By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com

Thiruvendran “Thiru” Vignarajah (D) speaks at the first major mayoral forum this election year, alongside other leading candidates Baltimore businessman Bob Wallace (D), former Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) and Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D). Photo credit: AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen

Leading mayoral candidates discuss education, crime and the perception of crime at the first major mayoral forum this election year on March 5. 

The evening included incumbent Brandon M. Scott (D), former Mayor Sheila Dixon (D), Thiruvendran “Thiru” Vignarajah (D) and Bob Wallace (D) accompanied by a room full of community members and enthusiastic supporters.

Education

According to the Maryland Online Manual, the mayor appoints nine members of the school board, two are elected to office by city voters and one student member is appointed by the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City, a local student government organization.

Vignarajah said, if elected, he would ensure the city has universal pre-k for every three and four-year-old in the city and free college and trade school for every Baltimore City public school graduate.

“The mayor has exactly as much power as needed to redirect the direction of public education in this city,” said Vignarajah. “What happens in these schools is the ultimate responsibility of the mayor.”

According to the Alliance for Early Success, an early childhood advocacy non-profit, universal pre-k is a policy framework that ensures every family access to pre-kindergarten education and care programs.

Wallace said he would ask the school board and chief executive officer to resign and create three tracks in Baltimore City schools for college, trades and entrepreneurship.

Scott reflected on his achievements as mayor, which include renovating school buildings and investing in needed programming. 

“It’s about modernizing city schools and supporting us as we go through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, that has already been passed at the state level to make sure that every single school gets invested in,” said Scott. 

Crime and perception of crime

Breaking the trend of 300-plus annual homicides in Baltimore last year is a big plus for Scott during this election year, as it pertains to public safety.

“What we will continue to do is take record numbers of guns off the street— 2,900 last year,” said Scott. “We know what we have to do. We have to work with our partners on the other side to make sure that when the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) makes the arrest that those folks don’t get back out immediately.”

“The best way to change perception, is to change the reality,” said Scott when asked about how to improve the perception of crime in Baltimore. “We have to let people know by showing them that the streets are safer. The same way that we talk about and sensationalize things that happen in one incident, we should talk about it with the same vigor when things are going well.”

Dixon said, “we have to deal with reality.”

“We have to work with families,” she continued speaking to the increased concern about youth committing crimes. “You need mental health services in the schools to work with that child and the family. A lot of families are dysfunctional as a result of many issues that impact them.”

Those issues include homelessness, low income and little to no food access.

Dixon said, if elected, she would make sure officers get out of their cars and engage with residents to help restore trust between BPD and community members.

“Of course, we should return to community policing, but the problem is we don’t have enough cops,” said Vignarajah. “We need to recruit aggressively 600, 700 more police officers, but the right kind of police officers. Local, diverse, minorities, women, immigrants, professionals folks with college degrees.”

According to a recent poll through Dixon’s campaign and the Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group, the mayoral race continues to be competitive but Dixon has a slight lead over Scott. 

The poll shows Dixon received the support of 40 percent of surveyed voters, while Scott got 37 percent. Vignarajah received 10 percent and Wallace 6 percent.

“Uncle Wayne” Baker (D), Wendy Bozel (D), Texas Brown (D), Kevin P. Harris (D), Wendell Hill-Freeman (D), Yolanda Pulley (D), Joseph E. Scott (D), Keith B. Scott (D), Yasaun Young (D), Michael Moore (R), Donald E. Scoggins (R), Shannon Wright (R) and Chukwuemeka Egwu, who is only a candidate for the general election, are the 13 other candidates in this race. 

Maryland’s primary is on May 14. Early voting for the primary takes place from May 2 to May 9 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The general election is on Nov. 5. Early voting for the general election runs from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.

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