital to assist with “building” and developing a year-round “Crime Suppression Plan”, successful investigations (including discharges and shootings, tracking firearms, serving warrants, etc.), evidence recovery, and prosecutions; and their attractiveness to officers who want to become drone pilots makes Drones a great recruiting tool;
WHEREAS, Drones are likewise vital to this end, and officers must be trained as pilots in order to properly operate them;
APD: DRONES PILOT TRAINING
($1,600 for 8 Officers)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for “Drones Pilot Training” for 8 officers is $1,600;
WHEREAS, Additionally, the cost for a Drone itself is approximately $10,000, plus approximately $3,000 for amenities for each Drone, e.g., batteries, etc., with a total cost of at least $13,000 each; and ideally, the City could effectively utilize 8 Drones (including for training), totaling, $104,000;
WHEREAS, At the request and organizational efforts of one of our Aldermen who attended the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Conference in June 2023, the APD’s Chief and two members of his Command Staff, and the Chair, were invited to and very recently attended an incredibly enlightening and extremely comprehensive 3-hour “Information and Demonstration Session/Presentation” by the Hagerstown, MD Police Department, and where they also offered to provide our Mayor and Annapolis City Council with an in-person and publicly televised “Information and Demonstration Session/Presentation” in Annapolis;
APD: FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND ALLIED PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS
WHEREAS, Again, the evolution of “Public Safety” has and continues to be fluid, expansive, and defined and redefined in many ways, and is considered to be one of the first duties and functions of government; and with that being said, and being cognizant of the world around us, the need for additional resources and services-staffing, equipment, technology, community outreach initiatives, etc.-is predictable, immediate, and vital; and local governments will probably not be able to keep up with this funding demand;
WHEREAS, Hence, and especially, since the end of CARES and ARPA funds being provided to local governments, funding local government public safety mandates and necessities will be very challenging, and thus, in the immediate future, there will be a need to be able to readily apply for federal grant funds;
WHEREAS, The ability and the professional wherewithal, to be able to secure significant additional resources and funding from other local, state, but more importantly, from federal agencies and entities, is without question, a necessity;
WHEREAS, APD has maintained excellent relationships with their federal partners who continue to assist our City directly and in a variety of ways-especially regarding intelligence and surveillance matters, technology, criminal investigations that can be very difficult and time-consuming, including working with reluctant (including juvenile witnesses who also “take it hard” when it comes to trauma events) and memory-challenged witnesses, outside (jurisdictionally) criminal elements, i.e., criminal activities occurring in other jurisdictions that are brought into and move into and are trying to infiltrate our City, as well as coordinating and effectuating in-state and out-of-state relocations-since these federal partners have extraordinary woman/manpower, resources, and capabilities: ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), U.S. Marshals, and Homeland Security; as well as APD having excellent working relationships with Anne Arundel County law enforcement (Police; and Sheriffs) and the State of Maryland law enforcement (Police; and Capital, formerly General Services); as well as with Hagerstown, MD;
WHEREAS, Likewise, recognizing that our County, State and surrounding jurisdictions’ law enforcement partners also utilize the skills and benefits of these federal partners as well;
APD: ACCESS TO SIGNIFICANT AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING
WHEREAS, There is a need for a Grant Writer, full-time, professional staff, to be able to apply for federal and other grants (possibly millions of dollars);
WHEREAS, There is a need for a Grant Manager, full-time, professional staff, to be able to properly and legally manage and account for possibly millions of dollars in grant funds, which is vital;
WHEREAS, The APD does not currently have the bandwidth to apply for a variety of significant and impactful public safety grants;
WHEREAS, Grants are becoming more and more competitive as resources from other sources are dwindling, but our capital City should be considered as “premier applicants”;
APD: GRANT WRITER, FULL-TIME, PROFESSIONAL STAFF
($85,400, for one year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for a Grant Writer, full-time, professional staff is $85,400, for one year;
APD: GRANT MANAGER, FULL-TIME, PROFESSIONAL STAFF
($109,800, for one year)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request for a Grant Manager, full-time, professional staff is $109,800, for one year;
WHEREAS, The Community Outreach Division of APD touches on all six Pillars of the Task Force, presented as “flashcards”, namely, “Building Trust and Legitimacy”, “Policy and Oversight”, “Technology and Social Media”, “Community Policing and Crime Reduction”, “Training and Education”, and “Officer Wellness and Safety”;
