Nehemiah Training
Baltimore’s unprecedented violence last year made national news, and BUILD responded by listening to approximately 1,100 city residents about their experiences with violent crime and what they most want the Mayor and City officials to act on immediately. BUILD organizers and institutions documented each conversation and identified the top issues for action as: Youth trauma & opportunity; Addiction Recovery; Policing; and Jobs & Economic Opportunity, which were ratified by 150 attendees at a Citywide Action Team meeting late last year.
Press link, op ed from BUILD Member First & Franklin Presbyterian Church: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-op-0117-baltimore-hogan-20180116-story.html
On January 13, BUILD trained 120 members and leaders to be the Nehemiahs that will rebuild our broken city and formed issue action teams to research and turn these large scale problems into actionable issues.
BUILD demands an end to the culture of corruption at new commissioner’s hearing
- BUILD’s Policing Issue Action Team issued recommendations (in addition to and in concert with the Consent Decree) to the new commissioner. A meeting has been secured for next month.
- Reorganize the police department to address the culture of corruption that unless and until it changes there can be no reduction in violence and no trust between the police and residents.
- Conduct mandatory emergency training on constitutional policing – and get clarity around a definition of constitutional policing
- Report in 90 days to BUILD assembly on steps and successes with training and violence reduction measures
- Reorganize Internal Affairs Department: Bring in a new director who has prosecutorial experience; conduct polygraphs on every officer in contact with narcotics seizures; ensure public accountability and public action to respond to resident concerns; install foot posts in the most violent neighborhoods to engage in relationships with residents.
Baltimore Sun coverage here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-desousa-confirmation-hearing-20180220-story.html