Baltimore Council Advances $16.8 Million 911 Reorganization

The Baltimore City Council moved forward with a plan to create a new Department of Neighborhood Safety on Monday. The legislation allocates $16.8 million for a system designed to dispatch mental health professionals and other civilian responders to specific nonviolent 911 calls.

The bill also absorbs existing city violence prevention programs into the new agency. Councilman Mark Conway cast the sole vote in opposition, arguing that lawmakers had not fully examined the proposal's operational details.

Conway expressed concern about the speed of the process. "In two weeks, we’ll vote this out of the council," Conway said. "I don’t think we have done our due diligence in foreseeing all of the concerns … I fear we are going to trip and fall."

Council President Zeke Cohen countered that the plan resulted from years of community discussions rather than a sudden decision. "It is simply not the case that some folks woke up a couple weeks ago and decided, ‘Let’s do legislation related to this department’," Cohen said. "Folks have been talking about this for years."

Community advocates raised questions about spending and prevention strategies. Christina Flowers, a homeless advocate, criticized the $16 million cost. "At the end of the day, to be asking for $16M is a slap in the face to people like myself," Flowers said. "Bring some partnerships to the table that are not politically favored, that are not best friends with the mayor."

Erricka Bridgeford, founder of the Baltimore Peace Movement, supported the expansion. "While there is a cost to this, I think that it is important to pay more attention to the cost of not doing it," Bridgeford said. "To the cost of violence escalating unnecessarily when there could have been the correct responders showing up."

The city estimates approximately 22,000 calls annually involve nonviolent situations suitable for alternative responders. The $16.8 million startup cost includes $12.4 million for dispatch infrastructure upgrades.

Deputy Finance Director Bob Cenname warned that the city’s Opioid Restitution Fund, which held $239.1 million at the end of fiscal 2026, would be exhausted by fiscal 2032 under current projections. The mayor’s office expects opioid settlement funding to support the department for its first four to five years.

If approved, the department would become a permanent city agency effective Jan. 1, 2027. The administration does not expect alternative response teams to begin operating on the streets until fall 2027. The bill requires an agreement with the Police and Fire departments on how to screen and route eligible calls.

The legislation directs the new executive director to submit an implementation report within one year of enactment. The council will hold its final vote on the bill on Nov. 9.