Oct 10, 2008 6:22 pm US/Eastern
Citizens Call For More Protection In NE Balt.
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Baltimore City Police are still searching for the people who gunned down Ken Harris last month.
Weijia Jiang reports as they continue to seek suspects, there are new calls for protection in the neighborhood where Harris was killed.
Extra police officers patrol the Northwood Plaza Shopping Center almost a month after former councilman Ken Harris was shot and killed there.
Residents of the neighborhood in the city's 3rd district filed into a community meeting to demand even more police presence. They told city leaders Harris' murder illustrates the crime rate in the area on a daily basis.
"I'm hearing people getting killed. Didn't use to be like that, so I'm ready to move," said Arlette Burrell.
"One day the torch is going to be passed to my child. My eyes even swell up now, but it's gotta get better," said Kia Green.
Northeast Baltimore or District 3 is split into three sectors. Two is the biggest by far, 17 square feet. That makes up 21 percent of Baltimore in size. Seven police posts deal with 60,000 calls for service a year.
Councilman Robert Curran has spent more than a decade pushing to split up Sector 2 or add more posts.
"The presence of police is what deters crime. Obviously you'd like to have a cop on every corner, and you can't have that. But you have the presence," said Curran.
The police commissioner says having patrols out is one thing, but he says help from the people who live on and walk the neighborhood's streets everyday is crucial for solving crimes.
This week, police released surveillance video taken the night Harris was killed. It shows three men of interest in the murder.
Police believe they are responsible for other incidents at the plaza, but the tape has not helped much.
"We've been pushing, pushing, pushing and begging people on TV to get involved in that case. We've gotten two phone calls from the neighborhood about that case. Two. My homicide unit, his homicide unit needs to get flooded with phone calls about everybody who is a knucklehead in that neighborhood," said Baltimore City Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld.
Police plan to add more patrols to District 3 neighborhoods, although there's no word on when the council may consider splitting it up or adding more posts.
Police have no suspects in Ken Harris' murder.
Anyone with information on the murder of Harris is asked to call Baltimore City Police.
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