Baltimore residents share ideas for city's next violence prevention plan at Park Heights meeting
Members of Baltimore's Park Heights community made their voices heard Wednesday, telling the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) what they want to see in the city's next comprehensive violence prevention plan.
"The mayor has been very clear, this is not his plan, this is not MONSE's plan, this is Baltimore's plan," MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis said. "So in order for it to truly reflect the community, we have to hear from our residents."
The meeting began in the Park Heights Academy library with a public information session. Residents were then split into breakout rooms where they could share their thoughts on the future of public safety in Baltimore.
"If we can't reach them in one space, we got somebody in another space that's actually trying to do the exact same thing," Mavronis said.
Mavronis said the sessions provide vital information and ideas for developing the city's next violence prevention plan.
"One resident said, what about the role of sexual assault? How do we put that in the plan and think about reducing that violence? So that's definitely one of the things we are thinking about," Mavronis said. "We have heard from residents that they don't just want to see city staff trained in conflict mediation and de-escalation, that they want to have access to that training and skill building as well."
The feedback session is one of many being held in neighborhoods across Baltimore. MONSE hopes the community input will help continue what city officials describe as a historic decline in violence.
Mavronis said government and law enforcement play a role, but she credited residents for making choices that she said are contributing to the reductions in violence.
"Government plays a role, law enforcement plays a role, but it's really our residents who are choosing to make different choices that's leading to these historic and amazing reductions that we are seeing," Mavronis said.
