Does Summer = An Increase In Crime?/ New Legislation/ Community News
Does Summer = An Increase In Crime?/ New Legislation/ Community News
"We contend that access and opportunity explain violence." - Dr. Natasha C. Pratt-Harris and Dr. Johnny Rice II
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A couple of weeks ago, The Prince George’s County Police Department held a press conference announcing that they were going to increase police officers’ presence in community hot spots in the county. This strategy, Aziz said, is based on data. The new DC police chief just announced a similar strategy. According to law local enforcement, hot spots are locations where violent crimes (carjackings and murder) are more prevalent.
But, according to PGCPD Chief Malik Aziz, his desire to put police officers in these communities isn’t based solely upon data. It is also based on an assumption that crime will rise in the summer.
From The Intersection:
Deputy Chief Administrating Officer of Public Safety and Homeland Security Barry Stanton and Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz lead the press conference. Stanton said their goal for this summer is to protect communities and reduce crime.
“School is out, and the weather is hot,” said Stanton. Social interaction has increased and boredom has set in. This is a perfect combination for increased crime in the summer. Summer usually results in a rise in crime.”
Was it right for Chief Aziz, along with other police departments around the country, to absolutely associate the summer with rising crime? Coppin State University professors Dr. Natasha C. Pratt-Harriss, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, and Dr. Johnny Rice II, chairperson, and associate professor, wrote an op-ed in the Afro News addressing this matter. They write that there is no direct correlation between summer and crime increase. Instead, they say the problem is access to guns along with a number of social conditions that encourage criminal behavior.
Here is what they write (long excerpt):
We want to be clear here – biological determinism has been laced with racist epithets. This lends itself to an assumption that humans in warmer climates act out like animals and when it’s hot there’s an increased potential to engage violently. The school closure argument about an increase in violence is debated, where it discounts the fact that youth are more likely to engage when school is in session (when the temperatures across the continental United States are cooler). Spikes in violence are actually related to access to weapons and opportunities to engage violently.
In Chapter 16 of the book authored and edited by the two of us (Why the Police Should be Trained by Black People) Pratt-Harris examined states like Alaska (generally colder) who is #2 nationally when it comes to gun violence. Warmer climates can’t explain the rates of violence there. Pratt-Harris describes guns as hazards to Black life specifically but acknowledges guns as hazards to all life and it begins with access.
The debate regarding recent shootings and their being motivated by the heat index provide an opportunity to provide critical explanations for violence. For instance, the Routine Activities Theory (RAT) in criminology considers the nexus between crime, environment, and situational factors. This theory holds that people are rational beings and intentional in their actions. Rational people are willing to engage in criminal behavior when the opportunity presents itself and it is perceived advantageous.
For a criminal act to occur the theory requires a 1. motivated offender, 2. a suitable target, and 3. the absence of capable guardians. When the aforementioned elements converge in the same location at the same time crime will result. It can be argued that select persons present at these mass shootings may have harbored ill intent (motivated offender) and identified persons they had conflict with whom were present also (suitable targets) be it teens or adults, and seeing a lack of capable guardians (i.e., violence interrupters and police no longer present) acted. These perpetrators chose violence in the form of using handguns in an attempt to impose harm and chose to mediate conflict on their respective terms with lack of consideration for the collateral damage they would leave behind.
The example provided, similar to the premise of hot weather as a driver of mass shootings, must not be considered in a vacuum. Another way to look at this is to consider that the number one form of gun violence – suicide. The reality is that access and opportunity increase the potential for that kind of violence – access to a weapon and a mental health issue that lends to suicidal ideation. There’s long-standing research on gun related suicide and the chemical imbalance that impacts our mental health, not necessarily related to the temperature.
If the professors are correct - then perhaps we need to ask different questions. For starters, how can county governments reduce young people's access to guns? The county should over-invest in community-based programs so that they can create more opportunities for children. How can the county tackle intergenerational poverty? How can organizations provide child care/after-school programs for teenagers for work-class families? (Working-class families are often working several jobs to provide basic needs, and working-class families also include those who are high-earning workers. These families are rarely home due to their schedules). What is the county doing for teenagers that age out of foster care, and end up homeless on the street?
New Legislation
Bill: CB-075-2023
Status: presentation and referral
Bill Sponsors: Mel Franklin, Sydney J. Harrison, Calvin S. Hawkins
Bill Name: AN ACT CONCERNING THE REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL BIAS BAN OF 2023 for the purpose of establishing a ban on real estate appraisal bias in Prince George’s County.
Background
There is a concern that the real estate appraisal process is inherently biased in its assessment. As A result, for a more fair and equitable real estate assessment, the real estate appraiser shall now be prohibited from considering, as part of the real estate appraisal analysis of real property in Prince George’s County, the race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, actual or perceived sexual orientation, actual or perceived gender identity, age, actual or perceived marital status, disability, familial status, or national origin of either the prospective owners or occupants of the property, present owners or occupants of the property, or the present owners or occupants of the properties in the vicinity of the property, or on any other basis prohibited by federal, State, or local law.
