From Silos to Solutions: Interagency Partnerships for Real Public Safety in Baltimore

Community-Based Strategies for Building Trust

One of the most practical paths forward for Baltimore’s public safety landscape involves expanding community-based strategies that prioritize relationship-building over enforcement. Programs such as Safe Streets, led by community members with lived experience, have shown promise in reducing shootings by stopping violence before it escalates. These efforts differ from traditional policing by focusing on mediation, mentorship, and being present in the community, instead of using punishment. The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions found that between 2015 and 2020, areas served by Safe Streets saw meaningful drops in gun violence, even when accounting for wider crime trends¹.

For city leaders, funding these programs isn't enough. They also need long-term support, integration into city planning, and a clear commitment to keeping them going. Community violence intervention workers often face the same dangers as police officers but without the same pay, benefits, or protections. Cities can fix this by creating stable career paths, offering mental health support, and involving these workers in long-term planning across departments. These practical steps help show that public safety is everyone's job, built on strong communities rather than just law enforcement.

Expanding Civilian Crisis Response Models

Baltimore’s police often handle situations that go beyond crime, such as mental health crises, substance use, and homelessness. Officers are not always trained to handle these issues, which can lead to unnecessary arrests or worsening the situation. To address this gap, cities including Baltimore are trying out programs where trained civilians respond to certain emergency calls instead of police.

In 2022, Baltimore launched a pilot program pairing mental health professionals with EMTs to respond to non-violent crisis calls. This approach kept police out of situations they weren’t equipped to handle, and early reviews by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement showed fewer unnecessary arrests and better outcomes for people in crisis². To scale this model citywide, officials need to establish clear dispatch protocols, ensure 24/7 availability of crisis teams, and rigorously track program outcomes. These efforts not only reduce pressure on law enforcement but also align with public calls for more compassionate and effective emergency responses.

Reforming Police Union Contracts for Accountability

One major challenge to police reform in Baltimore is the structure of union contracts, which often make it difficult to discipline officers or ensure transparency. Some contracts delay internal investigations, erase disciplinary records, or allow fired officers to return through arbitration. These provisions obstruct civilian oversight and slow the pace of reform. A 2021 review by Campaign Zero found that Baltimore’s police contract included several of these structural barriers³.

Changing these contracts is politically tricky but necessary. City leaders must approach negotiations with a clear commitment: police contracts should support fair and accountable policing. This means involving the public in the process, making contract terms transparent, and aligning them with the city’s broader reform goals. Other cities, such as Austin and Seattle, have made incremental progress by linking officer raises to cooperation with oversight bodies⁴. Baltimore can adopt similar strategies to ensure police contracts re