Little things can make a difference even when deterring crime. For example, have you walked down your street and seen trash? I bet you have. While you may not have littered it's important to pick it up. Why? Aside from environmental and aesthetic reasons - trash is attractive to criminals.
Meaning, if a drug dealer or user is walking down your street or alley and sees a lot of trash this person is more likely to feel welcome there. Do
you want a drug dealer on your block? I doubt it, so make that person feel less comfortable by keeping the area in front of or behind your home trash and weed free. Signs of neglect are like welcome mats to those who don't care about our neighborhood or community. So the simple act of picking up a discarded cup, potato chip bag, etc. does help reduce crime.

By know you know another way to help stop crime in our neighborhood is to participate in Citizens on Patrol. We have several important walks coming
up so mark your calendar and if you would like a weekly reminder about walks email me at sullivansox@yahoo.com. Please note that Commissioner Hamm will be at the July 18th Cherry Hill walk. Your attendance is encouraged so come out and meet the Commissioner and let him
know about your crime concerns!!

Light Up the peninsula & turn on your outside lights every night to deter crime & break-ins! Many break-ins can be prevented simply by flipping a switch! Don't give crooks a chance - turn your lights on!

Take 5 minutes a week to pick up trash in front of your home to beautify our neighborhood! Please note that all residents are responsible for the area from the curb in front of your home to the ally behind it. Those who live on the end of the block should also maintain the sidewalk & curb areas!

Monday, July 18th at 7pm - CHERRY HILL
Meet across from the Southern District Police Station, 10 Cherry Hill Rd.

Friday, July 22nd at 7pm - SOUTH BALTIMORE/ RIVERSIDE
Meet at the corner of Fort Ave. and Charles St.

Thursday, July 28th at 7pm - BROOKLYN
Meet at the old Wendy's parking lot, 600 blk Patapsco

Monday, August 1st at 7pm - CURTIS BAY
Meet at the Rec Center on the corner of Filbert St. and Curtis Ave.

Thursday, August 4th at 7pm - SHARP LEADENHALL/OTTERBEIN
Meet at the corner of Sharp St. and Henrietta near the Gywnns Falls Tail entrance

We have an important crime walk tonight starting at 7pm in the Carrollton Ridge neighborhood. This is a new neighborhood for us so its very important we have a strong turnout to provide them support. In addition, this community is also in part of the Southwest police district and several of their officers along with Southern's officers will join us. A large group of walkers tonight is very important to our COP program so if you haven't walked before tonight is a great time to start. We will meet at the Samuel Morse Recreation center at the corner of S. Pulaski St. and Ashton St.

Other walks this week include this Wednesday at 7pm in the Federal Hill/Riverside/South Baltimore area. We will begin at the corner of Fort Ave. & Charles. St. This walk is being sponsored by The Olde Malt Shop (Earl's) on Fort Ave. who has generously agreed to give each COP participant 50 cents off any purchase. So help deter crime and support a small business all in one night!

We also have a walk at 7pm on Sunday in the Ridgely's Delight neighborhood. This is a really nice walk so come out and enjoy a Sunday evening. We will start in front of 618 Warner Street.

First some important news. Jack Baker and I have been invited to England to help establish a Citizens on Patrol program based on the Southern District model. Part of our presentation while there will be video of our walks. So it is very important that we get a strong turnout to show our friends in the UK how committed Baltimore residents are to helping each other and deterring crimes of opportunity.

So if you haven't been on a walk before now is the time to join. If you are a regular thanks for making this volunteer program such a success. Your dedication to Citizens on Patrol has made this trip possible.

This week we will walk the neighborhoods of Hollins Roundhouse and Union Square on Friday, June 10th at 7pm. Please come out to support these neighborhoods as many of their residents are active in walking with us in other parts of the Southern District. The walk will begin at the Elder Care parking lot 1001 W. Pratt.

As the Fahrenheit inches up so does the crime. While we are lucky to live in a neighborhood where much of the criminal activity is minor, such as car break-ins, we still need to be observant and do as much as we can to deter crimes of opportunity. For example, twice within the last month the simple act of looking out my window allowed me to see a man hiding drug money in a neighbor's yard and two teenagers smoking marijuana in an alley. I called the police, 911 not 311. So please keep your blinds up and shutters open and remember to glance outside every now and then’ you maybe surprised with what you see and what you can prevent.
It also helps to be observant in the park. Our park is the pride of this community but that does not stop people from misusing it. Unfortunately, vandalism and under-age drinking can be common in the park - day or night. So when you are out walking your dog or just enjoying the parks scenery, see who else is in the park with you.
Be observant everywhere. If you see children under the age of 16 without an adult before 2pm on a school day call the police. This is a curfew violation and these children need to be in school. If you see kids under the age of 16 and without an adult after 11pm on a school night or after 12am on a non-school evening call the police as this is also a violation of curfew. The goal is not to bully the neighborhood kids, rather it is to keep them out of harms way. If you have any questions about curfew I suggest calling the Southern District Police at 410-396-2499.
Lastly, another great way to be observant is to attend a Southern District crime walk. Our neighborhood will host a crime walk on Friday, May 20th at 7pm. We will meet at the Riverside Park gazebo. As always, the police and residents from around the Southern District will walk with us. There is also a walk scheduled for Locust Point on Wednesday, May 25th at 7pm. We will meet in front of the Blockbuster in the Southside Marketplace off of Fort Avenue. At the start of this walk the Citizen's on Patrol (COP) program will be presented with a check for the purchase of safety vests. If you would like more information on the COP walks please do not hesitate to contact me at sullivansox @ yahoo.com. Again, our neighborhood is a safe place to live and it can be even safer if we all take just a little more time to be observant.

