BALTIMORE — With the uptick in violence in Park Heights, dozens of people gathered to attend a community meeting where Commissioner Michael Harrison gave neighbors an update on public safety.
A few solutions were brought to light--the biggest one, accountability.
Harrison and neighbors from the Park Heights community spoke for hours about the violence and what BPD is doing to prevent tragedies like the one that happened earlier this month, when four people were shot and killed in less than twenty-four hours.
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Andre Brown grew up in Park Heights and he says joining meetings like this is the first step towards change, but more of the community needs to participate.
"I just want people to have the courage to stand up for some people, a lot of people are afraid, because they don't want retaliation and other kinds of stuff. We're not asking you to be police officers, we just ask you to take a stand," said Brown.
This is why this meeting was important for neighbors to voice their concerns and for the police to share their progress.
"We know that there have been four homicide investigations in this area over recent time, and we continue to come up with physical evidence that has provided some very promising leads that we are pursuing. Everyday we're working hard to get guns off the street because those guns and the people who are carrying those guns are using those guns to commit the shootings and commit these murders. Right now, we have taken 2,500 guns off the street, that's up 13 percent from this time last year," said Harrison.
Neighbors also expressed concern for their safety due to loitering issues.
"A lot of issues that I know a number of people have is a lot of the loitering, particularly, around the gas stations and other areas that sort of hinder a lot of people to get everyday services, like getting gas," said a resident in the meeting.
All in all, BPD say they are doing their best to protect the community, but they need the public's help to make Baltimore better.
"I can assure you that the men and women of the Northwest district and the Northern districts homicide detectives, the leadership of this police department, are all working diligently to identify, to locate and to arrest those responsible for senseless violence," said Commissioner Harrison.
Anyone with information on any shootings should contact metro crime stoppers at 1-866-7-Lockup.