WHEREAS, The Juvenile Offenders In Need of Supervision (JOINS) Program is a Program that APD hopes to reestablish that will assist troubled youth in their quest to establish a path toward personal growth and success by using JOINS officers as mentors, which provides the youth with a renewed sense of self, bridging the gap between youth and the community; ideally suited for first time, nonviolent juvenile offenders deemed to be at the beginning of a pattern of delinquency, diverting the offender from the juvenile justice system; reestablishing APD JOINS especially in light of the 2 major pieces of State legislation that was recently passed affecting how juveniles and their cases are handled; and the recent and ongoing meetings with the State Department of Juvenile Services, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), our State Delegation, our County State’s Attorney, the City, and other partners, and where our County State’s Attorney will be very closely monitoring especially those significant juvenile cases;
WHEREAS, Due to the recent rise in juvenile crime and criminal behavior, as a part of the plan, the JOINS program can certainly also work with these youth’s parents/guardians as it relates to their parental roles and their parental accountability (as we recognize that many of these parents are young themselves) which is vital and critical to these youth’s positive growth and development;
APD: TO BEGIN FUNDING TO REESTABLISH THE JOINS PROGRAM
($5,000)
WHEREAS, Our APD’s request to begin funding to reestablish the JOINS program is $5,000;
WHEREAS, The APD will continue to promote their current youth community outreach efforts, e.g., Character Counts in the AACPS Annapolis Cluster schools, Career Days, Chess, Boxing, Volleyball, Police Athletic League (PAL), Movie Nights, etc.; Summer Camps (fishing, STEM, art, Joven Nobles, crabbing, sailing, crime lab); Vison Workshops Photography Program; ice skating, USNA athletic events, Military Bowl Parade, visits to Washington, DC monuments, swimming; and the development of a new series of PSAs (Public Service Announcements)-an initiative that will focus on increased student attendance and decreased student absenteeism in AACPS; and any other initiatives that enhance educational development;
WHEREAS, The APD will continue its extremely successful adult Positive Impact Program (PIP), aka, Re-entry program, and any other adult outreach programs (whether for those who have been formerly incarcerated or not) that provide positive and meaningful growth and success;
WHEREAS, The APD is in the process of preparing informational brochures for public dissemination including on City transit vehicles, e.g., public safety tips; lock your vehicle; the consequences of leaving your car unattended; purchasing a club for your car’s steering wheel; the appropriate use of 911 vs. instead using the APD non-emergency number; when texting, e-mailing, Facebook/social media are inappropriate when making reports, etc.; conflict resolution resources; etc.; and continuing City-wide and Ward-wide community outreach meetings, town halls, etc.;
WHEREAS, The APD will continue its varied and very robust Community Outreach initiatives and partnerships which require additional APD time and woman/manpower, e.g., Citizen Fingerprinting; PEDAL-Photograph, Engrave, Document And Lock-Watch Your Bike Program; Hispanic Liaison; Watch Your Car; Transaction Safe Police; Prescription Drop Box; Annapolis Cares-Project Lifesaver; Know Your Limit; Police Chaplains; Annapolis Outreach for the Unhoused; Residential and Commercial Security Surveys; National Night Out; Community Meetings (HOA-Home-Owners Association, Board, etc.); City-sponsored Events; Parades and Festivals; Trunk or Treats at churches/houses of worship, schools, communities, etc.; Little Free Library; Police Athletic Club (PAL); APD Scholarship Program; Movie Nights; SKATE (Stuffies for Kids Affected by Traumatic Events); Holidays’ (Thanksgiving and Christmas) full family Meals baskets; etc.;
WHEREAS, The APD will continue its promotional ceremonies, opportunities to increase morale, celebrating successes, etc.;
WHEREAS, APD is in the process of updating their Organizational/Resources Chart, being ever mindful of various situations that need to be restructured/reviewed, e.g., the need to move some sworn officers out of professional staff positions into non-sworn professional staff positions, and/or increasing non-sworn professional staff positions, etc.;
WHEREAS, Again, the feedback garnered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, and hosted by the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP Team, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings” provides an opportunity to compile all of this feedback, and to develop a list of “assignments” as to who/what is accountable for strategic and meaningful follow-up and follow-through;
APD: “WISH (AND NECESSITIES) LIST”
