2 days ago
Private security firm in Baltimore's Federal Hill is working with community to combat crime
A private security firm in Baltimore's Federal Hill says it is working with the community to drive down crime.
This comes after several recent incidents have caused concern in the downtown neighborhood, as WJZ previously reported.
The Federal Hill Neighborhood Patrol began in 2020 after someone was fatally shot and another neighbor was carjacked within days of each other.
They've contracted MATCOM Office of Public Safety, a private security firm, for years now, which they say has dropped crime numbers by 41% in some categories in certain parts of Federal Hill.
"When we originally started, we had enough money for three months as a pilot program, and now we're five years later," said Ian Neuman, president of the Federal Hill Neighborhood Patrol. "We raise approximately $50,000 a year. That gives us enough, if we want to do it, to put somebody out every night."
The neighborhood patrol is certified as special police in the state, meaning they can detain suspects if a crime happens in their jurisdiction, which includes most of the neighborhood.
Staffing has increased to the point of having half a dozen officers on weekend nights.
"It even gets to the point where on the weekends, we're able to have six officers on the street to kind of balance out, when the officers are tied up dealing with the bars and we're able to kind of mitigate and take care of things on the street here," said Maj. Brian Askew, who serves as the neighborhood's director of patrol and works for MATCOM Office of Public Safety.
Askew says the patrol has helped decrease crime by 41% in different categories.
The neighborhood patrol says it has an agreement with the Southern District of Baltimore City Police to help when needed, especially as the department continues to recruit more officers as part of its federal consent decree.
"They sort of allow us to be an extra set of ears, not to supplement what they do. It's just that they can't be everywhere at once. We don't expect them to," Neuman said.
Earlier this year, The Baltimore Banner reported the department was still working on recruitment and retention efforts amid trying to provide officers proper training without a big enough facility.
Recently, Federal Hill has had yet another string of crimes, including a woman shot and injured on S. Charles St., repeated vandalism at a local ice cream shop, and even a woman allegedly carjacked at knife point.
While WJZ has heard from concerned neighbors and businesses, the neighborhood patrol says it is safe.
"Every effort is made on a daily basis to ensure the safety and well-being of all of Baltimore City residents, not just here in Federal Hill, because we work in other areas, but I do believe that there is a sense of relief that there is patrol on the street," Askew said.
The group says that with more funding, they want to expand this patrol to include more hours and more officers, and more areas within the community.
Councilman Zac Blanchard told WJZ last week that Baltimore Police is also increasing its patrols in the Federal Hill Entertainment District in response to the recent violence
