The answer is YES, especially when it comes to the government. Last week, PEACE leaders Yuripzy Morgan and Jovani Patterson attended the Baltimore City Council hearing on the Brooklyn Day shooting that injured 28 people and killed 2 others. The Council questioned representatives from the Baltimore Police Department, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, and the Department of Transportation regarding the block party and subsequent shooting.

While other agencies seemed more open to acknowledging mistakes, things got tense when questions arose regarding the role of Safe Streets workers. A representative from Catholic Charities, which operates part of Safe Streets, was reluctant to answer specific questions about the role of Safe Streets workers, the types of conflicts they mediated at the Brooklyn Day event, and whether they did or should have alerted the police.

Why is there so much secrecy? Why do they believe the public does not deserve to know the answers to these basic questions?

A government backed organization that is funded by your taxpayer dollars, and charged with helping to stop violence must be accountable to the people.

PEACE sent a letter to the city council requesting that certain questions be asked. The letter was ignored. However, residents are still demanding answers about the event that harmed the lives of so many people.

PEACE was founded to hold elected officials accountable and ensure that residents could stay involved. Government officials should have learned through the successful passage of Question K/Term Limits, that they cannot continue to ignore residents.

We will continue to demand accountability from our elected officials. We are continuing to host Power Up community meetings to hear from residents about their concerns and the needs of Baltimore.

If you are interested in hosting a meeting to organize and hear from residents in your community, please contact Jovani Patterson ([email protected]) or Yuripzy Morgan ([email protected]).