WHEREAS, The APD’s “wish (and necessities) list” can include: expanding the City-wide cameras program; increasing 21st century technology in policing; securing additional investigative and support services and resources, e.g., once the renovations have been completed, using a portion of the Universal Lodge #14 as a Clay Street Corridor APD Substation, and with successful Recruitment efforts, possibly revisiting the use of police and community resources/substations; accessing private community camera systems; reestablishing the APD Auxiliary Unit, where members of this Unit can take/write-up minor police reports, etc.; hiring additional temporary employees; solidifying a partnership with Amazon for residents and citizens to utilize Amazon’s lockers for package deliveries (an anti-theft/”porch pirates” public safety tool); supporting additional private cameras throughout the City; expanding the Crisis Response/Intervention Team (CIT); enhancing the Cold Cases Unit and expanding it into a Squad; creating an APD Motorcycle Escorts Unit for our capital City; increasing the Neighborhood Watch program which combines technology with some traditional aspects of older neighborhood watch duties, and it also includes the Camera Ring initiative that provides residents and citizens with an opportunity to participate in the Security Rebate Program; converting some sworn positions into civilian positions; continuing to enhance APD’s partnership and cooperation with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) leadership and their private security teams, i.e., “force multipliers”; increasing woman/manpower when it comes to the execution of warrants and apprehension, including domestic violence warrants; establishing/expanding the Body-Worn Cameras and Retrieval Unit; expanding the Chaplain outreach program that continues to work alongside APD’s Crisis Response/Intervention Team (CIT), including possibly partnering with the County Executive’s I-FAC (Inter-Faith Advisory Committee), and even looking toward this opportunity as a resource for Officer Wellness; purchasing additional VMS signs; increasing the number of community meetings with the public, as well as with elected officials and administrative officials, which could even include assigning an APD community outreach professional staff member to each Ward; recording youth, via PSAs (Public Service Announcements), to talk about the importance of peace, as well as character traits; expanding the APD CADETS program; continuing to increase our County partnerships, e.g., Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Anne Arundel County Health Department, Anne Arundel Medical Center, County/State DSS, etc.; using general Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to continue “to get the public safety word out” and where “humanity” is one of the focuses; assisting with the training of youth in CPR; sponsoring youth to attend the USNA’s annual Military Bowl football game and other USNA events; possibly expanding business partnerships, e.g., restaurants, accessible boating and sailing, theaters, etc.; expanding the College Internship Program, and possibly including some high school students as well; possibly collaborating with the Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL), e.g., free gun locks program, etc.; increasing website capabilities, e.g., crime map, dashboard, etc.; increasing audits, e.g., inspections of sworn officers, space, equipment, qualifications, etc.; assisting students with following the process of setting current and future goals including the preparation of Vision Boards (and hopefully in a setting that includes being alongside some APD officers); continuing (which started in January and February 2020 in the Mayor’s Office and the Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department-ARPD, but discontinued due to the onset of COVID) the high school initiative during Panther Hour: “A&A: The History Channel, Know Thyself”; increasing collaboration with ARPD and/or AACPS, Pop-Up Camps, E-gaming, etc., including possibly focusing more on the middle school age students and sports programs;
WHEREAS, Again, the feedback garnered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, and hosted by the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP Team, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings” provides an opportunity to compile all of this feedback, and to develop a list of “assignments” as to who/what is accountable for strategic and meaningful follow-up and follow-through;
WHEREAS, The Annapolis Police Foundation provides support to APD, especially as it relates to special projects, as well as youth/student scholarships; and APD plans to request that two $500 high school scholarships be awarded to 2 graduating seniors who have made the commitment to major in college in law enforcement/policing, $1,000 total, thus, increasing the possibility of recruitment;
WHEREAS, While the APD’s “clearance” rate (and “closure” rate goes beyond “clearance” rate) for crime is incredibly high, much of which is directly akin to the APD’s Command Staff’s (7 persons) over 200 years of combined law enforcement/public safety professional experience, and thus, they are well aware of what is needed in our City, nevertheless, providing APD with additional and much-needed resources is still vital and critical in order to maintain that level of not only a high clearance rate but from a prevention standpoint as well;
APD: RETENTION
WHEREAS, “Building”, and using CALEA accreditation as the “blueprint” (and “roadmap”), i.e., Training and Education are the “foundation”; the “planning stages” are Recruitment, including Bonuses, and Promotions, and Health and Wellness; the “spine and backbone” of the “building” which is Patrol; the “building blocks”: the Public Communications Officers, and all sworn and non-sworn professional staff, including Camera Operators, and School Crossing Guards; the “tools to build”, including Equipment (License Plate Readers, Drones), Local, State, Federal, and Allied Partnerships, Additional Funding, via Grants, etc., Robust and Varied Community Outreach Programs including PIP (Positive Impact Program, aka, Re-entry), JOINS; and the Annapolis Police Foundation, i.e., the “landscaping”-where the “steeple” on the “structure” is, and where all “roads” then lead to, Retention: where experience and expertise-the final part of the “structure” that is “built”-are critical to the ultimate growth and success of all police departments-our Annapolis Police Department;
