{"id":2083349,"date":"2023-10-29T17:23:10","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T21:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nightmare-for-democrats-as-fbi-raids-safe-streets-initiative\/"},"modified":"2023-10-29T17:27:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T21:27:50","slug":"nightmare-for-democrats-as-fbi-raids-safe-streets-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nightmare-for-democrats-as-fbi-raids-safe-streets-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI raids &#8216;Safe Streets&#8217; initiative, a nightmare for Democrats."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnightmare-for-democrats-as-fbi-raids-safe-streets-initiative%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2083349&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Nightmare for Democrats as \u2064FBI Raids &#8216;Safe Streets&#8217; Initiative<\/h2>\n<p>The Federal Bureau \u2063of Investigation conducted a raid on the headquarters of Baltimore\u2019s \u201cSafe \u2064Streets\u201d program \u200con \u2062Thursday reportedly on allegations that\u200c the taxpayer-funded community program is \u200bsomehow mixed up with\u200b the \u2064very gang members they are supposed to be keeping in check.<\/p>\n<p>The raid sent local Democrats in the city running for cover after so much of the city\u2019s tax money has been plunged into the program \u2062that was initially meant \u200dto \u2062help quell\u2062 street violence but has become\u200c an albatross \u200dfor many over its lack of transparency \u200dand accountability.<\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/baltimore-breaks-record-annual-homicides-per-capita\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crime<\/a> still rising in Baltimore, Safe Streets was created in 2007 to work as a liaison between the city and \u200bpolice department and local gangs, \u2063according to\u2062 the <a href=\"https:\/\/monse.baltimorecity.gov\/safe-streets-new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">city\u2019s webpage<\/a> on the program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince\u2064 2007, Safe Streets has been Baltimore\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nightmare-for-democrats-as-fbi-raids-safe-streets-initiative\/\" title=\"FBI raids 'Safe Streets' initiative, a nightmare for Democrats.\">flagship gun violence reduction \u200bprogram<\/a>. Founded in 2000 by epidemiologist\u200c Dr. Gary Slutkin, Cure Violence is a \u200dpublic health approach that uses trusted\u2064 messengers \u2062in the community to\u2064 interrupt the transmission of violence. Violence interrupters spread anti-violence messages and encourage positive changes in individual behavior\u2063 as well as community \u2062norms around violence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSafe Streets,\u201d the\u200b program description adds, \u201cserves the residents within its 10 catchment zones\u2064 across Baltimore City, totaling 2.6 square miles.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">FBI raids Baltimore\u2019s \u2018Safe Streets\u2019 office in Belair-Edison\u2063 | Click on the image\u200d to read the full story\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2HtiMFqJTP\">https:\/\/t.co\/2HtiMFqJTP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014\u200d WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore (@wbaltv11) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wbaltv11\/status\/1717757524751896815?\">October 27,\u2062 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The program is, of course, taxpayer-funded. As 5th District council man Isaac \u201cYitzy\u201d\u2063 Schleifer told <a href=\"https:\/\/foxbaltimore.com\/news\/local\/baltimore-city-council-members-react-to-fbi-raid-on-safe-streets-location-amid-allegations-of-gang-affiliation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WBFF<\/a>, \u201cThese (Safe Streets workers) are City employees, their salaries are paid\u2064 for with taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FBI\u2062 has not yet released details to explain its Thursday raid on the program\u2019s Belair-Edison location. Still,\u200c according to insiders who spoke to WBFF, the bureau was looking into \u200dpossible <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/gang-members-busted-new-york-city-mayor-bill-de-blasios-socialist-paradise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gang affiliation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 FBI also raided the homes of two employees.<\/p>\n<p>Safe Streets was meant to help replace police officers at the task of interdicting gang warfare, but it has been just another example of kitschy, left-wing blather attempting to act as\u2062 a\u200d stand-in for actual enforcement of the law. And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/previously-convicted-felon-arrested-connection-baltimore-tech-ceos-murder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baltimore<\/a> residents have been trying without luck\u200c to find out just \u200cwhere all\u2063 the tax dollars pumped \u2064into the program have gone.<\/p>\n<p>Schleifer said he was not\u2062 surprised\u2064 to learn that the FBI raided the officers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not surprising at all.\u2063 We\u2019ve been, myself and a couple of \u200bcolleagues, have been very vocal on just standard accountability and \u2062transparency. And we\u2019ve gotten none of \u200bthat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Schleifer also noted \u200dhe has been trying to shine a light on the issues for some time but has been stonewalled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you have this degree\u200b of lack of transparency and you have to go to \u2064such an extent to try to silence anybody who \u2064is asking questions, it begs the question of why? What are\u2064 you hiding? What do you know \u2062that \u2064you don\u2019t want other people to know?