Prince George's County Transforming Toughest Neighborhoods

Initiative targets crime-ridden areas along D.C. border

A massive effort is under way to transform the toughest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods in Prince George’s County and improve the quality of life.

Early in April, Prince George's County police began investigating five killings during one of the bloodiest weekends in recent memory. There were violent crimes involving drugs, domestic disputes and robberies, raising questions about what the county’s doing to stop it.

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker called a meeting at the Glassmanor Community Center Wednesday to announce the Transforming Neighborhoods initiative, his plan to focus on six communities that border D.C. and are plagued by crime and economic need.  All 16 county agencies will coordinate services in those communities.

It’s an expansion of last summer’s crime initiative.

“Last year we were down 60 percent in this area, specifically Glassmanor,” Police Chief Mark Magaw said. “We were down 60 percent in citizen robberies. Overall violent crime was down 40 percent.”

Baker called the initiative the new norm. He said the power to focus services to neighborhoods in need is the reason he ran for county executive.

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