APD: MARYLAND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (PAB) ACT
WHEREAS, Again, additionally, Training and Education of officers as to how to appropriately respond to any Maryland Police Accountability Board (PAB) Act mandates, requirements, and situations, etc., can provide them with the additional confidence to perform their duties as to avoid any possible PAB-type challenges and circumstances;
WHEREAS, With that being said, PAB, an unfunded mandate, goes beyond Training and Education: for example, it requires each jurisdiction to be responsible, for example, for the Administrative Hearing Judge’s “salary” of $200.00 per hour, along with several more associated and “hidden” costs (additional unfunded mandates), e.g., redaction of footage from body-worn cameras; a professional to certify sworn officers’ fitness tests; other compliance demands (possibly $75,000-$80,000); etc.;
ANNAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT (APD)
($689,280)
WHEREAS, And Mayor Buckley agrees;
PUBLIC SAFETY AND GUN VIOLENCE
WHEREAS, An extremely important part and component of ensuring public safety, that is definitely a priority, is addressing gun violence, including prevention and intervention;
“ANNAPOLIS UNITED”
WHEREAS, On March 15, 2022-December 31, 2022, the “Annapolis United” Program began in the City in response to a definite and sharp uptick in gun violence starting in January 2022;
WHEREAS, “Annapolis United” paired the City’s 3 public safety departments (OEM, AFD-Annapolis Fire Department, and APD) plus the Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) that established: “Annapolis United: ARPD (Love Our Children), OEM (Love Our Neighbors), AFD (Peace Is Here), Stop the Violence (APD)”, along with the overwhelming support of 2 Programs housed within the Mayor’s Office-namely, NO HARM VIP (Neighborhoods Organized, Helping to Avoid and Reduce Mortality, Violence Interruption Prevention), and NAM (Naptown Anti-Dope MoveMeant;
WHEREAS, From March 15-December 31, 2022, the following was provided to the youth: 28 programs/activities/events (broken down by categories: Educational, Recreational, and Leisure), 1,438 participants, 472 hours per participant/attendee, 10,978 program/activity/event hours;
WHEREAS, OEM, AFD, and APD also participated as vendors at the Kunte Kinte Festival, which had at least 10,000 attendees;
WHEREAS, No other homicides occurred in the City in 2022-the only homicide that occurred was in January 2022, prior to the start of “Annapolis United”;
WHEREAS, To date, the official report has not been provided/completed/documented-namely, that from March 22-December 31, 2022, there was, at the very least, some correlation between 1) an overall reduction in crime, and 2) recreation; and possibly having some effect on substance use disorders;
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, NO HARM VIP PROGRAM (NO HARM VIP)
WHEREAS, Again, the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP ((Neighborhoods Organized, Helping to Avoid and Reduce Mortality, Violence Interruption Prevention) Program has been extremely active and productive regarding addressing gun violence prevention and intervention;
WHEREAS, The NO HARM VIP Program is a people-centered, harm reduction-focused approach to violence prevention and intervention;
WHEREAS, Again, the feedback garnered from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, and hosted by the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP Team, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings” provides an opportunity to compile all of this feedback, and to develop a list of “assignments” as to who/what is accountable for strategic and meaningful follow-up and follow-through;
WHEREAS, The City pilot NO HARM VIP Program began in January 2021; the results of the pilot and national and local data argue for this program to continue to be funded;
WHEREAS, The Program starts with working with individual and community anxieties and pressures with the goal of eliminating the anger and problems that cause violence to erupt;
WHEREAS, The City of Annapolis experienced 6 homicides-5 by gun violence (and crime/stabbing) in 2020, all in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic; and 100% of the homicides in the City of Annapolis involved African Americans in 2020;
WHEREAS, In the City of Annapolis, the crisis is specifically affecting African Americans-their families, and the neighborhoods in which they reside;
WHEREAS, The collateral damage must be addressed, and at the same time, we must collaboratively assist persons affected by violence with healing and resources to empower their quality of life;
WHEREAS, Along with the plethora of programming and community outreach initiatives that NO HARM VIP has successfully provided since 2021, NO HARM VIP is in the process of expanding and fully launching their OPTIONS Program and their OPTIONS 360 Program;
WHEREAS, And in order for NO HARM VIP to successfully integrate into our local communities and our local school system, they recognize the necessity and therefore, have been in the process of creating structured programs called OPTIONS and OPTIONS 360;
