December 2022
Our year at a glance
Dear 5th District Stakeholders,
I hope you and your family are well during this holiday season. Twenty-Twenty-Two has been another busy year as we adapt to our new normal. Our 5th District team has been working hard to deliver on our commitment of getting "back to basics."
Public safety is and always will be my #1 priority, and I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to help combat crime in our city. I am proud of the Supplementary Criminal Apprehension and Conviction Fund charter amendment that will help BPD solve more crime, and I want to thank everyone who came to the polls and voted it through. Hopefully, in time, this will contribute significantly to a safer Baltimore.
We are also proud of our new street racing legislation that passed imposing $1,000 fines and up to 12 months in jail for those participating in street racing and doing donuts in our intersections. This illegal behavior has been an ongoing issue for a long time. I once saw an ambulance having trouble getting to a hospital because street racers had a major intersection shut down. I knew it was time to act!
Please read below about other highlights of what we've been up to this year.
We wish you all a happy and, most importantly, a healthy new year!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call our office at 410-396-4819 or email us at district5@baltimorecity.gov
-Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer
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Safer Streets
In March, the Mayor signed our Charter Amendment for the Supplementary Criminal Apprehension and Conviction Fund. Baltimore City voters came out on November 8th and voted to pass this legislation into law.
The bill comes down to one thing and one thing only; CLOSING CASES to stop the violence in our city. We need every tool in our toolbox to solve these cases and restore safety to the streets of Baltimore.
This fund will help hold murderers accountable and bring closure to the countless victims, families, and communities torn apart by senseless violence. In addition, it is meant to prevent violent repeat offenders from continually perpetrating violent crimes in Baltimore City.
All families deserve justice, and the residents of Baltimore City deserve safe streets. The passage of this Charter Amendment is one step closer to bringing these offenders to justice.
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This legislation started after the horrific murders of visiting Israeli citizen Ephraim Gordon and Ms. Evelyn Player, who was murdered in her church, becoming the 298th homicide in Baltimore. The Governor offered a $100k reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her murderer. The next day, a 5-year-old girl, Nivea Anderson, was the victim of the 300th homicide this year. A $4k reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nivea's killer. All victims, their families, and communities deserve justice. Both Ms. Player and Nivea have families that loved them and deserved to know who killed their loved ones. So why wasn't the same $100k reward offered for the 298th homicide and the 300th or the hundreds of other victims of homicide and violent crimes?
We hope that now that this legislation has passed, all victims will have the same chance to have their cases solved and justice be served.
Countless examples exist of inequitable reward amounts being offered for information on shooting and homicide cases.
Councilman Schleifer's Charter Amendment ensures an increased and equitable distribution of reward funds for violent cases in perpetuity. BPD has seen great success with reward funds in aiding to solve violent crimes, including a 41% increase in tips this year.
Baltimore City will now have an equitable fund and permanently increase the reward for the arrest and conviction of those committing violent crimes against children, women, and men in Baltimore.
Click the links below to learn more.
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Council bill 22-0247 - Obstructing Street – Racing or Stunt Driving is NOW LAW!
Whether you are the driver or an active participant doing donuts and/or street racing, these offenses are now subject to a $1,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail.
Baltimore City is now leading the charge to end this dangerous and disruptive behavior.
Thank you, Mayor Scott, for signing the bill and to Council President Mosby and all of my council colleagues and Baltimore Police Department for your support.
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Councilman Schleifer has led the charge to hold DPW accountable for violating city code.
The city agency with the largest budget, DPW, continues to fail to perform the most routine and basic city service; curbside recycling collection. Failure to pick up recycling is leading to the reduction of recycling rates, increased trash, and creating an unfair burden on the solid waste workers who are now forced to collect double the amount of materials for every other week collection day. In addition, these workers are subjected to working extended hours to complete their routes. DPW needs to be adequately compensating these workers for the increased workload. Instead, after one of the most extended budget hearings in this council's history, DPW could NOT answer simple questions about the missed collections nor give us a plan to resume weekly recycling collections.
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The city code is clear and states that the Director of DPW is obligated to provide weekly collection of mixed refuse and recycling. However, the code uses the term "shall" and not "may," leaving the Director little flexibility to change the frequency of the obligation. Therefore, if the regular collection is not done every week, the Director violates a non-modifiable requirement and therefore violates the Baltimore City code. |
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Park Heights Golf Camp
We partnered with Pastor Randall four years ago to bring a golf camp to the 5th district. It has been a great success, and the kids love to learn the game of golf and other life skills and forge new friendships. I always enjoy visiting and seeing the kids' progress, and I am always happy to help the other lefties with their swings!
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Showing appreciation to our Police officers
We continued our annual tradition of grilling for our Baltimore Police Department officers that are away from their families and working on July 4th and other holidays. We'd like to thank our officers for their sacrifice today and every day.
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Pedestrian safety is always a priority! When constituents informed us that a sidewalk adjacent to a city-owned parcel of land was covered in shrubbery, forcing pedestrians to walk on a busy road, we immediately got to work to have DOT clear this sidewalk. |
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After receiving complaints from disabled people in the community, we knew something had to be done to keep those in wheelchairs out of the street, especially around this dangerous curve. Sidewalks should always be accessible to people in wheelchairs, and also safe for all pedestrians. The curb was tall, making it nearly impossible for someone in a wheelchair to access it. We went to work and strongly advocated with DOT to add this ADA compliant ramp so that everyone can get around the neighborhood safely.
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Councilman Schleifer hosted and sponsored multiple community clean-ups this year, including regional cleanups
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We were elated to be able to answer Fallstaff Elementary Middle School's call for a little help to those in need over thanksgiving. Nothing feels better during this holiday season than helping families enjoy their holidays. We hope the 100+ families we were able to help, enjoyed their turkeys and time together.
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It wouldn't be the holiday season without a stop at the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital toy shop. Receiving these amazing gifts makes the holidays special for both kids in the hospital as well as their siblings at home. We were happy to sponsor cookies for all tho attended.
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Kicking off the Glen Firehouse train garden is always my favorite way to ring in the holiday season! This year is the 67th annual train garden in Glen and is more magical than ever. Bring the family out to see this amazing display - Admission is free!
Monday - Friday
4pm to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday
12pm to 8pm
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We couldn't be more excited to introduce the newest member of the 5th District family, Sherrell Savage. Sherrell comes to us with a wealth of knowledge in all things community-related, as well as years of experience working in the district. Sherrell is our new Director of Constituent Services and an excellent new member of our team.
A quick note from Sherrell - "As a Baltimore native and someone who has worked in various organizations during my professional career, I am excited to join the District 5 staff supporting community members in Northwest Baltimore. As the Director of Constituent Services, I look forward to continuing to grow and learn more about city government and its services. In addition, this will allow me to help constituents with their various questions and concerns.
To reach Sherrell, please call 410-396-4819
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Everyone in the state is now able to text 911 and a 911 specialist will respond. Text to 911 is an enhancement to the emergency system and our community. This enhancement is supported by AT&T, T-Mobile (Sprint) and Verizon cell phone providers. This feature will be a great benefit to those who are deaf or hard of hearing, speech impaired, or if calling may put the person at risk. While a phone call is still the preferred way to contact 911, this enhancement offers residents and visitors better access to emergency services and in some cases safer access. So remember, when having to call
911 - Call if you can, Text if you can’t!
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By authority of: Vote Schleifer, Hillel Soclof, Treasurer |
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