Out of the fire and into the kitchen. That’s one way to describe life after city hall for Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.
Dixon resigned in the heat of a scandal over embezzled gift cards and unreported gifts from her former boyfriend. She was convicted in December on a single charge of taking gift cards from a program intended to help the city’s poor children.
Since leaving the mayor’s office Feb. 4, Dixon said she's been “taking it easy” and “cooking a lot of healthy meals” for her son, according to a report in the Associated Press.
Dixon has yet to start serving a court-mandated 500 hours of community service, but will do so “soon,” she said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, the former mayor took part in a panel on crime that was sponsored by the news Web site Investigative Voice. Dixon said she had committed to participate with the panel before leaving office.
Despite her own trouble with the law, Dixon believes she was an effective crime-fighting mayor. The crime plan that she implemented is “probably the best plan that the city has ever had,” said Dixon on the panel. The city has “made great strides,” she declared.
As part of their enforcement efforts, Baltimore City police have targeted gun-toting people who have violent histories.