WHEREAS, OPTIONS (Opportunities - Possibilities - Technology - Innovations - Organization - Networking - Success) is a youth development program that focuses on students who are enrolled in high school; the main mission of OPTIONS is to develop youth leaders (and with a focus on middle schoolers as well) while providing them with the opportunities to learn about the different “options” and career routes for today’s youth who can become successful without attending a 4 year college; for example, using a variety of educational tools and opportunities, e.g., podcasts; TedTalks; Pop-Up Camps which have been utilized in the City since summer 2019 (including drone, e-gaming, art, music, etc.);
WHEREAS, The mission of OPTIONS 360 (Opportunities - Possibilities - Technology - Innovations - Organization - Networking - Success) is the same as OPTIONS, but instead, it focuses on students who regularly get into trouble in school, and with adults who may have already graduated from school, and also for those who have dropped out of school; Options 360 is for any individual who is looking to, and who is willing to, put in the time and the effort into changing their life completely around;
WHEREAS, Funding for these Programs will be used in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, workshops and events for participants, e.g., utilizing the services of a yoga studio/instructor to conduct exercise and yoga lessons/classes which is critical to maintaining good health and mental and physical well-being; hiring a financial consultant to teach financial literacy which provides participants with financial discipline; training to incentivize participants, especially as it relates to developing their self-confidence, leadership, and empowerment skills; following the process of setting current and future goals including the preparation of Vision Boards (and hopefully in a setting that includes being alongside some APD officers); developing housekeeping and etiquette habits/skills; providing small stipends for participants to encourage them to continue the discipline of building upon self-sufficient living; providing trainings for “credible messengers”; building and developing leadership among local community members, i.e., “the boots on the ground agents” toward leading their communities effectively; paying high school and college internships-again, developing leadership within our most underserved communities-seeking students who are hungry for real-world experiences within the realm of community development and business administration; providing transportation for workshops, field trips, educational-fun “combos” (i.e., field trips that combine education and fun for youth as well as for adults), etc., that are outside of their communities-grasping for and seeking a full exposure of “options”; hiring a grant writer for the purpose of seeking out and facilitating additional sources of funding; etc.;
WHEREAS, Again, NO HARM VIP is people-centered, working with individual and community anxieties and pressures with the goal of eliminating the anger and problems that cause violence to erupt, but also instilling in youth especially that their future is not limited-that they have a viable future;
WHEREAS, Anger, too often, can lead to violence;
WHEREAS, Three of the many root causes of anger (which can lead to violence) is: low self-esteem (lack of self-confidence), lack of power (lack of control), and fear (which can be manifested in and borne out in not feeling safe);
WHEREAS, The “Neighborhood Empowerment Leadership Academy (NELA)” started in an infancy stage in the Woodside Gardens and (former) Newtowne 20 communities in October 2021, as the “Community Education and Leadership Monthly Celebrations Program”; and thereafter, on an accompanying/expansive scale, in the Annapolis Gardens community in the spring of 2022 for 6 weeks (plus graduation) as the “Annapolis Gardens Leadership Academy”; and this NELA Program will be integrated (programmatically and funding-wise) into NO HARM VIP’s OPTIONS and OPTIONS 360 Programs; similarly, with this Program, the goals are also (and additionally): to enhance education within our youth and adult population, addressing health concerns (mental health, substance use disorder, trauma, etc.), and including environmental education (community clean-ups, tree planting, etc.), community decorating, community music, etc.; to develop independent youth and adult leaders (for example, to carry on the work even when former leaders are not there); to implement community efforts and celebratory events, including giveaways and incentives, with an accompanying educational component to be held on a monthly basis in every community so that residents will have something to look forward to, to work toward, to get excited about, etc.; with approximately 2 staff/interns to coordinate the NELA Program;
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM
WHEREAS, The Community Grants Program, which began in 2022, within the Office of Community Services, has yielded incredible results, can certainly continue to successfully partner together with the NO HARM VIP Program: Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Scholarship Trust, Mr. Reginald Broddie (Annapolis Gardens); The Annapolis All-Stars II (Woodside Gardens and Wilbourn Estates); Charting Careers, Inc. (Obery Court, College Creek Terrace, and the Clay Street corridor); John Wesley United Methodist Church (Bay Ridge Gardens); Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) (Clay Street, Obery Court and College Creek Terrace); One Annapolis, Inc. (Bywater); Organization of Hispanic Latin Americans of Anne Arundel County, OHLA (Madison Street); Restoration Community Development Corporation (Robinwood); Street Angels Project (Clay Street); Zeta Gamma Foundation of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Obery Court and College Creek Terrace);
