ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Senate Democratic Caucus held a press conference to announce a comprehensive package of bills focused on reducing violence and enhancing safety for every Maryland community.
Senate leaders were joined by partners including Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus G. Jones, Baltimore County Police Colonel Andre Davis, an Anne Arundel County Police Major Ross Passman.
The level of violence is increasing throughout the State of Maryland and must urgently be addressed. Executives at the local and state levels require immediate resources and support as they implement strategies to keep our residents safe. The package of bills and initiatives announced today provides the funding and framework at every stage of our justice system, including prevention, intervention, criminal justice, and rehabilitation.
“Marylanders are crying out for solutions that break through politics as usual,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson. “I am grateful to our community partners on the frontlines of building safer communities for joining us today and underscoring the need for coordinated, strategic, and comprehensive approaches to reducing violence.”
“There is an absolute urgency to further protect and increase the safety of our communities,” said Prince George’s County Chief of Police, Malik Aziz. “Every day, I see the impacts of violent crime on families, communities, and on my fellow officers. We need to work in conjunction with behavioral health professionals, stakeholders, lawmakers, and other enforcement agencies through a comprehensive approach for the urgent solutions we seek.”
The legislation and initiatives announced today include:
- Prohibiting ghost guns;
- Implementing safety plans for disability, juvenile, behavioral health, and health care facilities;
- Increasing resources for violence prevention;
- Establishing a comprehensive gun analytics center;
- Supporting warrant apprehension efforts;
- Increasing behavioral health supports through the federal 988 hotline, $25 million to address children’s mental health needs, and training for 9-1-1 operators and first responders;
- Requiring judicial transparency;
- Ensuring prosecutorial accountability;
- Improving the Division of Parole and Probation through increased oversight of and wraparound services for supervisees;
- Eliminating the 140+ vacancies in Parole and Probation through apprenticeship pathways; and
- Establishing matching PELL grants for formerly incarcerated youth.
“Coordinating resources effectively extends to gathering intelligence for investigating and prosecuting crimes. Establishing our State’s Gun Analytics Center as a “one-stop-shop” for screening and vetting gun cases in Maryland will lead to more systemic enforcement and effective prosecution of gun crimes,” stated Senator Pamela Beidle. “Once perpetrators are identified, we must also provide our law enforcement partners with the necessary resources to increase warrant apprehension efforts to ensure swift and certain consequences.”
“Transparency and accountability are foundational to good government, and the criminal justice system is no different,” said Chair Will Smith. “Marylanders should be confident that judges and prosecutors are making decisions in the public interest, which is why we will increase judicial transparency and prosecutorial accountability in the 2022 Legislative Session.”
“At the same time, we need to improve parole and probation so that they are adequately equipped to manage those they are tasked to supervise, especially violent offenders,” said Senator Cory McCray. “The staggering number of vacancies in the Maryland State Police, Department of Corrections, and Division of Parole and Probation must be filled if we hope to break the pattern of victimization and recidivism that many on parole and probation experience.”
The community safety plan announced today addresses prevention, intervention, criminal justice, and rehabilitation to reduce violence and enhance safety, and will be a top priority of the Senate of Maryland over the next 68 days of the 2022 Legislative Session.