Bill: CB-077-2023
Status: Presentation and referral
Sponsors: Thomas E. Dernoga
Name: AN ACT CONCERNING PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PLANNING BOARD for the purpose of amending the rate of compensation for persons serving as members of the Prince George’s County Planning Board.
Background
The Regional District Act, at Title 15, Land Use Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, authorizes a salary for each member of the Prince George’s County Planning Board, in addition to the salary authorized for each member serving as a Commissioner of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. This bill will increase the salary set forth in the Subtitle of the County Code for each Planning Board member, other than the designated full-time member, to $24,400, for a combined total of $30,000 annually. The new salary rate will apply to members appointed after the effective date of this legislation.
Bill: CB-076-2023
Status: Presentation and referral
Sponsors: Thomas E. Dernoga
Name: AN ACT CONCERNING REVISION OF THE FAIR ELECTION FUND for the purpose of revising the language of the Fair Election Fund in order to provide greater clarity.
Backgrounds
The original legislation CB-99-2018 lacked clarity and consistency between the Definitions section and the rest of the legislation. Specificity as to what kind of funds a Citizen Funded Campaign Account can accept is also clarified in the new legislation. This new legislation also creates procedures governing an Applicant Candidate's use of funds in a Campaign Finance Entity from the previous election cycle.
Community Meetings
Blue Line Mapping/ Planning
The Central Avenue-Blue/Silver Line Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) project team members are holding office hours at the Peppermill Community Center on July 26 to talk to you.
Wednesday, July 26
4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m
Peppermill Community Center
610 Hill Road, Capitol Heights, MD 20785
Drop by our table in the lobby of the community center anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to ask us questions, discuss existing conditions, and share your hopes for the area and your communities.
Unable to stop by this time? The project team plans to host more office hours soon; be on the lookout for more upcoming events.
For more information about this ongoing project and how to get involved, visit the project website at pgplan.org/blueline or email the project team at CABL@ppd.mncppc.org.
All interested residents are encouraged to participate in the planning process.
The Prince George’s County Planning Department presents: Neighborhood Planning Academy
Our six-week course meets on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. The content is not available on demand and participants must be available during these times. The final session, on November 8, will be in person.
Info: The course consists of a pre-test, two-hour live online classes each week, homework after each session, a final project, a post-test, and surveys. Upon completion of the course, each participant will graduate and become a certified alumnus of the Neighborhood Planning Academy.
A planning academy is a series of workshops designed to help residents understand the major components of local government functions and the role and responsibilities of planning agencies in guiding development alongside community stakeholders. These programs serve as an opportunity to inform residents about local land use law, educate residents on contemporary planning issues that affect their communities, and build capacity among residents. Most importantly, a planning academy serves as an opportunity to restore public trust and build meaningful relationships between residents and government officials.
More information can be found here: https://academy.pgplanning.com/course-overview/
You can apply here: https://academy.pgplanning.com/apply/
District 4 Bowie Senior Meet and Greet Events
Join Prince George's County Council Member Ingrid Watson for a series of District 4 Bowie Senior Meet and Greet events in July 2023.
Senior residents are encouraged to register for one of the following events:
Friday, July 21, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Pin Oak Senior Building, 1st Floor
16010 Excalibur Road
Bowie, MD 20716
To RSVP, contact:
Chantise Davis
pinoak@hrehllc.com
(301) 464-6830
Creative Saturday: Arts on a Roll
Saturday, July 22, 2023
12:00 PM 2:00 PM
Creative Suitland4719 Silver Hill Rd.
Suitland-Silver Hill, MD, 20746 (map)
Shop the Market
The Capital Market (TCM) is a community-based farmers’ market that:
provides healthy, affordable food options to our neighbors in the Capitol Heights neighborhood and surrounding vicinity;
supports the growth of local businesses and farms owned and operated by people of color;
advocates for equitable and culturally-aware food systems.
Suitland at Creative Suitland
Sundays, from 12:00pm – 4:00pm
June 18th – October 29th
4719 Silver Hill Rd, Hillcrest Heights, MD 20746
Big News
Maryland Delegate Jazz Lewis Speaks Of What The Future Of Prince George’s County Should Bring
Excerpt: From there, the future delegate took on many roles including regional field director for Ben Cardin's Senate campaign and executive director for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer in 2015. The latter was the last role he received before being appointed to the House of Delegates by Gov. Larry Hogan in 2017.
Lewis’ easy demeanor and broad smile seemed to create a comfortable bond between he and his audience with the executive level group as he segued into his message.
