Mr. Pinkett and Ms. Clarke:

We, the undersigned constituents of your districts in the 21211 zip code, are petitioning for a community meeting as quickly as possible to address the recent crime wave in the area. As residents, parents, neighbors, and property owners, we have a great deal of concern for the safety of our community and protecting the ongoing investment in making 21211 a desirable area to reside.

While we understand that the city and the police department have tight budgetary restrictions, we also know that this current trend cannot continue. Furthermore, as Baltimore City residents, we pay high city taxes and deserve to see our tax dollars put to work. We want to understand what actions the city is going to take to address our concerns and keep the area of 21211 flourishing.

This area is one that has grown in recent years, both in population and in property value. However, the uptick in crime and presence of drug addicts puts both property value and local businesses at risk. Our fear is that, like much of the city, crime will make it a place that people are no longer willing to explore and that our vibrant neighborhood will suffer.

As reported by the Baltimore Sun, Saturday, August 11th, there were nine robberies logged between the Hampden and Remington area. This slew of crimes was quickly followed by a shooting on August 16th on the 1400 block of Union Ave; this is not far from popular restaurants and breweries that could start to see a deterrence in patronage if this continues.

There are a myriad of suggestions and options to make this area a safer place: regular police surveillance (particularly near drug rehabilitation centers and The Avenue), increased streetlights, regular community safety walks…the possibilities are endless.

We request a meeting within the month of September 2018 if schedules allow.