Baltimore City Police have a tricky, new tactic for dealing with violent repeat offenders ? they?re stopping by the house to say hi.
“We say, ?Hello, just wanted to introduce myself. We?re here, and we care about you,?” Baltimore City Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld said at a Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council meeting Wednesday.
If police find the offender, who is on parole or probation, isn?t living at his or her registered address, he or she will be in violation of the terms of that parole or probation. That means he or she is going back to jail, Bealefeld said.
“That?s a technical violation of parole and probation,” he said.
Not unlike how police conduct sweeps of sex offenders to make sure they?re living at their reported addresses, the tactic is a way to put violent offenders back behind bars, even if officers can?t bust them for a serious crime.
“We know people with handgun violations get involved with shootings and murders again,” Bealefeld said.
About 36 percent of suspects in homicides this year were on parole or probation at the time theycommitted their crimes, police said.
“We all know about the limits of parole and probation to monitor the people under their control,” Bealefeld said, adding that his nearly 3,000 officers can help with the supervision.
The initiative is among several new police tactics Bealefeld called “creative,” including a four-day work week of 10-hour days for officers in the Northeast District.
“It?s creating a power shift of officers during the prime crime time,” he said of the new staffing.
The city has had a noticeable decrease in shootings and homicides since Bealefeld became commissioner in July.
Violent crime is down 7 percent and total crime is down 9 percent from last year, he said.
“We?re doing this with fewer arrests,” he said. “I think that?s very important. We are focused.”
