PRESS RELEASE

    For Immediate Release: Tuesday, August 26, 2008               Contact:  Pastor Robert L. Hayne

                                                                                                                             443.540.8448 (cell)

6-YEAR OLD GUNSHOT VICTIM IN HOSPITAL ROOM INSTEAD OF

CLASSROOM ON 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL; COMMUNITY FED UP AFTER CITY

FAILS TO PROMPTLY RESPOND

New Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church calls Emergency Public Safety

Press Conference on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 3:00 pm at 3300 Elmora Avenue

BALTIMORE (August 26, 2008) – The New Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, residents of the 4 x 4 neighborhood and community activists are fed up with the lack of attention given to the area over the past decade. Robert L. Haynes, church pastor, states “We have done everything they’ve told us to do. Get the community involved, ask residents to post “No Trespassing” signs, report suspicious and illegal activity, hold meeting after meeting after meeting, clean up the trash that hides illegal drugs, create community impact statements to ensure drug dealers are properly prosecuted, etc., etc. Well, we’ve done our part. What’s missing is the follow up from the City”.

Since January 2008, the community has worked hand-in-hand with Melvin Russell, the former deputy major of the northeast police district. Residents have confided in the deputy major and planned public safety strategies. Without notice, the former deputy major was abruptly promoted to major of another police district. Community activist Anthony “Big Tony” Dawson has worked closely with the church, police, politicians, and community to coordinate several public safety initiatives, including the initiation of weekly public safety walks, hosting Reclaiming the Community cook-outs, walking the community with city officials to survey problems, and planning meetings for residents to plan to take back the community. Mr. Dawson commented, “Major Russell has worked so closely with the Belair-Edison and 4 x 4 communities to establish ties where there were none. To start over with a new deputy major moves the entire community backwards. We don’t have time to move backwards when our children are dying. Why wasn’t Russell promoted to major of the northeast district? That seems to make more public safety sense. This is a case where the police commanders’ instability threatens our public safety and contributes to the rise in crime within the neighborhood.”

The emergency press conference seeks to highlight how one community has taken the initiative to reclaim itself, yet continually runs into barrier after barrier when working with various city agencies for follow up.

Timetable of the community’s efforts to reclaim itself

Feb             Good Neighbor Walks created

Feb 6             1st Good Neighbor Walk

Mar - Jul            Periodic Good Neighbor Walks

July 9               Good Neighbor Walk conducted in 4 x 4

July 11            Cook out in 4 x 4 (witnessed activity; alerted police about potential violence in area)

July 12            Double shooting occurred; 1 Homicide

July 14            Emergency 4 x 4 community meeting called with residents, police, politicians, and stakeholders

July 16              Follow-up 4 x 4 community meeting held to address concerns

July 17              4 x 4 housing, sanitation/lighting Inspection walk & survey completed with politicians and stakeholders

July 30              Good Neighbor Walk conducted in 4 x 4 (Distributed "No Trespassing" signs; and Crimewatch Sign Up)

Aug 5                National Night Out Cook-out held in 4 x 4

Aug 11              Good Neighbor Walks showcased at City Hall