Baltimore officials get together formally once a month to talk criminal justice over lunch. Issues that ignite publicly during the month, such as the police department?s calculation of its homicide statistics, are brought up at the regular meeting of officials from around the city?s legal world who form the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
Slated for discussion at today?s meeting are a regular crime report from the police department and the Medical Examiner?s take on the city?s homicide numbers, among other issues, officials said. It?s a chance for the city?s myriad departments, offices and agencies to come together and move issues forward, officials said.
But will the top officials attend?
Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm is expected to be there, a police department spokesman said. It?s on the calendars of both Attorney General J. Joseph Curran and U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, spokespeople for both said. City State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy will be there, a spokeswoman said.
But if the past is any precedent, Mayor Martin O?Malley probably won?t come. In fact, said Tammy Brown, the council?s executive director, he hasn?t attended since last year.
“The mayor goes when his schedule permits,” said Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for O?Malley. She said O?Malley sends Kristen Mahoney, who runs his criminal justice office, to represent him at the meetings. City Solicitor Ralph Tyler also was listed as an attendee on O?Malley?s behalf in last month?s meeting.
“The mayor is an outstanding executive in that he empowers his staff to attend these meetings, consult with him on critical issues, and make decisions,” Mahoney said. “He?s extremely accessible.”
Brown said it didn?t matter whether the mayor showed up in person, and Judge John M. Glynn, who chairs the council, agreed.
