A Baltimore City councilman is proposing a charter amendment to create a permanent fund to supplement cash rewards offered for tips in homicide and shooting cases.
The nonprofit Metro Crime stoppers, which operates in much of Central Maryland, now funds about $2,000 per reward. The Supplementary Criminal Apprehension and Conviction Fund, proposed in legislation from Councilman Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer, would put additional money toward the rewards. If approved by the council and mayor, the fund will go before Baltimore voters as early as the general election.
“There should never be a situation where a reward is less than $10,000,” Schleifer told WYPR in an interview. “The return on investment is, in my opinion, the best return on investment on any public safety dollar because it only pays out when results are delivered, while bringing closure to victims’ families and their communities.”
If approved by the council and the mayor an amendment to create the Supplementary Criminal Apprehension and Conviction Fund would go before city voters in the next general election. A subsequent piece of legislation would specify the fund’s operational details, including the exact amount of supplementary cash.
