BALTIMORE — On Thursday the Baltimore Police Department released a tentatively redrawn map of their nine patrol districts.
Plans to redraw the geographic boundaries of each district were announced in May.
The new maps were revealed after a public comment period, which generated more than 400 responses.
Some feedback concerned certain districts which are seen as being too large. Other residents suggested reuniting communities that have long been separated by district lines.
Under this newly proposed map, 18 neighborhoods that were previously divided would be reunited.
A couple other goals of redistricting is to better balance the department's resources and staffing, and improve average police response times.
To determine how the new maps and boundaries were drawn, the police department weighed a combination of call service data, crime trends, and changes in each area's population based off the recently completed census.
It marks the most significant change to police district lines in more than half-a-century.
“As a part of this data-driven process, it is critically important that we consider all of the available crime statistics, in addition to the valuable input from our communities,” said Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. “Our goal is to bring about a renewed sense of safety and inclusion. Restoring the balance of manpower and efficient allocation of resources across Baltimore brings us one step closer to making the Department a premier law enforcement agency.”
The department is now starting a second public input process. Any adjustments made in response is expected to be complete by August.
To review the new map and leave feedback, click here.
Below is a copy of the current map of Baltimore Police districts.