Did you know that Baltimore City's Southern District, which RAG is a part of, is home to approximately 80,000 residents? And all 80,000 of us share the same resource - the Southern District police. So when you join many of the district-wide Citizen's on Patrol (COP) walks you make 80,000 of us safer by preventing crimes of opportunity. And since the weather is getting warmer now is the perfect time to attend one of these upcoming walks: Thursday, April 28th at 7pm - OTTERBEIN - Meet at the Otterbein swim club parking lot / Monday, May 2nd at 7pm - CURTIS BAY - Meet at the Curtis Bay Recreation Center / Monday, May 9th at 7pm - CHERRY HILL - Meet at Cherry Dale complex / Wednesday, May 11th at 7pm - SOUTH BALTIMORE - Meet at the corner of Charles St. and Fort Ave. / Monday, May 16th at 7pm - CHERRY HILL - Meet at the Cherry Hill Shopping Center on Cherry Hill Road / Friday, May 20th at 7pm - RIVERSIDE - Meet at the Riverside Park gazebo, 300 blk of Randall Street. Remember these walks also give you a great opportunity to speak with the police about specific concerns so please take advantage of this time.

Despite the freezing cold weather, the February RAG meeting was red hot, as neighbors got together to discuss what is happening, and what should be happening. As always, if you're reading this and have always wanted to come to a meeting, put it on your calendar NOW for the end of the month. You will be so glad that you did. This past meeting we had several guests brave the cold to talk to us.
NEW MAYOR'S REP, CLEMENT SREET SPACE: Mayor's representative Elizabeth Weiblen came to introduce herself. She is the new liaison to the major's office... our direct pipeline right to the top. One of the items we discussed was the Clement Street Lot at 604-608 (3 house lot). Should it be a parking lot? Green space? New housing? Elizabeth and others worked with Councilman Ed Reisinger to come up with a compromise solution to this debate. Half of the lot will be going to the parking authority, the other half to recreation & parks; _ parking, _ green space.

ARSON IN THE PARK: Deputy Major Bevelacqua gave us an update on arson in the park: all initial suspects have been ruled out; 3 other names have come up which are being investigated. THERE IS A $500 REWARD...IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, PLEASE CALL THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT STATION AT 410-396-2499!

BUS STUDY: There is a citywide Bus study happening to improve our city bus system. It's the first such study to be conducted in over 20 years. The purpose of ongoing meetings is to gather ideas, and to share the MTA's Bus vision. The goal of the study is to improve the bus system by Fall of 2005. The items being examined included real ridership patterns, locations, and routes; and destination surveys of riders to assess preferences, etc. Changes that may result from this study include:
† Simplification of routes.
† Consideration of markets for new services (free shuttles, elderly buses, etc.).
† Development of main "spine" corridors for centralized paths.
† Application of standards for bus stop spacing (key in our parking programs!).
† Improvement of time schedules and bus timing efficiencies.

At our last meeting, Deputy Major Bevelacqua spoke about dogs off leash in Riverside Park as the police have received some complaints. The law states that dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet. With all of the new dog walkers in the park, I thought it was time to remind people of some simple rules of doggy etiquette:
Rain, snow, sun, knee deep in mud…pick up after your dog. Think of the park as your own yard, because it is.
Your dog should never approach a dog on a leash unless invited by that dog’s owner.
Your dog should never approach people walking through the park without their invitation.
Dogs who play too aggressively (growling, biting, etc.) can be frightening to passersby. The dogs should be separated and/or play should be moved to the lower field.
If your dog breaches etiquette, a simple reprimand to the dog and a sincere apology to the other person will usually diffuse the situation. (Saying “he won’t hurt you” only makes people angry).
The only way for everyone to enjoy the park is to respect the personal space of others. You wouldn’t run up to a stranger in the park and jump on them (hopefully), so why should a dog. I think that I have the sweetest, friendliest dog in the world but I know that just because I love him, doesn’t mean that everyone else will or should love him. We are fortunate to have a large, wonderful park in which we can exercise our dogs, and following these simple suggestions will help to continue everyone’s enjoyment of the park