\u201d he said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbaltv.com\/article\/fbi-raid-safe-streets-baltimore-belair-edison\/45654214#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WBAL-TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the key thing here is what are we actually funding? We like to understand what the program is, to understand what return there is on the money that\u2019s going there, \u200dand we have yet to get those answers,\u201d Schleifer added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously serious allegations. It would be serious allegations\u2062 if anybody had that \u2063happened to them. So, I \u2064look forward to finding out more about what happened and what the investigation holds and see what comes out of it,\u201d 14th district councilwoman Odette Ramos\u2064 added, according to \u200dWBFF.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Conway, chair of\u2063 the council\u2019s Public Safety and Government Operations Committee called the possible <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-justice-department-100-suspected-ms-13-members-charged-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gang<\/a> raid \u200c\u201cconcerning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is\u200d concerning to see and I am seeking additional information. \u2064We should\u2062 always \u200bexpect public safety agencies and those that receive city funds to carry out important public safety initiatives to follow the law,\u201d Conway said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>LifeBridge Health, the company that manages\u2062 the site, sent a \u2062statement to the WBAL reading, \u201cThe FBI this\u200c morning enacted a search warrant \u2062at the Belair Safe Streets site managed by LifeBridge Health. Two of our \u2063staff have indicated that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyer-claims-ken-paxton-hired-him-to-go-after-political-enemies-then-left-him-out-to-dry\/\" title=\"Lawyer alleges Paxton hired him to target foes, then abandoned him.\">federal agents showed<\/a> up at \u200btheir residences. \u2064We have no other information at this time. We are treating this\u2064 incident seriously and complying \u2063with requests from authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Residents \u200dwere also alarmed by the raid.\u2062 A.J. Gary, a resident of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/manhunt-underway-mass-shooting-baltimore-university\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baltimore\u2019s<\/a> Belair-Edison neighborhood, said he was disgusted by the news.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are supposed to\u200d stop people in the community from fighting and\u200c with the drug situation in the\u200b community. I don\u2019t know. This is definitely amazing today. I heard it all,\u201d Gary \u2064said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make any sense to me. What\u2019s the use of having the program if y\u2019all doing the same thing people in the\u2062 streets are doing, but y\u2019all supposed\u2063 to be helping us?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rita Crews, president \u2064of the Belair-Edison Neighborhood Association, added that it \u201churts\u201d the neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m \u200dshocked, \u2062dismayed, appalled, furious and just\u200c downright sad about the whole situation,\u201d Crews said. \u201cIt hurts, it does. We look to them to protect us, keep us \u2063safe and now we have this investigation going on. So, I don\u2019t like anything that\u2019s going to make my community look bad. I really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Programs like these are rife for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-acting-baltimore-mayor-settles-in-as-pugh-stays-out-of-sight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">corruption<\/a> and abuse, \u2064of course. Without imposing serious\u2062 accountability\u2063 measures, many become bottomless pits of taxpayer\u2062 dollars that seem\u200d to flow out for\u2062 no discernible return on investment. \u2062And in some cases, the money flows \u2062right into the pockets of the criminal gangs the programs are supposed to be mitigating, turning these sort \u200dof efforts into a joke.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"author_subscription_pitch\">.author_subscription_pitch p{margin:5px;}<\/p>\n<p><em><b>A Note from Our Staff:<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did you know that 90 percent of advertisers will\u200c have nothing \u200bto do\u2063 with The Western Journal? The liberal elites have put us on one of their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-democrat-megadonor-george-soros-wanted-us-israel-to-work-with-hamas\/\" title=\"Democrat megadonor George Soros urged US and Israel to collaborate with Hamas.\">financial\u200d kill lists<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">They did it because we\u2019ve told the truth and\u2063 spoken out against them for over a decade. And since they couldn\u2019t shut us up, now, they\u2019re trying to starve \u200dus out.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We\u2019re turning to you because, frankly, we have to\u200c have your help. It might not \u2063sound like much, but just <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">one subscription<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  to \u2064The Western Journal can make a real difference.