STREET CORNER MINISTRIES COALITION
WHEREAS, And some of the Street Corner Ministries Coalition (SCMC, which was founded in March 2016) members can certainly be integrated into this NO HARM VIP Program as well: The Reverend Samuel Green, Sr. Foundation, Inc.; Second Baptist Church; Faith Community Church; St. Philip’s Episcopal Church; St. Anne’s Episcopal Church; First Christian Community Church of Annapolis; Fresh Start Church; Downtown Hope (church); Annapolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church; Calvary Community Church of Riva; True Church of Christ for Sinners Only; Light of the World Family Ministries; Beacon Light Seventh Day Adventist Church; John Wesley United Methodist Church;
WHEREAS, Again, three of the many root causes of anger (which can lead to violence) is: low self-esteem (lack of self-confidence), lack of power (lack of control), and fear (which can be manifested in and borne out in not feeling safe); and a comprehensive and robust NO HARM VIP Program can certainly increase residents’ self-confidence, which leads them to realizing that they have control over their communities and resulting in their advocacy on behalf of their communities, and therefore, this Program can provide our residents with a feeling of safety and security, accompanied by fostering an improved and enhanced community working relationship with our Public Safety team;
WHEREAS, “No shoot” zones may be messaging that could be considered in some communities, e.g., VMS signs, social media messages, PSAs, texts, fliers distribution, door-to-door/face-to-face contacts, etc.;
WHEREAS, Our “NO HARM VIP” Program’s request for funding is $125,720;
WHEREAS, Our NO HARM VIP’s request for the “OPTIONS”, the “OPTIONS 360”, and the “Neighborhood Empowerment Leadership Academy (NELA)” Programs, is $125,720 per year; and the total number of participating households is 2,097, which breaks down to $59.95 per household per year, and which breaks down to $5.00 per household per month; (and including the 99 households in the Allen Apartments community);
“NO HARM VIP” PROGRAM
($125,720)
WHEREAS, And Mayor Buckley agrees;
ANNAPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT (AFD)
WHEREAS, The Chair received a phone call from the Senator on November 1, 2023 (among 2 other phone calls) regarding the Chair’s public request for $1 million for the purpose of supporting the City’s public safety needs;
WHEREAS, Additionally, the Chair provided information to the Senator regarding the Annapolis Fire Department’s need to replace Fireboat 36, at a cost of $1.5 million;
WHEREAS, Fireboat 36 has reached the end of its affordable life expectancy for the City, and is no longer sustainable to keep up with the cost of maintenance, repairs, and required upgrades that are required to keep it running in a safe and dependable manner;
WHEREAS, The recent costs to show the trend of the increased burden on the budgets is: Maintenance and Repairs (FY21 = $119,952, this was to tear down and rebuild the two jet drives and replace both motors; it should be noted that this fiscal year [FY21] the Fireboat was basically out of service as it was in Canada for this intense work to be completed, so it was not available for any responses and there were no other applicable costs to keep it running); FY22 = $1,819; FY23 = $43,348; FY24 to date [as of October 16, 2023] = $19,161, only 3 months; there have been additional costs for items required for technology and safeguarding of investment that include: Upgrades to electronic - adding Garmin chart plotters and Hummingbird sonar system = $20,000; Return to Canada Metalcraft Marine for total sandblast and repaint (to resolve rust and ensure further protection) = $120,000;
WHEREAS, The cost for a new replacement fireboat is anticipated to be $1.5 million with a two-year build time, and this would afford the citizens and visitors of Annapolis an updated technological and economical upgrade in services and dependability; the projections for costs show more increases the longer we wait to begin the process of building a new one and of course, the costs of upkeep and repairs increases with an older fireboat each year we wait for the purchase and build time;
WHEREAS, The current Annapolis Fireboat 36 was built in 2006 by Metalcraft Marine in Canada and was delivered in December 2006 at a cost of just under $500,000; Fireboat 36 is a jet-drive Firestorm 36 Model powered by two 490 horsepower Cummins Diesel Motors with an all-aluminum hull, and is 39 feet long overall with a 13 feet 1 inch beam; the fittings include a 1750 gallon per minute fire pump, Garmin chart plotters, a Hummingbird sonar system and forward-looking infrared camera for fire and rescue use;
WHEREAS, Fireboat 36 runs an average of 100 calls for service each year [almost 2 calls per week], and is cross-staffed daily by the crew of E361 from the Eastport Fire Station; the fireboat is kept ready for responses to incidents in the water at the Annapolis City Marina year round; Fireboat 36 responds on medical emergencies, boating accidents, boat fires, house/building fires and performs search and rescue missions with coverage of service on the waterways from Baltimore City to Calvert County including parts of the Eastern Shore; our primary response areas include the Annapolis City waterways, Severn River, Magothy River, and South River;
