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Rawlings-Blake Addresses Crime In Radio Ad

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake addressed crime and public safety in her first radio campaign ad released Tuesday.

Political reporter Pat Warren looks at how her crime fighting plan compares to some of her challengers.

In her radio ad on public safety, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake approaches crime from a first person view, noting that her brother was stabbed in 2002.  Crime is down, she says, but statistics don't matter to victims.

"Like many of you, a family member of mine was a victim of violent crime.  It is something you live with every day of your life.  My public safety plan will help make every neighborhood safer.  We are locking up criminals with a history of violence.  We are fighting for stronger state laws on illegal guns and this year we will hire more new police officers," Rawlings-Blake said.

The mayor's challengers attack crime and violence on various fronts.  In community forums and public events, each presents a crime-fighting strategy that includes targeting the most violent offenders but also taking a more comprehensive approach to cause, cure and prevention.

"I'm going to be squarely focused on changing the complexity of the city as it relates to crime problems," said State Senator Catherine Pugh.

On the day she filed for mayor, Pugh called the epidemic of lead poisoning a contributing cause.

"Don't wait for Catherine Pugh to come take over the city, 'cause I will, but begin now dealing with this health issue, this lead paint issue that creates violent children," she said.

Otis Rolley's plan includes better policing.

"We provide them with better training and better resources and even better compensation, so they can do a better job," Rolley said.

Jobs for everybody is the Frank Conaway approach.

"If they don't have jobs, they turn to crime and so we want to have a deterrent to that and that is a job," Conaway said.

Jody Landers says there needs to be a better working relationship between officers, leadership and City Hall.

"There's a lot of discontent. People want the city to move in a new direction," Landers said.

And it's up to voters to choose who they want at the controls.

The next mayoral forum is Thursday afternoon.

The release of the mayor's ad coincides with Tuesday night's National Night Out.  She's scheduled to be out in neighborhoods.

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