Thursday night is shaping up to be busy with plenty of crime-related activities. I'm listing three below: a walk to prevent mischief in Towson, a town meeting for the Latino community led by Baltimore State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and a block party in East Baltimore sponsored by the mayor's office on criminal justice.

Here the are details:

Towson Area COPs are Prepared for MISCHIEF NIGHT PATROLS

Thursday, October 30, 2008   6:45 PM Gathering and Sign In, 7:00 Instructions followed by GROUP Photograph. The Hillendale Police Resource Center (1055 TAYLOR AVENUE, nearest intersection is Loch Raven & Taylor) will be the headquarters for the Mischief Night patrols.  Officer Kristy Fuka will be the command post dispatcher. Patrollers use their cell phone to request assistance and report any vandalism.

Towson Police, Precinct Six Commander Alexander Jones, Sgt. Stephen Fink and Baltimore other  County Police will meet at the new Police Hillendale Resource Center, 1055 Taylor Avenue for instruction and support as TACOP prepares to patrol our neighborhood streets and schools the night before Halloween, a night when young vandals often cause trouble. To help make Mischief Night a Safe Night in Towson, TACOP is deploying 40 patrol cars into twenty communities and several business districts. Reporting suspicious activities in the continued fight against vandalism helps to maximize police effectiveness in Towson area communities.

TACOP does not tolerate graffiti, throwing eggs, smashing pumpkins, breaking windows, slashing tires or any other vandalism at any time, especially on Mischief Night. TACOP and the Baltimore County Police have been working together for several years to curb these crimes and damage to residences, businesses and schools.

MOTTO: SEE IT-HEAR IT-REPORT IT: CITIZENS ON PATROL-THE POWER OF NEIGHBORS!

PARTICIPATING NEIGHBORHOODS: Anneslie, Burkleigh Square, Campus Hills, East Towson, Greenbrier, Loch Raven Heights, Loch Raven Village, Knollwood/Donnybrook, Aigburth Manor, Aigburth Vale Mansion Senior Community, Donnybrook Apartments, Fellowship Forest, Overbrook Community, Olde Hillendale, Ridgeleigh, Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Towson Manor Village, and Wiltondale.

STATE’S ATTORNEY JESSAMY TO HOST TOWN MEETING FOR LATINO COMMUNITY OCTOBER 30, 2008 

Baltimore, MD – October 27, 2008 – In an effort to better serve non-English speaking Latino victims of crime, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City (OSA) will hold a town meeting in Baltimore City.  This special meeting will be held at 6:30PM Thursday October 30, 2008 at St. Patrick’s Church Hall, 1728 Bank Street.  Translators will be present for the entire resentation.

The purpose of the forum is to discuss the impact of crime and to provide information on how to

reduce criminal activity in the community.  Topics of discussion will include: Safety for Day Laborers; Domestic Violence; Gangs; and Human Trafficking. Due to language barriers, cultural differences, and a misunderstanding of the criminal justice system, many victims decline to report criminal activity to the police or reach out for services. “It is important to build trust and bridge the gap between the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Latino community,” State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy said.  “This forum is an opportunity for a positive exchange of information to help crime victims. I am committed to this effort.” 
 
The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention awarded the OSA a grant to hire a bilingual victim advocate. Ms. Evelyn Vargas is available to help victims navigate the legal system and foreign language barriers while providing support to victims to heal physically, emotionally, and financially.  State’s Attorney Jessamy, Ms. Vargas and members of the Latino community will be available to answer questions from the public and media at this town meeting.

The State’s Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness and Community Services Division provides comprehensive services for crime victims and their families consisting of: information and referral, financial assistance, court escort, restitution and property returns, safety planning and counseling services.  All victims of crime may call 410-396-1897 for additional information.

Block Pary

The Mayor’s Office on Criminal Justice will sponsor Operation Protect Block Party & Resource Fair on Thursday, October 30, 2008 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The event will feature free food, entertainment from local youth performers and booths staffed with outreach workers who will provide information to the community.

Motorists are urged to use alternate routes and exercise caution and patience when traveling in the vicinity. The following street closures and parking restrictions will be in effect from 9:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

 Barclay Street from East 22nd Street to East 22nd ½ Street
 East 22nd Street from Greenmount Avenue to Barclay Street