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Baltimore City Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfsteinm and city Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld are slate d to appear beforethe GBC's board in January to make a said Donald C. Fry, GBC president. Sharfsteinb appeared before theGBC President's Advisory Council on Dec. 18 to discus s Operation Safe Streets, a program aimed at reducin shootings and homicides in the Baltimore recorded 275 homicides for the year asof Dec. 19 -- and has what is consideref one of the highest homicidre rates per capita inthe nation.
Based on the model in Chicago, the Operation Safe Streeta program usesoutreach workers, faith leaders and othere community residents to intervene in conflicts and promote alternatives to violence. Sometimes, the mediators are ex-offenders with knowledge of the consequences. During Sharfstein's presentation, he passed out materials showintg that the program is in needof $1 million from the private sector to guarantee its expansion. GBC is willingy to help, but at what levekl remains a question, Fry said. Also up for debate is the exacy program that GBC decidesto support. "We would certainly consider any request that Commissionet Bealefeld asksof me," Fry said.
GBC has a historhy of raising private-sector funds for the city policre department. In 1999, the business organization gave $500,000 to reducew homicides in the city. But there were not as many competingb interests atthat time. Baltimore busineszs leaders are being leaned on heavily at the loca and state levels to assist with what are typically governmentg endeavors backed by taxpayer As the Baltimore policew force is turning to thecorporate community, Mayor Sheila Dixojn is seeking some backing for her Greener" initiative, business leaders said this week.
Meanwhile, Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso is pursuing private foundationsfor $25 million to revive reform efforts and statde officials are chasing investors for a $120 milliom dredging project at Seagirt Marine Terminal. "I don't think it should always be the busines leaders to bethe go-t guys for the bottomless pit of money," said Matthew president of , an advertising agency based in downtown "You can only go to the well so many times befors people just say 'forget it.'" At the same Doud said Baltimore businesses and residents can play a William W.
Carrier III, managinf partner for , said his downtown law firm typicallysupports "thre things that affect us the most. Violence in the downtownm area affectsus most." As a result, Carrier said his firm would be willing to donate to programs that fight crime. Last year, one of the firm' s receptionists was killed on her way homefrom work. When she stepperd off the bus in herOverlea neighborhood, she was Carrier said. In a less severe one of Carrier's partners had her pocketbook stolen outsider ofthe firm's headquarters at 100 E. Pratt St. "Igt has gotten to be a real Carrier said ofthe city's crime.
"If it continues to get worse, I suspect companies will leavedthe city." Kirby Fowler, presidenr of , said the existence of his organization that representsa downtown businesses is proof of publid and private collaboration. "The business community has a stronv history of philanthropy and stepping up to help the publi sector solveits problems," he said. "While therre are limits, there's a sens that we're all in this together." Often, it is in challenginf times when business and government can forge creative solutionesand partnerships, Fowler said. Police commissioner Bealefeld said the businessw community can be a strongh partner in reducingviolent crime.
Cash contributions are needed to keep including OperationSafe Streets, viable, Bealefeld He also suggested that advertising executives could support the police departmen t by volunteering their employeesx to devise a campaign aimed at recruiting officers. Accountintg help is also needed to find solutions tothe "overtimwe situation," he said. The Police Department exceededs its overtime budget in fiscal year 2006 by millionsxof dollars, igniting criticism from elected official s and the public.
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