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Monday, October 11, 2010

Second Anti-Crime Legislation Public Dialogue Set For October 12

The second public dialogue meeting on the Salisbury Safe Streets anti-crime legislation package is set for Tuesday, October 12, 6:30 p.m., in the training room of Fire Station 16 Headquarters on Cypress Street.  The meeting is hosted by Salisbury City Council Members Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen.

The format will differ from the first one, last month, beginning with an education session to address questions and provide context for the public discussion afterward.  Residents who did not get to speak at the previous meeting due to the overflowing attendance will be given the first opportunity speak, followed by any previous speakers raising new points.

Although invited, no other council members will be in attendance.  In addition to Mayor Jim Ireton, select city department heads, and the city clerk, the hosts will be joined by Mark Bowen, director of gang intelligence for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, who spoke last week at the gang awareness seminar held at James M. Bennett High School last week.

“We appreciate Mark Bowen making himself available for this evening,” Cohen said.  “He is a key member of the Safe Streets Coalition and has been a frequent participant in the Mayor’s Crime Task Force.”
“Helping people understand the connection between poor housing practices and crime and how this legislation is just one set of possible tools in the entire Safe Streets anti-crime toolbox is one goal of this second public dialogue,” Campbell added.

Both council members encouraged the public to read the actual text of the anti-crime proposals in preparation for the meeting, since a primary goal of the public meetings is to get specific input from the public.  Campbell and Cohen also noted that misinformation was still being circulated around town about the proposed package.

The legislation can be found under the link “Neighborhood Legislation Pkg” on the city website homepage at left, http://www.ci.salisbury.md.us/, and on the website the two council members share, http://www.onyoursidesby.blogspot.com/.  Hard copies can be obtained by calling the city clerk’s office at 410-548-3140.

Citizens again have volunteered to videotape the meeting for later broadcast on PAC14.  The city clerk will audio record the meeting as well.

A three-hour audio recording of the first public dialogue meeting is available for free download or online listening from Campbell and Cohen’s website, or on CD from the city clerk’s office for $5, which covers the office’s cost of production.  For additional questions or comments, contact Debbie Cambpell, 410-860-0893 and http://us.mc324.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=debbiescampbell@comcast.net, or Terry Cohen, 410-845-0296 and http://us.mc324.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Terry@TerryCohen.com.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

How on earth can we expect the Mayor and his aides to take cutting crime seriously, when they are out several times a week at downtown bars getting massively drunk???

Anonymous said...

Hi, Joe.

I see you had a bit of a link problem with the email addresses. I hope folks figure out the email addresses are the part after the = signs.

I just wanted to say that like the legislation or not, Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Cohen are to be commended for holding these meetings.

It's tons more than the Smith woman is doing and she is supposed to be the "leader".

I cannot attend but I hope many will. I watched the last one on PAC14. The landlords were out in full force. But it was interesting. I wish Salisbury would do more of this kind of thing.

Between this and the gang awareness program at JMB last week, I feel a little encouraged that some of our government people care. I wish the rest did.

Anonymous said...

3:36 how would you know unless you are there too. ANyway, this is about Campbell & Cohen trying to do what it takes to move an anti-crime initiative forward. So, will you be at a local watering hole or at the meeting?

Anonymous said...

Good for you 4:39!

Anonymous said...

If my tenant fails to cut the grass, they get a ticket and I get a letter telling me that repeated offenses will lead to greatly increased fines. Obviously, then I have no choice but to take this matter up with my tenants?

I've never received a notice that my rentals have had any police activity? Am I just lucky? How exactly does this work, if landlords are not being told that there has been police activity at their rental, how are they to know? Do I have to search down police reports. And if they are not told, why is it more important to put landlords on notice about grass then about crime? Just wondering??!!