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Dixon makes Bealefeld’s role of police chief permanent
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Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Citing lower rates of murders and shootings, Mayor Sheila Dixon on Thursday named acting Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld the city’s top cop permanently.
“I am one million percent convinced this is going to turn around,” Bealefeld, a former deputy commissioner, told The Examiner. “When — not if — when this thing turns around, the long-term strategies we’ve committed to are going to pay off.”
The mayor said she had “great confidence” in Bealefeld and cited a 35 percent decrease in shootings during Bealefeld’s tenure in the summer months when murders and shootings traditionally spike.
“During his time as acting commissioner, the murder rate is down, as is the overall rate of shootings,” Dixon said in a statement. “This is no coincidence. This is no accident.”
Dixon forced former commissioner Leonard Hamm’s resignation in July amid increasing murders. As of Wednesday, the city had 231 homicides compared to 212 during the same time period last year.
“We’re seeing some good movement in the right direction,” Bealefeld said. “It’s baby steps.”
Dixon’s decision to hire Bealefeld instead of his chief competitor, former D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey, was immediately praised by City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore Police Union President Paul Blair.
“Allegedly Ramsey had asked to bring seven people. That would probably be all the top positions,” Blair said.
“The last thing this department needs is a complete overhaul.”
Bealefeld must now be appointed by the City Council, where Councilman Jack Young said he planned to ask the acting commissioner tough questions.
“I’m not going to automatically roll over,” he said. “... I want to know if we’re really making progress.”
Bealefeld said the successful reduction of robberies, assaults and other violent crimes has been ignored.
“Four of the last five years we’ve posted crime reductions,” Bealefeld said. “You know how many people believed it? Nobody. But they’re going to start believing. People are going to start noticing the good work happening in Baltimore when we get the murder rate under control.”
lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
9:18 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 6, 2007 re: "Top cop gets $28,000 raise"
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7:36 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 6, 2007
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3:56 PM MST on Mon., Nov. 19, 2007
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3:26 AM MST on Mon., Nov. 19, 2007
re: "Bealefeld is expected to be OK’d as top cop"
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7:03 AM MST on Sun., Nov. 4, 2007
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2:38 PM MST on Sun., Oct. 7, 2007
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8:24 PM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007
re: "Bealefeld: City’s crime stats are accurate"
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Examiner Reader said: said:
What about the administrative aids/secretary's? everybody gets thousands of dollars for raises, what aobut us? Gas prices are up. Food is up. clothing is up. education is up. everybody else gets not 1 thousand, not 2 thousand, but several thousands of dollars for a raise...
83 agree | 78 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
shame shame shame.
92 agree | 86 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This proceeding is a farce just another rubber stamp, why have hearings at all. It wouldn't matter if Genghis Khan was nominated the impotent City Council wouldn't dare or care to defy the status quo
83 agree | 82 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
just what the mayor ordereed, we need more money for treatment. and where does bealefield expedct that money to come from considering that half of the city budget now comes from state and federal governments? and when will Bealefield move into the city as required by the city charter?
84 agree | 77 disagree
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wayne said:
as a former resident+business owner in baltimore i can tell you the biggest problem they have is not keeping the junkies+thugs locked up,they even have the right to vote.
99 agree | 102 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
believer...Know that commercial where the woman tells the Soprano's character she has to block him? Well...
137 agree | 150 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Believer: Yes, please "do not hold you breath waiting." You are right that would not be safe. Unless of course you are in close proximity to some one that can perform CPR! This direction is from a medical professional, trust me.
119 agree | 136 disagree
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Believer said:
It amazes me to see some of the negative comments being made about the Mayor's appointment. It is quite obvious that these comments are coming from people who have absolutely no knowledge of the Commissioner, his background, his relationship with the communities where he has served, his relationship with the various State and Federal agencies that make policing more successful or of policing itself. What you want when you have a problem is a cop that can handle your problem, doesn't much matter right then if that cop is male or female, white, black, brown or yellow! Funny isn't it? Color just doesn't seem to matter much then! Commissioner Bealefeld will prove himself rather quickly and, when he does, I will be looking for the same nay sayers to be writing in saying how wrong they were. But, to be safe, I won't hold my breath waiting.
155 agree | 133 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Like it really matters who the police commissioner is.
141 agree | 155 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
A college degree is not always the “better” requirement to be effective in an occupational/personal role with the level of on the job experience Bealefed has. Perhaps Dixon was looking for such a man to bring "life's experiences to the table rather than to have all ideas, assessments, and resolutions from an college educational level. The two disparities would serve to compliment to one another
137 agree | 122 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
What would younexpect a shady, O'Malley, cover-up, crony, to say?
130 agree | 127 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
A college degree is not always the better requirement to be effective in an occupational/personal role with the level of on the job experience Bealefed has. Perhaps Dixon was looking for such a man to bring "life's experiences to the table rather than to have all ideas, assessments, and resolutions from an college educational level. The two disparities would compliment one another.
116 agree | 135 disagree
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Irate Taxpayer said:
It is amazing how the mayor an educated woman herself could choose as her police commissioner a man who has no college education nor does he reside in Baltimore City. Commissioner Bealfeld likes to hear himself speak and always has. His whole career has been a product of political patronage. His career has not been without blemish but I doubt that those issues will ever be brought out. Time will tell the story and we shall see if he is the "right man" for the job!!
125 agree | 138 disagree
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johnn said:
all thease guys look good when they come in,but time will reveal his real motives,and his dark motives...lets see what he says,and does about the bad relationship between white officers,and how they treat black officers.he talks about moral a lot.i have never heard him speak up for any black officers that was discriminated aganist while he was a police officer.i remember him as being part of the problem.
127 agree | 126 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
You have no clue outside of mere numbers; the trouble Ramsey caused DC police officers. He would wreck employee morale and fire good police officers without justification.
132 agree | 114 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Living in Baltimore, I do like Dixon, but feel she made the wrong choice. I hope that I am proven wrong, but I think she should have chosen the candidate with no political ties to the city, and no established relationships with other employees. Bringing in the man who turned around DC would have been a great option, so if this fails too- let's all hope he is still willing to give us a shot. Our city is in desperate need of the rigt kind of attention- not strong armed law- but education and the understanding of the basic human rights- and most of all FAIRNESS!
148 agree | 126 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
It's about time. I hope Bealefeld is a history major and understands what, where, how, and why things went so horribly wrong in the city of Baltimore. I hope Bealefeld is a thinker who thinks outside of the box, but mostly I hope this guy is honest.
126 agree | 130 disagree
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