Liggett-Creel, Pfister, Haynes, and UMBPD win 2022 Governor's Crime Prevention Award for Co-Response on Eutaw Street
The co-responder team is comprised of the UMBPD and its Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST); University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) social workers and interns with The Collaborative (Liggett-Creel, Pfister, and Haynes); returning citizens (SONS of Phoenix and the PEACE Team) — formerly incarcerated persons who are credible messengers within their communities; HeartSmiles and Healing Youth Alliance community youth organizations; and community partners, including Baltimore Market Center Association and Downtown Partnerships.
Forming in August 2021, the co-responder team was initially brought together to address significant needs for vulnerable populations surrounding UMB. COAST’s outreach and intervention officer works with UMSSW interns to provide additional resources and case management for those experiencing hardship, such as poverty, mental illness, homelessness, and substance use. The collaboration between a university police department and social work interns is the first of its kind in the nation.
Over time, the team expanded to the Eutaw Street Corridor, including the following goals: (1) stakeholders on Eutaw Street are safe and thriving; (2) Eutaw Street is clean; and (3) investments are made in business on Eutaw Street.
Since December 2021, the team has had 1,798 engagements and met 286 client goals, including 99 job placements, 11 shelter placements, 24 permanent housing, 65 vital records, 44 drug treatment placements, 12 job training, and 65 basic living supplies. On average, they have also seen a 33 percent decrease in open-air drug sales since March 2022.
The co-responder team was one of just three 2022 awardees at the Governor’s Crime Prevention Awards. This partnership encourages positive progress in the communities we serve and seeks innovative solutions to longstanding challenges.