“I serve as the Majority Whip,” he said. “Which means I'm the third-ranked person in the House Chamber. I'm the Vice Chair of the Capital Budget, which spends a lot of your taxpayer dollars in targeting investments to try to stimulate the economy, and which I think is really important.”
Lewis spoke to the entire audience but verbally singled out first responders and public service leaders. He believes they, along with education, are critical to his vision toward elevating the county and he plays a significant role in being able to those agencies. But he needed to link with business as part of the work.
Prince George’s County passes bill to bolster healthy restaurants
Excerpt: The Prince George’s County Council passed legislation on Tuesday to encourage restaurants to provide healthy meal options in exchange for zero-interest loans and other financial help, part of an effort by the council to bring more food options to residents after County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks didn’t fund the program during budget season.
Passing with a vote of 9-0-1, with District 9 council member Sydney J. Harrison (D) abstaining, the Healthy Restaurants Program will be a voluntary initiative to which restaurants apply. Participation in the program would require offering a menu with at least 40 percent healthy food options and one or more plant-based meals. As an incentive, participating restaurants will receive zero-interest loans from the Economic Development Corp. and financial help from the county to pay for menus labeling healthy food options, along with other perks.
Tommie Broadwater Jr., former Md. senator and power broker, dies at 81
Excerpt: Tommie Broadwater Jr., a longtime power broker in Maryland politics who was the first African American to represent Prince George’s County in the state senate, where he lost his seat after he was convicted on charges stemming from food stamp fraud, died July 11 at his home in Upper Marlboro, Md. He was 81.
His wife, Lillian Broadwater, confirmed his death but did not cite a cause.
Mr. Broadwater rose from an impoverished upbringing in Prince George’s County to become one of the area’s most prominent Black entrepreneurs, with businesses over the years that included a bail bond agency, a drive-through liquor store, a barbecue rib restaurant, the Ebony Inn nightspot and a grocery store, all located in an area on Sheriff Road that was dubbed the Hill.
The Empty Promise of the Clear Plastic Backpack (2019)
Excerpt: Gun safety experts tend to be similarly skeptical of backpack rules. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re useless,” says Michael Dorn, the executive director of the school safety nonprofit Safe Havens International. He’s heard some principals sing the praises of clear backpacks: Once, a child brought a turtle to school, and the principal was able to intervene quickly. “But generally speaking, it’s very easy to conceal weapons in them.”
Pistols and knives can be hidden in transparent bags just as easily as tampons can, he says: Inside tennis shoes, or wrapped up in T-shirts. Musicians could cram a larger gun into a music case, and football players could stuff them in gym bags. “In our experience, most of the students figure out the limitations of them,” says Dorn, whose organization has consulted over 8,000 K-12 schools on safety policies. “They’re not that hard to defeat in relation to the inconvenience they cause.”
Maryland before time: Rare dinosaur bone bed uncovered in Prince George’s County
Excerpt: LAUREL, Md. (AP) — Long before the Chesapeake Bay or I-95 corridor etched the land that would be Maryland, an enormous carnivorous dinosaur lived and died here.
About 115 million years later, staff and volunteers at Prince George’s County’s Dinosaur Park say they have unearthed a tibia, or shin bone, belonging to that apex predator of the early Cretaceous Period.
Officials announced this week that the recovery of the fossil and others nearby elevate the park’s classification to a bone bed, the first discovered in Maryland since 1887. Paleontologists define a bone bed as containing one or more species within a geological layer.
Excerpt: Concerns over recently filed unpaid labor and employment misclassification lawsuits have some demanding action from Prince George's County lawmakers and investigators.
Facing a nearly $8.5 billion school maintenance backlog coming into office, Prince George's County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks joined with Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) leaders to usher in a first-in-the-nation public-private partnership to construct six new school buildings.
Also known as a "P3" construction funding model, the PGCPS Board of Education and County Council approved this funding method in October 2020, with the goal of completing school construction by summer of 2023.
Inside Barbados' Historic Push for Slavery Reparations
Excerpt: The idea that people held captive and robbed of their labor are owed reparations has been discussed by enslaved people for centuries. It shows up in 17th century Barbados court cases filed by the few who wrestled their way to freedom, says Sir Hilary Beckles, a Barbados-born historian and author of Britain’s Black Debt. The idea also occupies space in a 1775 essay by the colonial American political theorist Thomas Paine. More recently, reparations supporters have pushed past mere debate.
Rare chance to swim in the Anacostia River postponed due to pollution
Excerpt: Parts of the Anacostia River are getting ever-so-close to the water quality standards needed to render it officially swimmable. But it’s not quite there yet.
It’s generally been illegal to swim in the Anacostia River for more than 50 years. But an event planned for July 8 would have made it legal — for one day — for more than a hundred people to jump into a stretch of the Anacostia River along Kingman Island. That spot is one of three that passed recreational water quality standards more than 90% of the time during weekly water quality monitoring in 2022.