National Night Out brings hope for community and police coming together

National Night Out brings hope for community and police coming together

SAFETY MEETING AND IT DOESNTAKE LONG FOR PEOPLE TO STTARBRINGING UP OFFICER FRIENY.DLMANY PEOPLE SAY THE BONDBETWEEN POLICE AND PEOPLE THATONCE EXISTED.....IS COMPLETYELGONE.

THE GOAL OF NATIONALNIGHT OUT IS TO NOT ONLY LIGHTUP COMMUNITIES BUT REPAIR THETORN DOWN BRIDGE BETWEENPOLICE AND COMMUNITY.

IT'SHAPPENING TOMORROW.

WMAR2SWEVENT IN FOCUS.With a homicide rate expectedto TOP 300 yet again inBaltimore and a nationwide cryto defund police departmtsen&the divide between police andcommunity is obvious andgrowing.

If you attend acommunity safety meeting inthe city youat least one person bring uphow they wish“OfficerFriendl” was still inneighborhoods.

Mayor Scottremembers those days and thezero tolerance days tthafollowed.

Mayor Brandon Scott(D) Baltimore City15:40:21-15:40:53“It wasnuncommon for me wh enI firststarted driving to get pulledover and jtus sat on the curbfor no reason.

One time theofficers put me in handcfsufin front of my parents housewhen I was returning home fromcollege because they thought Icommitted a robbery.

When itpphaened I was 2 and a halfhours away in Saint MaryCounty.

Those kind of thingshappen and we canthat.

Zero tolerance didnwork for Baltimore or whawetcalled in our neighborhoodbreathing while Black didnwork.t Ipeople who are doing dbathings in our neighborhood andholding them accountable butalso building relationshipswith other folks” The Mayorsays every part of ishrecently rolled outcomprehensive violencereduction plan ADDRESSSEcommunity RELATIONS.15:41:53-15:42:09“Focusing ongun traffickers and repeatoffenders, but they are alsogoing to see us building a reentry network.

So that so manypeople who end up shot or deadin Baltimore are folks whojust came home.

We have toprovide a better Avenueor fthem.

They are going toee sserious investment intocommunity violence sedbaprevention” The University ofMaryland Baltimore receivedtwo national awardforscommunity policing this year.Lt.

Matthew Johnson UMB PoliceDepartment Community Outrcheaand Support Team15:14:34-15:14:49“We donwant to only deal withcmuomnity in a negative light,when iton.

To have something leikthis where a everyone can cometogether, eat together, enjoyeach otherto know each other.

Police arepart of the community, wenot just here to policehe tcommunity” Lt.

MatthewJohnson says through programslike the Police ActivityLeague they gain theircommunity's trust.15:16:29-15:16:39“The tighterknit the community is with thepolice deparentmt the moreefficient we are.

It helps usto prevent crime not justrespond to crime.

Helps utosunderstand the differentfacets and relationships inthe community” The Mayorssays National Night out is eonof his favorite events of theyear to bridge the gap.15:37:37-15:37:55“Yougoing toge t neighborhoodsthat are not only going totalk about fighting violence.They are going to provide okbobags and school supplies toyoung people.

People ar deoinghealth screenings, covidscreenings.

Social servicesand job opportunities allthese type of things that tieinto reducing violence in ourcity” The Campus HillsCommunity will have the firedepartment and police at theirevent in Baltimore County.Wesley Wood is the leader ofthcie tizens on Patrol in hisneighborhood and says thatconnection with police helpsyear round.

Wesley Wood CampusHills Community Associaonti5:22-5:46“When they know wecommunicate with themt ju istseems like they are mayberesponsive if we have aproblem.

They are more openand Ito be the case.

It may reallyhelp a crime probl iemf anytype of a trend starts” Anight where police work toestablish connectnsio to makeeveryone safer.

In BaltimoreEddie Kadhim WMAR2 News.WE HAVE A FULL LIST OFTUESDAY'S NATIONAL NIGHT OEVENTS ON WMAR2 NEWS DOCO