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We don\u2019t have a huge staff, big\u2063 salaries, or deep donor pockets. We\u2019re family-owned and independent. But because \u200bwe&#8217;re independent from the elites, we\u200d have \u2062to rely on readers like you.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can we count on you for just a single <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">subscription<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">? The cost of a month-long subscription is less than a single cup of\u2064 Starbucks coffee. \u200cAnd, \u200dunlike with Starbucks, you can be 100 percent certain that every penny we spend goes toward fighting for traditional American values and against \u200bliberal elites.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Please <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>help us<\/b><\/a><b>  continue exposing the truth. Please <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/join-monthly\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>subscribe\u2063 today<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank\u2064 you for reading The Western \u200bJournal!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post \u200c <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nightmare-democrats-fbi-raids-safe-streets-initiative\/\">Nightmare for Democrats \u2064as FBI Raids \u200d&#8217;Safe\u200c Streets&#8217; Initiative<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What concerns\u200b does the rising crime rates in Baltimore raise about the effectiveness\u200c of taxpayer-funded initiatives like Safe Streets?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  E now. &#8220;I\u2019ve been asking for\u200b financial\u200b records for months\u2026Both from our\u2063 audit and from \u200dour own \u200binternal audit,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>While the\u2064 FBI raid \u200dmay come as a shock to some,\u2063 it was not \u2063unexpected for those \u2064who have been questioning the program&#8217;s effectiveness and financial transparency. Safe Streets has been surrounded by controversy \u2063and \u2063criticism for years, with many residents and politicians calling for greater accountability and oversight.<\/p>\n<p>The allegations \u2062of gang\u2063 affiliation \u200conly add fuel to the fire,\u200c further eroding \u2062the trust and confidence that the community should have in a program tasked with reducing\u2064 violence and keeping its streets safe. If true, it raises\u2062 serious questions about the screening\u2062 process and integrity of Safe Streets&#8217; employees.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u200c the\u2063 raid highlights the broader issue of \u2064rising crime rates in Baltimore. Despite the city pouring significant resources \u2064into \u200bprograms like Safe Streets, \u2063crime has continued to\u200b escalate, with Baltimore breaking its record for annual homicides per \u2064capita. This raises concerns about the effectiveness and impact\u200c of such\u200d taxpayer-funded initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>In response\u200d to the raid, \u200cBaltimore City Council members\u200d have expressed their disappointment and \u200bfrustration. Councilwoman Odette Ramos told\u2064 WBFF, &#8220;I hope \u200cthat we get answers. I hope that we find that people have\u2063 not abused \u200bthe public trust.&#8221; Councilman Eric Costello echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI raid on\u2063 Safe Streets serves as a wake-up call for Democrats who have \u200cchampioned the \u2063program \u200bas a solution to Baltimore&#8217;s crime problem. It highlights the importance of thorough oversight and proper evaluation of taxpayer-funded initiatives to ensure their effectiveness and adherence to the law.<\/p>\n<p>In the coming weeks, as the details of the raid are revealed and investigations continue, it is crucial that\u2064 Baltimore and its residents demand\u200c transparency and hold those responsible accountable. Rebuilding\u200c trust in programs \u200clike Safe Streets and addressing the underlying issues that contribute to crime \u2064will require a comprehensive and collaborative \u2062approach from all stakeholders \u2062involved.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the \u200bnightmare\u200b for Democrats\u200d is not necessarily the raid \u2062itself, but the\u2062 exposure\u2063 of a program that has failed to \u2062deliver on its\u2063 promises \u2063of reducing violence and keeping\u2063 communities\u200d safe. It \u200dis a wake-up call to reevaluate\u200c strategies, \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-relocating-a-third-of-staff-to-iowa-after-15-million-quarterly-haul\/\" title=\"DeSantis moves one-third of staff to Iowa following  million quarterly success.\">allocate resources effectively<\/a>,\u2063 and \u2064prioritize the well-being and security of Baltimore&#8217;s residents above all else.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The FBI raided Baltimore&#8217;s &#8220;Safe Streets&#8221; program headquarters, alleging that the taxpayer-funded community initiative is involved with the very gang members it aims to control. Local Democrats in the city were caught off guard and sought shelter as a result of the raid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":2083350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2083349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2083349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2083349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2083349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2083350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2083349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2083349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2083349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}