Baltimore City State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy began her fourth term Tuesday ? and started the new year engaging some of the greatest challenges facing any prosecutor?s office in the country.
Jessamy said hundreds of gang members, a spike in juvenile murders and frequent witness intimidation are some of the biggest problems the city will face in the coming year.
Still, the veteran prosecutor said she is undeterred.
“I am still as excited about serving the citizens of Baltimore today as I was in 1995,” Jessamy said after swearing to uphold the Maryland Constitution along with about 220 of her prosecutors. Clerk of the Court Frank Conaway Sr. swore in Jessamy, then her staff.
Jessamy will have a new partner at the mayor?s office, with Mayor Martin O?Malley becoming governor on Jan. 17 and current City Council President Sheila Dixon becoming mayor.
Jessamy, who periodically clashed with O?Malley, said she?s hopeful Dixon will work with her to fight crime.
“I?m very optimistic that we?ll work together, but we?ll see,” Jessamy said. “I think she?s interested in working with me and I know I?m interested in working with her.”
Dixon said she?d like to see better working relationships between city agencies.
“I think we need to make a clean start. Not looking back. Not pointing fingers,” Dixon said. “I?m looking forward to working closely with her.”
Topping Jessamy?s goals for 2007 is combating the city?s gang problem, she said.
The Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in December released a report that tracked 2,600 known gang members in Baltimore, including more than 50 gangs with about 500 members in city high schools and an additional 500 gang members in middle and elementary schools.
Jessamy said she also wants to focus on the spike in juvenile violent crime and has commissioned a study of the problem to look for solutions.
“I?m very concerned. People say it?s cyclical. But I don?t think we should be arguing over that when it comes to our children,” Jessamy said. “We need to stop that cycle of violence when it comes to our young people. I?m committed to doing that.”
She said she also wants to push the state legislature to pass a witness intimidation bill that would call for punishments for those who intimidate witnesses in child sex offense and domestic violence cases.
“Those are some of the most volatile cases of witness intimidation we have,” she said. “You can?t leave out the most vulnerable population when it comes to a law.”
Baltimore?s top prosecutor since 1995, Jessamy ? who has been elected three times ? just received a 58 percent raise at O?Malley?s request. She will make $225,000 in 2007.
