Crime has been a stubborn fact of life. Over the past year, in our little area of Baltimore, there have been well over 1,400 police reports, for crimes ranging from armed assaults and robbery to a seemingly unending stream of car and home break-ins.
As a community, we have been trying to address the problem for quite a few years. We have Shomrim and NWCP, aiming to provide response and patrol services. We ask our local politicians to emphasize the importance of a greater police presence.
The problem is stubborn, however. We have failed to make much of a dent, while the criminals become more sophisticated and more brazen. Many burglaries happen while the family is sleeping. Thieves prey on older residents by impersonating officials of one kind or another. It has become clear that, without taking anything away from existing organizations, there are some significant gaps that can be filled to help make our community a safer place.
On a recent motza’ei Shabbos, Baltimore Crime Analytics (BCA) held its first official group meeting, where we presented BCA’s mission: “… the comprehensive collection of accurate and verified crime data, which can then be leveraged to reduce crime and improve safety.” Guided by Rabbi Marwick, our board includes members of the Jewish, African-American, and Hispanic communities in our area, all working together for a common goal.
At the meeting, we discussed why data is both important and useful for solving the problem. For example, we know that police reports are often not filed, for a range of reasons. But if BCA is diligent, it can collect solid data, and also see to it that crimes are reported properly to police. More reports mean that we can get an enhanced police presence. BCA will essentially act as a citizen ombudsman, interfacing between the police and the community to ensure that our critical needs are met.
BCA will also directly collect crime reports. Victims (or any curious party) can go to http://baltcrime.com to see how easy it is to report an incident. We will collate and share the data with the public, because we know that the first step in dealing with any problem is to admit it exists. We have to be aware, for example, that our area has suffered from almost four crimes each day of the past year. And that only counts the crimes that are reported to police and are then reported, in turn, by the police!
The next step is to understand the problem in more detail. We will take the data and analyze it. Over time, we will be able to show which “common sense” measures actually work – and which do not. Do security cameras work? How about outdoor lighting or owning a dog? We want to find out, and make sure that you also know.
Education is a key component. Most people don’t realize that they do not have to open the door for anyone unless they are holding a warrant. Just because someone who claims to be from BGE is at the door does not mean you have to open it or even talk to him. Several families have been victimized by imposters over the past year, suffering as a result by the theft of their property, including family heirlooms.
We reported at the meeting, coordinated by Mr. Frank Storch, that BCA is now functioning at the ground level! David Brown, coordinator of BCA, a former policeman, with 20 years of law enforcement experience, reviewed the current crime statistics in our neighborhood. We also made sure that everyone present understood that BCA is dealing only with aspects of crime that are not currently being served. BCA is not a patrol, and we do not respond to crimes in progress. Instead, we are focused on the data; we want to establish accurate information, analyze it, and use that analysis to help citizens reduce the chances of being victims. We document crime data to ensure that it is put into the right hands to reduce crime and increase safety in our community.
The statistics we have are already very clear, and show that the measures the community has employed so far have not been effective in stopping crime. It is imperative that we keep our pulse on the incidents occurring in our community, report everything to the proper authorities, and advocate for more police protection. The BCA will play a vital role in this effort.
Within the next few weeks, we will have a questionnaire on our website, www.baltcrime.com, where any citizen can easily file reports. We strongly encourage citizens to report any and all crime, no matter how small. This is crucial to ensuring that we have accurate reporting of the crime in this area. Once we have a clear picture from the data, we will work to put measures into place to make our homes, families and property more secure.
To support our efforts to reduce crime in our neighborhood, we have applied to become a tax deductible 501(c)3 organization. If you wish to contact us, please call 410-602-3333, or email report@baltcrime.com. Crimes should be reported at http://baltcrime.com. We welcome your involvement at any level – please do not hesitate to be in touch!
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Preliminary Board of Directors: Ahuva Albrecht, Joel Blajchman, Philip Bogart, Avi Brilliant, Chanie Caplan, Aviva Cohen, Shaya Cox, Yehudis Danziger, Jennifer Dill, Dr. Chana Feldman, David Fink, Tzippi Goetz, Reuven Goodman, Chaim Gottesman, Ahuva Heyman, Dr. Esther Krug, Rabbi Sruly Lefkowitz, Ari Lerner, Marla Lewis, Yaakov Lipnitsky, Mickey Lowenthal, Rabbi Binyamin Marwick, Joe Moinzadeh, Nachi Rochkind, Otis Rolley, Dr. Chaya Bina Samuels, Avrahom Sauer, Marlyn Seidman, Hillel Soclof, Harry Spar, Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro, Rabbi Ari Storch, Frank Storch, Rina Walter, Esther Sara (Emerald) Weiner, Telie Young.
