POLICE STEP UP PRESENCE ON STREETS

City Struggles to Keep Homicides Below '01 Total

Fighting to keep the city's homicide toll below last year's mark of
256, Baltimore police are stepping up anti-crime work: saturating
heavy drug areas, stopping more motorists and increasing street interviews.

They're also following up on arrest warrants, cracking down on illegal
taxi drivers who often are targets of violent crime and posing as drug
dealers and prostitutes.

It might cost the city a lot more in overtime pay, but the police
efforts seem to be working.

As of yesterday, the city had one less homicide in the current year
than on Nov. 7 last year -- 218 compared with 219. That's a
substantial turnaround since Oct. 1, when the homicide toll was 13
higher than on the same date a year ago, said Col. Robert Biemiller,
chief of the patrol division.

The notable drop can be largely attributed to a week-and-a-half
respite that began Oct. 27 and ended with the shooting Wednesday night
of Justin Larmar Whitehead, 20, of the 4000 block of Rosecrest Ave. He
was found with multiple gunshot wounds on a parking lot behind the
Town House Motel in the 5800 block of Reisterstown Road.

"I think it's a combination of things," Biemiller said. "We've been
working in these 14 identified zones around the city, identified
because they're the most violent areas in terms of aggravated
assaults, robberies, shootings, homicides and rapes."

Biemiller said cooperation from city residents and good work from
experienced district commanders have helped reduce all crime citywide
- -- not just homicides.

"It's important that we watch that homicide number because that's the
most closely watched of all the numbers and the one we're most
prominently gauged by," Biemiller said. "But other crime is also down."

Police Commissioner Edward T. Norris predicted recently that the
city's homicide toll would come in under 256. The prediction seemed to
be wishful thinking because on that day, Oct. 30, slayings were
running 10 ahead of last year's.

But by yesterday, the city's homicide total this year was 218 -- the
first time in a while that the homicide toll was under last year's.

However, Biemiller stopped short yesterday of echoing Norris'
prediction.

"I'm always cautiously optimistic when I quote numbers," he said.
"Obviously, that's our intention."

Maj. Gregory Eads Sr., commander of the Eastern District, and Maj.
Antonio Williams, commander of the Western District, grapple daily
with some of the city's worst crime spots.

"My contention is and has been that if we can impact the murder rate
in the Eastern and Western districts, we can impact the whole city,"
Williams said. "I am glad to report that we [Western District] are
under the number of murders year to date that we had last year. We
have had 39 murders this year, and we had 47 at this time last year."

Eads said he doesn't think this year will be as bloody as last
year.

"I think we'll make it," Eads said. "As a matter of fact, I'm sure
we'll make it."

Eads' goal suffered a setback when, three weeks ago, six people died
in an early-morning arson at Preston and Eden streets. A seventh
victim of the fire died a week later.

Eads said he deploys extra police on the streets late at night, when
many crimes occur. "You're going to see officers out on foot, officers
using aggressive patrol techniques," Eads said. "I'm talking about
conducting more field interviews, warrant checks, vehicle stops."

Williams said his officers are doing similar things and also going
undercover.

Marsha Bannerman, public safety advocate for Community Building in
Partnership, the umbrella group for Sandtown-Winchester community
associations, welcomes more police presence in her
neighborhood.

"I think that visibility has a lot to do with reducing some crimes,"
she said.

Bannerman said she wants to see more foot patrols, better enforcement
of the city's loitering law and improved street lighting.

Although complimentary of police efforts, Bannerman said until more
guns are off the streets, violent crime will continue to afflict Baltimore.

Since Oct. 1 when they started cracking down on the 14 targeted areas,
police have confiscated 166 guns, in addition to making 5,230 arrests,
Biemiller said.