WHEREAS, Having a fireboat in the capital city of Annapolis, the Sailboat capital of the world, is an important service to the citizens and visitors of our city; it has proved to save lives and properties during its already 17 years of service and the Annapolis Fire Department is proud to continue that mission;
WHEREAS, Our AFD’s request, in addition to the initial request of $1 million, is to replace Fireboat 36, which is $1.5 million; which is separate and apart from the initial request of $1 million;
ANNAPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT (AFD),
REQUEST: $1.5 MILLION;
WHEREAS, And Mayor Buckley agrees;
WHEREAS, APD has been inundated and bombarded with requests for additional and in-depth information regarding the City-wide Cameras program;
WHEREAS, These requests have been forwarded to the City’s Office of Integrated Technology Solutions (OITS), formerly, MIT, with APD working very closely with OITS;
OFFICE OF INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS (OITS):
CITY-WIDE CAMERAS
($114,800)
WHEREAS, Again, in order to continue successful Training and Education, as well as Recruitment initiatives and efforts that assists with the development of a year-round “Crime Suppression Plan”, successful investigations (including discharges and shootings, tracking firearms, serving warrants, etc.), evidence recovery, and prosecutions, all Cameras must be monitored 24/7/366;
WHEREAS, With that being said, the City is acutely aware that in order to continue to keep our residents, citizens, businesses, and visitors safe is the need for a much more robust, technologically updated, and sustainable City-wide Cameras system and accompanying systems to build out, i.e., acquire, install, and make operational, etc.;
WHEREAS, There is an additional and specific funding request from the City regarding these specific costs, and the accountability within City government that is associated with the Cameras system;
WHEREAS, And Cameras were requested by an overwhelming number of participants from the “Pop-Up Resource Fairs” and Surveys, as hosted by the Mayor’s Office’s NO HARM VIP Team, the “Public Safety Listening Sessions”, and the “Public Safety Public Hearings”
WHEREAS, Our City’s funding request for a much more robust, technologically updated, and sustained City-wide Cameras system and accompanying systems, is 114,800;
APD: DRONES
($104,000)
WHEREAS, Additionally, the cost for a Drone itself is approximately $10,000, plus approximately $3,000 for amenities for each Drone, e.g., batteries, etc., with a total cost of at least $13,000 each; and ideally, the City could effectively utilize 8 Drones (including for training), totaling, $104,000;
APD: MARYLAND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (PAB) ACT
WHEREAS, Significant and fluid costs associated with the Maryland Police Accountability Board (PAB) Act and its unfunded mandates and requirements are expected and anticipated as time progresses;
WHEREAS, And Mayor Buckley agrees;
CONCLUSION
WHEREAS, In Conclusion;
WHEREAS, Again, every elected officials’ and administrative officials’ offices were represented in at least one “Pop-Up Resource Fair” or “Public Safety Listening Session” or “Public Safety Public Hearing”-State Delegation; County (County Executive’s Office; Arundel Center; and the County Health Department); and Anne Arundel County Public Schools (the Board President; and the Superintendent’s Office); as we were very interested in them “Listening” to our residents and citizens; and now likewise, to “Listen” to our City;
WHEREAS, The work of the City’s Public Safety team can be very dangerous and emotionally draining, but it is very necessary, i.e., while we consistently run away from danger, they continue to run toward danger as well as toward very challenging situations;
WHEREAS, The City of Annapolis, within no more than an 8 mile radius, is our State’s capital and the State’s “home base”; is our Anne Arundel County seat and the County’s “home base”; is the home to a plethora of State, County, and City buildings and properties, including the Governor’s Mansion and the State House; the Supreme Court of Maryland and the Appellate Court of Maryland; the Arundel Center; several federal installations/properties including the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and all of their accompanying festivities, e.g., Commissioning Week, Plebe Week, etc., the USNA Stadium, including the Military Bowl games; the National Cemetery, and the National Guard Armory; the Boat Shows; St. John’s College; historic buildings dating back over 3 centuries; the Sailboat Capital of the World; the host for all Gubernatorial Inaugurations and many accompanying festivities; hosts to the yearly General Assembly; the “first and obvious choice” for a wide array of First Amendment events, protests, etc. (including being put on “alert” during the January 6th “event” in Washington, D.C.), as well as annual and extremely well-attended (nationally and internationally) parades, festivals, etc.; and hosting no less than 1 million visitors per year; and we are no more than 30 miles from the nation’s capital/the Washington, D.C. border-the “heartbeat” of the international community;
WHEREAS, With that being said, the City being in very close proximity to the “heartbeat” of the international community, namely, Washington, D.C., naturally comes with its own vulnerabilities and challenges;