Playground Arson Update: Since the arson at the Riverside Park playground I have been working closely with the police of the Southern District and the arson unit to assure this crime is thoroughly investigated. While police do not have any suspects in custody yet they are working on several very credible leads so it is my hope that I will have an update at the next RAG meeting. Again, there is a $500.00 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible. If you have information please call the Southern District station at 410-396-2499. If you would like to prevent crime, especially crimes of opportunity, than please join the growing Southern District Citizen’s on Patrol group. We have two more walks scheduled in March – Monday, March 21st at 7pm in Cherry Hill – meet at the Southern District station (10 Cherry Hill Rd) and Wednesday, March 23rd in Hollins Roundhouse/Union Square – meet at the Elder Health parking lot 1001 W. Pratt (near B&O railroad). If you would like to receive details about upcoming walks please email me at sullivansox at yahoo.com. Lastly, Major Jordan asks anyone that is an unfortunate victim of a crime to attend the court hearing when the case is presented. Without the “victim” present the case is dismissed and the guilty party goes right back into our neighborhood to continue their criminal activity. So please do your best to make the court date.

We have a great COP walk planned for Friday night (March 4th) at 7pm in the Hollins
Roundhouse/Union Square communities. This is a new neighborhood location so please
show them our support by coming out for the walk.

Meet in the parking lot of Elder Health, 1001 W. Pratt Street.

From the east - take Lombard Street, cross MLK Blvd., turn left at the third light
(Arlington Street), go down one block to the light on Pratt Street, and cross Pratt
Street into the parking lot.
From the west - Pratt Street towards Inner Harbor, cross Carey Street and turn
right at the first light (Arlington Street) into the parking lot.

Sights to see on the walk includes the B&O Railroad Museum, Hollins Market, the
Black Cherry Puppet Theater, the H.L. Mencken House and Union Square Park.

Other walks this month include:
Tuesday, March 8th at 7pm - South Baltimore. Meet at the corner of Charles St. and
Fort Ave.

Monday, March 21st at 7pm - Cherry Hill. Another community first! Drivers meet at
the Southern District Police Station (10 Cherry Hill Lane - park in lot across the
street) Everyone else meet at the Cherry Hill Senior Manor 901 Cherry Hill Road.

Wednesday, March 23rd at 7pm - Hollins Roundhouse/Union Square. Meet at the Elder
Health parking lot - 1001 W. Pratt Street

Lastly, for those who have yet to take the COP training please sign-up for the
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 class at 7:00 PM which meets at the Southern District
Station (10 Cherry Hill Rd). Police department training is a requirement! Call
Officer Roney at 410-354-5169 to participate. Thanks for your cooperation and if
you can not make the March 9th class another class will be offered soon.

The Southern Police District has a new Major – Former Deputy Major Eric Jordan. Major Jordan has over 20 years of experience as a city officer and has spent the last two years in the Southern District. While we will miss Major Bealefeld, who was promoted, Major Jordan is well deserving of his new role and our community should look forward to working with him. In addition to a new Major we have a new Deputy Major – John Bevilacqua. Another police veteran, the Deputy Major has worked in several districts throughout the city, including ours, with much of that time spent in the narcotics division. For those who have yet to meet the Major and Deputy Major I encourage you to attend our upcoming COP walks as both men often come with us.

Speaking of COP, our last walk in February is scheduled for Saturday, February 26th at 7pm in Brooklyn. This will be Brooklyn’s first walk so we need to show them support as they always walk with us. Meet at the old Wendy’s parking lot next to the 7-11 in the 600 block of Patapsco Ave. If you would like to receive updates regarding walks please email me at sullivansox at yahoo.com.

2004 Crime Stats: For those of you who missed January’s RAG meeting here are the Riverside crime statistics for 2004. Overall crime was down 25.4% while district wide crime dropped 7.8% from last year. The numbers of offenses in each category are as follows: 15 aggravated assaults, 2 arsons, 83 burglaries, 3 homicides, 244 larcenies, no rapes, 12 robberies, and 37 stolen autos. These numbers represent a total of 396 victims, which are 135 less than last year.

We’ve come along way but still have a long way to go. If any of these numbers bother you, and they should, please consider walking on one of the Southern District COP Crime Walks. They really do make a difference.

We do have several new walks scheduled in addition to our first walk in Brooklyn later this month. Here are the basics and more details will come as the dates get closer: Saturday, February 26h at 7pm in Brooklyn. This is Brooklyn's first walk so please show your support. Meet at the old Wendy's parking lot next to the 7-11 in the 600 block of Patapsco. Friday, March 4th at 7pm in Hollins-Roundhouse/Union Square, Monday, March 21 in Cherry Hill, and Wednesday, March 23 at 7pm in Hollins-Roundhouse/Union Square