Baltimore Councilmember Wants to Raise More Cash For Crime Tipsters

By Christina Sturdivant Sani ● Crime ● December 16, 2021

What’s happening?

Baltimore City Councilman Isaac Schleifer is proposing an amendment to boost the cash rewards people receive for giving tips in homicide and shooting cases that lead to the arrest and/or indictment of a suspect.

How much money is Schleifer proposing?

Currently, the nonprofit Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland allots about $2,000 per reward. Through a supplementary fund through the city, tipsters would get $10,000 under Schleifer’s proposal.

“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,” Schleifer told WYPR.

Anything else I should know?

The Baltimore City Council and the mayor need to approve the amendment, then Baltimore residents can vote on the decision as early as the general election in 2022.

You can read more here.

Author

Christina Sturdivant Sani

Christina Sturdivant Sani is a writer and editor who has contributed to nearly two dozen publications including Washington Post, the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, and Bloomberg’s CityLab.

At Bloc by Block News, Christina is responsible for setting and implementing the vision for the cooperative’s editorial initiatives. In this role, she’s intentional about amplifying the voices of people—both writers and subjects—who have historically been silenced by white-led media outlets.

Christina is also a podcast junkie, audiobook lover, coffee shop connoisseur, and proud Washington, D.C. native. She studied print journalism at Hampton University.

Author

Christina Sturdivant Sani

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