WHEREAS, Many of these entities, and accompanying services and events, which are ever growing, and many of which are annual/perennial, require a significant amount of City planning, resources, logistical support, and funding in order for all of these properties, events, etc., to be continually maintained, kept current, safe, and successful, i.e., it is overwhelmingly insightful, as well as unbelievable and eye-opening, as to what all goes on “behind the scenes” when it comes to preparation, etc.;
WHEREAS, Our City is responsible for and has authority and charge over an exorbitant and wide-ranging number of roles, tasks, functions, duties, oversight, etc.; and this Resolution evidences the City government’s willingness to provide the necessary accountability;
WHEREAS, And while “evidence-based” initiatives are certainly worth reviewing;
WHEREAS, Nevertheless, no other City or town in the United States of America can come close to, nor can be even closely compared to, the city of Annapolis; and our City can certainly set the “gold standard” and be the “gold bar”, when it comes to other jurisdictions using and exploring our “evidence-based” programs-again, one very important and strategic reason being our city’s extremely close proximity to our nation’s capital-no other state’s capital being any closer to the “heartbeat” of the international community;
WHEREAS, With that being said, for example, the APD Chief recently appeared on Capitol Hill before Congress along with several other police chiefs from around the nation who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, regarding “Police Reform and Drug Policy”;
WHEREAS, Again, establishing and solidifying a variety of necessary and meaningful relationships and partnerships;
WHEREAS, “Annapolis United”, specifically, its APD “Protect and Serve” component, has continued since April 2022, with a bi-weekly broadcast and viewership (including live and delayed broadcasts) of up to 2,500, and it has gained regional recognition and publicly, thus increasing improved community outreach and public safety results;
WHEREAS, The residents, citizens, and businesses that the City represents are all likewise represented by our County and State elected officials as well;
WHEREAS, Frankly, taking everything into consideration, a $185 million yearly City of Annapolis budget is obviously woefully inadequate to address all of our City’s needs and responsibilities;
WHEREAS, Can the State PILOT be significantly increased as well?;
WHEREAS, Ideally, i.e., “Plan A”: the full funding that the City needs should immediately come from the City’s own coffers initially, with a “reimbursement” from the State and/or the County between now and July 1, 2024;
WHEREAS, As to a “Plan B”: there needs to be a discussion immediately between the City, State, and County regarding full funding;
WHEREAS, The financial assistance to the City from the State and the County, as it relates to public safety, should be provided annually or on an emergency basis, depending upon the circumstances;
WHEREAS, With all of these wonderful City amenities, the history of Annapolis/Anne Arundel County, with a pivotal historical benchmark starting in the year 1916, and a “triumvirate” (education, workforce, and housing) that continues to negatively affect the lives of an entire African-American community for well over a century, including the Chair personally, makes this budget request even more immediate, vital, necessary, and impactful; see a very personal and raw account of Black Annapolis (1916-present), YouTube video recorded in February 2022, and specifically, this video time frame: 45:10 to 1:10:35; The State of Black Annapolis Discussion - Part 1- The Past - YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoBQLbTAk4&t=2752s> ;
WHEREAS, The four Standing Committees listed here that this Resolution will be referred to include every member of the City Council; and there is also a request that (a) Public Hearing(s) be scheduled;
WHEREAS, Nevertheless, we remain keenly mindful that the Maryland General Assembly’s Legislative Session will begin and meet in 30 days-specifically, very soon, on January 11, 2024;
WHEREAS, And in light of the immediate nature of these very substantial financial requests, the Annapolis City Council certainly has the option of passing this Resolution, Suspend the Rules, on Third Reader, on December 11, 2023, especially since there are no more City Council meetings scheduled for December 2023, and as documented, our residents, citizens, businesses, organizations, and visitors are anxious for us to take action as soon as possible;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that:
1. Request immediate supplemental funding for PUBLIC SAFETY including:
a. $1 million for:
i. Annapolis Office of Emergency Management ($185,000); and
ii. Annapolis Police Department ($689,280); and
iii. Mayor’s Office ($125,720), and
b. $1.5 million for the Annapolis Fire Department; and
c. $114, 800 for the City-wide Cameras program; and
d. $104,000 for Drones; and
e. Significant and fluid costs associated with the Maryland Police Accountability Board (PAB) Act and its unfunded mandates and requirements that are expected and anticipated; and
2. The request for an estimated total funding amount which could reach approximately $3.5 million be made to a combination of the City of Annapolis, the State of Maryland, and Anne Arundel County for the purpose of Public and Community Safety.
AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this resolution shall take effect upon passage