11 TV Hill: Police mentorship program aims to reverse trends

DESTROYED THE OLD UPLANDS MANSION IN WEST BALTIMORE, PRESERVING HISTORIC BUILDINGS LIKE THESE AND OTHER STORIES IS THE PRIORITY FOR ONE BALTIMORE CITY AGENCY PRESERVATION IS REALLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, ABOUT REALLY TRYING TO FIND AND CELEBRATE AND BRING MEANING BACK INTO NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS MORNING, WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING INTO

ACHIEVING LANDMARK STATUS, NOT JUST FOR HOMOMES AND BUILDINGS, BUT EVEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. PLUS, MY ALMOST 40 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, I’VE NEVER SEEN WHAT WE HAVE NOW. BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE CHIEF ROBERT MCCULLOUGH IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE’S SEEING WHEN IT COMES TO JUVENILE CRIME. THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AVAILABLE THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT

THAT’S OFFERING YOUNG PEOPLE A DIFFERENT PATH. AND LATER, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEM AND SAY MAYBE MY VOTE DOES MATTER, GETTING BLACK WOMEN TO GET OUT TO THE POLLS, BLACK GIRLS VOTE STARTED THE MOVEMENT RIGHT HERE IN BALTIMORE. THEIR FOCUS HEADING INTO THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE AND BEYOND.

THAT’S ALL COMING UP THIS MORNING ON 11 TV. HILL AND HELLO, EVERYONE. I’M JASON NEWTON. WELCOME TO 11 TV. HILL WE HAVE HEARD THE REPORTS AND SEEN THE NUMBERS. THE STATE IS SEEING MORE CAR RELATED CRIMES COMMITTED BY YOUNG PEOPLE. SO THIS MORNING WE TALK TO BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE ABOUT

ONE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AIMED AT REACHING KIDS AFTER THEY HAVE COMMITTED AN OFFENSE ALL TO REVERSE THE TRENDS. BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE CHIEF ROBERT MCCULLOUGH AND LIEUTENANT ANISSA THOMAS JOINING US NOW TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUTH CRIME RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU FOR COMING BY. IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH. THANK YOU.

I WAS JUST I IMPRESSED. THERE WAS A MEETING THAT YOU HELD IN RANDALLSTOWN. IT WAS THE MOST INFORMATIVE, MOST ENGAGED COMMUNITY MEETING I SAW BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF SKIN IN THE GAME FROM THE RESIDENTS IN RANDALLSTOWN. DID YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY? IT WAS EVERYONE IN.

THEY WERE VERY ENGAGED. THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TOPIC AND THEY SEEMED TO BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR YOUTH. SURE. YOU BROUGHT UP YOU SAID THE NUMBER THAT’S REALLY ASTRONOMICAL RIGHT NOW FOR YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED, CAR THEFTS. AND YOU WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE NUMBERS OF AGES AS YOUNG AS 12

YEARS OLD, WHICH WE’RE SEEING THEM AS YOUNG AS TEN. WOW. BUT THE AVERAGE AGE IS 12 TO 14 TEEN. OKAY. WHICH TO ME JUST IS MIND BLOWING. I DON’T KNOW IF I WOULD KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT STEALING A CAR AT 14 YEARS OLD. WELL, MY MY ALMOST 40 YEARS OF

LAW ENFORCEMENT, I’VE NEVER SEEN WHAT WE HAVE. NOW, WHAT YOU DO HAVE GOING FOR YOU ARE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AND YOU’VE WORKED PRETTY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAINTAIN THEMSELVES. MARYLAND LAW DOESN’T ALLOW YOU TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU’RE ABLE TO BEFORE, BUT YOU’RE ENGAGING WITH YOUNG

PEOPLE AND HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW? IT’S IMPORTANT. IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE MONITOR OUR YOUTH, HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT AND BE ABLE TO TO INTERVENE AND INTERACT IN IN THEIR LIVES. AND WHEN THEY’RE GOING DOWN THE WRONG PATH, BE ABLE TO TO GIVE THEM SOME INCENTIVE TO GO THE RIGHT WAY.

LIEUTENANT THOMAS IS JOINING US. YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE JOINTS PROGRAM AND SOME OTHERS. YOU START EARLY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A FACE IN THEIR LIVES, NOT JUST AS AN OFFICER WITH A BADGE, BUT SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT THEM IN THE COMMUNITY, IT SOUNDS LIKE. ABSOLUTELY.

AND OUR JOINTS PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALLED JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN NEED OF SUPERVISION, IS FOR THRESHOLD OFFENDERS. SO THOSE WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED A MISDEMEMEANOR OR TWO. SO WE TRY TO CAPTURE THEM EARLY WITH A CRIME OR IF THEY HAVE A CRIME, WE CAPTURE THEM EARLY. WE WE DO HAVE TO CHARGE THEM.

HOWEVER, THE GOAL IS TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, SO WE ASSIGN THEM WITH THE JOINTS OFFICER. THAT OFFICER WILL ASSIGN THEM SOME DUTIES AS A PROBATION. THEY WILL ASSIST THEM WITH RESTITUTION. THEY ALSO WANT TO MAKE THE VICTIM WHOLE. SO IF THE YOUTH IS WILLING TO

PARTICIPATE AND A PARENT IS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, THEN THEY PARTICIPATE. AND THE SUCCESS RATE IS REALLY HIGH FOR THAT PROGRAM. WHAT MAKES SOMEONE SUCCESSFUL IN THERE? I MEAN, WHAT T WHAT CHANGES THEM FROM THE YOUNG PERSON THAT YOU PICKED UP ON THE STREET TO NOW? I MEAN, SOME END UP BEING IN

YOUR CADET PROGRAM. SO THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY BUILD WITH THAT JOINS OFFICER IS VERY IMPORTANT. THE PARENT PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THAT RELATIONSHIP IS SUCCESSFUL. SO THE OFFICER SPENDS TIME WITH THESE GROUPS OF CHILDREN. THEY TAKE THEM TO DIFFERENT PLACES. PART OF THEIR PROBATION MAY BE CLEANING, CLEANING SOMETHING FOR

THE VICTIM, CLEANING. AND WE HAVE A HORSE FARM THAT THEY TAKE THEM TO CLEANING CERTAIN PROPERTY. THEY MAY HAVE TO WRITE A LETTER, A APOLOGIZING. THEY LEARN, YOU KNOW, THEY LEARN TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS. AND THEN THEY BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME. ALSO.

