Mayor Scott & Council President Cohen Announce Baltimore’s New Department of Neighborhood Safety

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I just received the latest press release from the City of Baltimore, and Mayor Brandon M. Scott and City Council President Zeke Cohen have unveiled a major evolution in Baltimore's public safety structure.

The city is officially establishing the Department of Neighborhood Safety (DNS), creating a dedicated third branch of municipal emergency response alongside the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore City Fire Department. This new department codifies community violence intervention programs and establishes a permanent, specialized alternative response framework specifically geared toward nonviolent 911 calls.

Here are the key takeaways:

* A Third Branch of Citywide Public Safety: The Department of Neighborhood Safety formally elevates community violence intervention into a permanent fixture of city government, expanding beyond the initial framework established under the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). By codifying these strategies into law, the city ensures long-term operational continuity, stable local funding, and sustainable violence reduction programs.

* Specialized Alternative Response for Nonviolent 911 Calls: The core mission of DNS centers on dispatching trained mental health professionals, social workers, and peer recovery specialists to nonviolent emergency calls. This targeted deployment connects individuals experiencing behavioral health or housing crises directly to care while freeing sworn police officers and paramedics to focus on violent crime and urgent life-safety incidents.

* Broad Support Across City, State, and Community Leaders: Leaders across all levels of government—including Governor Wes Moore, U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks, Congressman Johnny Olszewski, BPD Commissioner Richard Worley, and Fire Chief James Wallace—praised the initiative. Academic and healthcare partners, including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and LifeBridge Health Center for Hope, also affirmed that dedicated crisis specialists significantly improve safety outcomes for local families.

* Support for Unhoused Residents and Behavioral Health: The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services noted that approximately one-third of nonviolent 911 calls eligible for alternative response involve individuals experiencing homelessness. Funded in part through the city's Opioid Restitution Fund, DNS aims to replace criminalization with direct links to supportive housing, medical care, and harm-reduction resources, with full details accessible on the City of Baltimore DNS Portal.

Why This Matters: For Baltimore families and neighborhoods, modernizing emergency response is essential to creating long-term community wellness. When someone experiences an acute mental health crisis, substance misuse challenge, or housing emergency, dispatching clinical and behavioral health professionals ensures that situations are de-escalated with compassion rather than unnecessary conflict. At the same time, shifting nonviolent calls away from patrol officers allows law enforcement to respond faster to serious neighborhood safety concerns, building greater trust and accountability across every district in our city.

Baltimore Mom Tip: While the city works to deploy behavioral specialists for community calls, every parent knows that family safety starts with staying organized and prepared at home. Program regional non-emergency numbers into your family’s phones—including Baltimore’s 311 line and the nationwide 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—and keep essential home safety and emergency supplies easily accessible in a designated closet or hallway tote.

Need to refresh your household preparedness setup? Picking up an OSHA-compliant multi-person emergency kit from Walmart, restocking family first-aid supplies at Target, or installing smart outdoor motion sensor lighting from Lowe's are simple, practical steps to protect your home. You can also explore smart home security and video doorbells available on Amazon for added peace of mind.

To review full details on the city’s new safety branch or to track public safety legislation, head over to the City of Baltimore DNS Page.