Responding to the community's input in last year's survey, the Midtown Community Benefits District is now developing a multi-faceted approach to improving public safety in the District, and the perception of safety.  The four major areas are:
 
*  Developing partnership with the Baltimore City Police and other safety providers in the District
*    Safety Education and awareness programming
*    Improving street lighting and streetscaping and landscaping to improve safety
*    Use of technology including cameras, software analytics, and emergency call boxes.
 
We will be launching efforts in the first two areas within the coming year. We hope to address the street lighting and streetscaping issues in about three years, and see the implementation of technology projects within five years.
 
The first step in these new efforts is a pilot project in partnership with the Baltimore City Police to place 6 Baltimore City patrolmen on the streets of the district for at least four hour shifts daily.  These hours may increase as the business community has indicated financial support for additional hours.  If this pilot program is successful, we will consider how it might continue in our 2010 fiscal budget.
 
Our goal is to have most of the patrolmen on Segway vehicles eventually.  At least two patrolmen will be using Segways during the pilot. Midtown is very grateful to the Charles Street Development Corporation for its donation of one of these vehicles.
 
We encourage community members to look for our new patrolmen and get to know them. They are trying to bring the best practices of community policing to our neighborhoods.  

 
 
The holiday season is supposed to be a happy enjoyable time of the year.  Unfortunately, it is also the peak season for criminals and thieves.  Here are a few tips to help you avoid being "A Victim of Crime during the Holidays":
 
·        Use credit cards whenever possible.  Keep the amount of cash you carry to a minimum. 
 
·        Be careful how you handle your money.  Never flash or count your money on the street or in public.  If you know you will need money for public transportation, carry that amount in your pocket.
 
·        Men should not carry their wallets in their back pockets. Place your wallet on your inside coat pocket or your front pants pocket.  If you must carry your wallet in your back pocket, put several rubber-bands around the wallet to prevent it from coming out of the pocket easily.
 
·        Store your packages in the trunk of your car, out of sight.
 
·        Never leave packages or your handbag unattended for even a short amount of time.
 
·        Nothing you own is as valuable as your life or good health.  If someone tries to grab your handbag or packages, let them go.
 
·        Don't buy more than you can easily carry.  If you struggle to carry all your packages, you are an easy mark for a thief.
 
·        Be aware of people who bump into you in stores, on the street, or on the bus.  They may be trying to pick your pocket.
 
·        Be aware of who is around you when you use an ATM machine.  Be careful not to reveal your pin number and don't walk away from the machine counting your money.
 
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