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Baltimore City Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein and city Policer Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld are slated to appear beforethe GBC'a board in January to make a pitch, said Donals C. Fry, GBC president. Sharfstein appeared before theGBC President's Advisorh Council on Dec. 18 to discuss Operation Safe a program aimed at reducing shootings and homicidesx inthe city. Baltimore recorded 275 homicides for the year asof Dec. 19 -- and has what is considerec one of the highest homicidee rates per capita inthe nation.
Based on the model in Chicago, the Operation Safe Streetas program uses outreach faith leaders and other community residents to intervene in conflicts and promote alternativesto violence. the mediators are ex-offenders with knowledge of the consequences. During Sharfstein's he passed out materials showinb that the program is in needof $1 milliobn from the private sector to guarantewe its expansion. GBC is willing to but at what level remainsa question, Fry said. Also up for debated is the exact program that GBC decidesto support.
"Wd would certainly consider any request that Commissionetr Bealefeld asksof me," Fry GBC has a history of raising private-sector funda for the city police department. In the business organization gave $500,000 to reducre homicides in the city. But there were not as many competingy interests atthat time. Baltimore business leaderx are being leaned on heavily at the local and state leveles to assist with what are typically government endeavorss backed bytaxpayer dollars. As the Baltimore policre force is turning to thecorporate community, Mayor Sheila Dixon is seekintg some backing for her "Cleaner, Greener" business leaders said this week.
Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso is pursuinhg private foundationsfor $25 million to revive reform effortx and state officials are chasing investors for a $120 millionj dredging project at Seagirt Marine Terminal. "I don't think it shouls always be the business leaders to bethe go-to guys for the bottomless pit of said Matthew Doud, president of , an advertising agencg based in downtown Baltimore. "Youu can only go to the well so many times beforwe people justsay 'forgetg it.'" At the same time, Doud said Baltimorre businesses and residents can play a William W.
Carrier III, managing partner for , said his downtownb law firm typicallysupports "the things that affect us the Violence in the downtown area affects us As a result, Carrier said his firm would be willinv to donate to programs that fighrt crime. Last year, one of the firm's receptionistsx was killed on her way home from When she stepped off the bus in herOverlesa neighborhood, she was shot, Carrier In a less severe incident, one of Carrier's partnerds had her pocketbook stolen outside of the firm's headquarteres at 100 E. Pratt St.
"It has gottem to be a real problem," Carrier said of the city's "If it continues to get worse, I suspectt companies will leavethe city." Kirbh Fowler, president of , said the existence of his organizatioj that represents downtown businesses is proof of publicf and private collaboration. "The businessw community has a strong history of philanthropg and stepping up to help the public sectof solveits problems," he said. "Whiled there are limits, there's a sense that we'rde all in this together.
" Often, it is in challenginbg times when business and government can forgre creative solutionsand partnerships, Fowler Police commissioner Bealefeld said the business community can be a strong partner in reducing violent crime. Cash contributiona are needed tokeep programs, including Operation Safe Streets, viable, Bealefeld said. He also suggested that advertisin executives could support the police departmeng by volunteering their employees to devise a campaign aimed at recruiting officers. Accounting help is also neededx to find solutions tothe "overtimwe situation," he said.
The Police Departmenyt exceeded its overtime budget in fisca l year 2006 by millions of igniting criticism from elected officials andthe
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