SO THAT HELPS THEM TO DECIDE. THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE. I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I WANT TO HELP OUT AS WELL. I WANT TO HELP TO REHABILITATE CHILDREN, TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE SYSTEM. THAT IS THE WHOLE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM.

CHIEF, HOW DID MARYLAND LAW CHANGE BEFORE? IF YOU’RE AN OFFENDER, LET’S SAY YOUNGER THAN 13 YEARS OLD, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THREE YEARS AGO, SAY TO NOW? WELL, WELL, SINCE THEY CHANGED THE LAW BEFORE THAT, IF A CHILD WAS OLDER THAN EIGHT YEARS OR OLDER, THEY COULD BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME.

WHEN THEY CHANGED THE LAW. NOW OUR OUR JUVENILES, WHO ARE 12 YEARS AND UNDER, CAN’T BE CHARGED WITH MOST CRIMES. NOW. THEY CAN STILL BE CHARGED WITH A A SERIOUS CRIME OF VIOLENCE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THEY CAN’T BE CHARGED WITH CRIMES. SO THE YOUNG PERSON YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE FROM

10 TO 13, WHO HAS STOLEN A CAR ONCE, THEY COULD DO IT TEN TIMES AND THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE IS YOU GO HOME. YES. OKAY. AS A POLICE OFFICER, HOW SAID MAKE YOU FEEL AT LEAST THE JOB THAT YOU DO? WELL, IT FRUSTRATES ME BECECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS LAW CHANGE, WE DIDN’T SEE KIDS.

TEN, 11, 12, 12, NOT EVEN 13. WE SAW VERY FEW INVOLVED IN CAR THEFT SINCE THE LAW CHANGED PRIOR TO THE LAW CHANGE, MOST OF OUR OUR CAR THIEVES WERE ABOVE THE AGE OF 18, 18 AND OLDER. SINCE THE LAW CHANGED. I MEAN, IT JUST COMPLETELY FLIPPED. MOST OF OUR CAR THIEVES ARE

UNDER THE AGE OF 18. THEY’RE 17 TO DOWN TO 11, 12, TEN YEARS OLD. SO DO YOU THINK IT’S OLDER GUYS PUTTING YOUNGER GUYS UP TO IT OR DO Y YOU THINK YOUNGER GUYS FEEL WELL, THERE’S NO CONSEQUENCE. I’LL JUST GO AHEAD AND AND DO IT. WELL, PART OF IT HAS BEEN THE

WHOLE SOCIAL MEDIA CRAZE BECAUSE AS THE WHOLE, THE TOCK AND KIA TICK TOCK CHALLENGE, IT’S BEEN PUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SO YOU CAN GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SEE HOW TO STEAL, YOU KNOW, THE AUTO, THE AUTOMOBILE USING THE, YOU KNOW, USB CORD. YEAH. KIDS GO OUT AND YOU KNOW, THEY,

THEY NOW KNOW THE LAWS CHANGED. THEY CAN’T GET IN TROUBLE. SO HEY, LET’S GO OUT AND HAVE A LITTLE FUN. YOU MENTIONED A TEEN SUMMIT AND THAT’S COMING UP. I’M CURIOUS WHAT’S INVOLVED THERE IN GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE PART OF IT. SO THE TEEN SUMMIT IS BEING HELD

AT NEWTOWN HIGH SCHOOL ON NOVEMBER THE 11TH. AND IT BEGINS AT 10:00. THERE’S A YOUTH LED PANEL AND THERE’S AN ADULT LED PANEL. CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE PANELS TO TALK ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES, ISSUES THAT THEY MAY BE FACING IN SCHOOL. AND OUTSIDE OF THAT, THERE WILL

BE ABOUT 36 VENDORS LINED UP OUTSIDE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL OR IN THE HALLWAY WHERE CHILDREN CAN GO OUT AND THEIR PARENTS AND GET SOME INFORMATION ON BEHAVIORAL WELLNESS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, JOBS, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF. WE’RE TRYING TO THROW THEM AS MANY RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE JUST TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING POSITIVE,

SOME POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, AND TO CONNECT THEM WITH SOME DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. THERE’S SOME FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES THAT WILL BE THERE. ALSO, THERE’S LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY NAMED LEXI P WHO WILL BE PERFORMING THERE. SHE HAS PRODUCTS AT SALLY’S BEAUTY AND SHE’S 18. SO SHE’S AN ENTREPRENEUR AND

SHE’LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE KIDS ABOUT THAT. SO IT’LL BE A PRETTY EXCITING EVENT, A FULL SERVICE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. YEAH, WE HAVE THE WORK IN PLENTY OF PROROGRAMS AND OUR DEPARTMENT SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE ADVERTISE WITH THOSE PROGRAMS CONSTANTLY. IT’S ON HEAVY ROTATION. THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING BY. WE APPRECI

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