Strengthen Public Safety

Eric will work to put more Prince George’s County officers on the street, improve police response times, and work to see that 911 calls are taken without delay. Eric has had a long record of working for improved public safety.

With his College Park City Council colleagues, Eric sought authority from the County to contract police officers for patrolling the City. In recent years, Eric and his colleagues have increased these contract police patrols, which has put more police presence on the street, has addressed neighborhood speeding problems, and apprehended suspects. Eric believes more can still be done to address crime, including putting more County officers in the community.

After the post-game rioting of several years ago, Eric and his colleagues worked diligently to bring together police agencies and make sure that police would be adequately prepared to forsee post-game problems and respond to any future riots.

Eric was responsible for bringing County, University, Maryland National Park and Planning, and Metro Police together on a regular basis with the City Council to review crime and policing issues and to ensure good communication between police agencies.

In part through Eric’s efforts, University of Maryland Police expanded their patrol areas, and established a Memorandum of Understanding with the County Police to handle calls within a jurisdiction around campus when County Police cannot take those calls.

In order to get more police in the community, Eric sponsored a program that provides assistance with closing costs when a police officer purchases a home. When officers live in a neighborhood, they keep an eye out and also can help serve as a crime deterrent. Eric would like County officers to live in our neighborhoods.

Eric and his colleagues also fought for the Prince George’s County Police Helicopter Unit to be based at the historic College Park Airport, instead of being based outside Prince George’s County.

Eric will work to ensure that the County has enough officers, that they are out on the street, and that they will be responsive to calls. The County Police currently are understaffed and have too large of a workload. They need the tools and support to get their job done.

Fighting crime depends on excellent, well-qualified law enforcement officers on the street, but it also depends on excellent, well-qualified teachers in the classroom. It also means investment in vocational and technical education, job training, and providing opportunities for good jobs in our community.