Donald C. Fry, pictured in 2015, plans to step down as Greater Baltimore Committee president Tuesday. He's served for 19 years.The Greater Baltimore Committee plans to hire a “public safety advocate” who will track crime statistics, monitor data on prosecutions, and make monthly reports on violent crime in the area.
The public safety advocate will provide “private sector assistance and, more importantly, resources” to government officials and law enforcement, Butler said, but didn’t elaborate on what that might look like. As of Wednesday, the city of Baltimore had recorded 129 homicides and 273 nonfatal shootings this year, according to Baltimore Police, a slight rise from the same time last year.
Butler said it’s important for the organization to continually evolve and said the merger “will help us further our efforts to ensure that diversity equity and inclusivity drives everything that we do.”“We need all hands to help guide. Many of us have been too comfortable in our bubbles,” Butler said. “We must continue to break down barriers and strive for interconnectedness.”
Fry, who received multiple rounds of applause throughout the night, thanked his family, his staff and several others for their support.