Baltimore School Officers Changing Roles
Baltimore City school police officers will no longer carry weapons inside schools, but School Police Force Chief Marshall Goodwin says bike and foot patrols are being developed so officers can carry guns outside school buildings and enter buildings in an emergency. Last month, Baltimore City’s delegation in Annapolis struck down a measure that would allow officers to carry guns in schools.
The new deployment strategy presented Tuesday by BCPS positions officers in geographically based “safety zones” which encompass clusters of schools, establishes bike and foot patrol units in “hot spots” throughout the city, and assigns officers to selected large high schools, including Achievement Academy, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical, Patterson, Digital Harbor, Forest Park, Baltimore Community, and Excel Academy. The new strategy is scheduled to roll out on April 13.
Baltimore Mayor Unveils Proposed Budget Today
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake unveiled her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year at today's Board of Estimates meeting. According to the Baltimore Sun the $2.5 billion dollar operating budget does not impose new taxes and does not include new property tax cuts. The proposed capital budget is about $662 million dollars.
MD Senate Panel Advances Amended Charter School Bill
A Maryland Senate committee has advanced a heavily amended version of the governor's charter school bill. According to The Sun, the panel's version only allows some successful charter schools to get more flexibility in hiring, firing and funding. The governor's bill aimed to give that flexibility to all charter schools and make it easier for more to open.
MD Lawmaker Calls For Ban On State-Funded Travel To Indiana
A Maryland Senator wants to ban state-funded travel to Indiana due to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Richard Madaleno, who is openly gay, wrote a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan saying the law could be used to justify discrimination based on religious beliefs. Madaleno, a Montgomery County Democrat, says he could be denied service in Indiana because he's married to a man and that the governor could be denied if there were a religious objection to his wife's previous divorce. A spokesman for the governor tells the Daily Record that Hogan was not pleased by the personal reference.
Nearby, Washington, D.C., is joining several states in banning employees from traveling to Indiana on official business. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued the order yesterday, and says the travel ban will remain in effect until the law is no longer in effect.
NSA Gate Suspect Had Criminal Past
The suspect killed Monday at an NSA checkpoint had a criminal past. Ricky Hall, 27, had an arrest record that included robbery and prostitution convictions. Friends say Hall identified as transsexual and went by the name Maya. Police say Hall and the other suspect were wearing women's clothing and were in an SUV stolen from a man who picked them up in Baltimore.
Baltimore County Apartment Fire Displaces Dozens of Residents
Several people had to be rescued after an apartment building fire in Reisterstown. Baltimore County firefighters were called to the Preserve at Owings Mills complex in the 100 block of Caraway Rd. just after 9:00 p.m. and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. Baltimore County fire officials have ruled the blaze an accident, caused by a candle that had fallen over in a second-floor apartment. Firefighters rescued seven people and a dog from the upper floors of the burning building. Four people were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The Red Cross is helping the residents of around a dozen units who were displaced. Damage is estimated at $275,000 dollars.
MTA Police Seek Suspects In Light Rail Stabbing
Maryland Transit Administration police are releasing surveillance photos of a group of suspects wanted for a stabbing on a light rail train. The stabbing happened Tuesdat afternoon aboard a train at the Centre Street Station in Baltimore City. The victim suffered what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries after he got into a fight with several people on the train.
Van Hollen Raising Big Money For Senate Campaign
Congressman Chris Van Hollen is positioning himself for what's expected to be a costly 2016 Senate race. The Sun reports the Democrat has raised more than a million dollars in the four weeks since Sen. Mikulski announced that she would not be seeking re-election. In contrast, Rep. Donna Edwards, who is the only other declared candidate, began the year with only $30,000 in her campaign coffer.
Maryland Preps For UConn
Top-seeded Maryland women's hoops are prepping for their Final Four showdown with top-ranked Connecticut on Sunday. The Terrapins defeated second-seeded Tennessee 58-48 on Monday to advance. UConn handled seventh-seeded Dayton 91-70 to move onto Tampa.