On behalf of active members of the Baltimore City Police Department, we are asking your help to improve our safety and the service that we can provide to the citizens of Baltimore City.

The Patrol Officers of theBaltimore City Police department have never had assigned partners, which is a common practice in most high crime inner cities like New York and Los Angeles. In fact, for many years, Baltimore city had more murders per capita then New York. Plus, during these trying times when the relationship between Police Officers and the community is strained, we all know that there is always a group of people that will try to take advantage and cause harm to the community, and law enforcement.

Last year during contract negotiations between the the Fraternal order of Police lodge 3 and Baltimore city Hall, a new work schedule was created, a 4 on, 3 off 10 hour day schedule, which includes a fourth extra shift. The duties of these officers on this extra shift tend to vary depending on the district. Some include being stationery in high crime areas, proactive enforcement, and even back filling empty normal patrol cars. By implementing this shift, it has left normal patrol extremely low staffed, especially midnight shift. Some midnight shifts have gone out on the street with as few as 6 officers to cover an entire district. Northeast district for example is 17 square miles. This presents not only an extremely hazerdous officer safety issue, but it dramatically reduces the level of service that we can provide the citizens of Baltimore City.

We are demanding that the powers that be, place their priorities in order, and implement that each and every patrol officer is assigned a partner, permanently regardless of any future work schedule change. We are not asking that the extra shift be eliminated, however, if the partners cannot be implemented because of the lack of man power due to the extra shift, and it must be eliminated, then that is what musg be done.

Please help us to improve our officers safety, and the service that we can provide to the fine citizens of Baltimore City.