Wes Moore, a Democratic candidate for Maryland governor, called on Republican Gov. Larry Hogan Wednesday to take steps to designed help prevent violent crime in Baltimore.
"There are immediate actions you can take to save lives," Moore said. "His neglect of Baltimore’s communities is nothing short of a dereliction of the duty of his office,"
Baltimore is seeing a rise in murders and nonfatal shootings when compared with the time period last year. A recent spate of high-profile incidents including a quadruple shooting and the death of a pregnant woman and her fiancé have drawn even more attention to Baltimore's struggle with violent crime.
Moore, a best-selling author and nonprofit CEO, has the strongest connection to the city in the crowded Democratic field.
The issue of crime, particularly in Baltimore, is becoming a major issue in the Maryland governor's race. Former Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker has vowed to move the governor's office from Annapolis to Baltimore when the General Assembly is out of session to address the issue. Former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler has promoted his experience as a prosecutor to make the case he would be an effective crime-fighter as governor.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot has said more economic investment is needed in Baltimore.
Saying he was tired of Hogan "pointing fingers" rather than coming up with solutions, Moore suggested Hogan immediately fill more than 100 vacancies at the Department of Probation and Parole (DPP). Many state and local agencies have vacancies in a tight labor market. The Baltimore Police Department is currently down about 300 officers.
"Your administration has allowed this critical agency to atrophy to dangerously low staffing levels," Moore said. "A fully staffed DPP would be able to better supervise its high-risk population, identify individuals at risk of committing or becoming the victims of violent crime."
Baltimore officials including Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison have repeatedly attributed the rise in crime to "repeat violent offenders."
Moore also suggested that Hogan get additional support for the Baltimore City Police Department from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Moore also suggested giving Baltimore additional state funding for mental health services, after-school programs and job-search programs.
FOX45 reached out to Hogan's office late Wednesday but has not yet received a response.
"Nearly every day, people are dying in our streets and families are being torn apart. The effects of violence and trauma are far-reaching, permeate every facet of our lives, and threaten the well-being and future of our state," Moore said.
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