Waverly Main Street Businesses Speak Out After Gov. Hogan Uses Meet & Greet Images To Promote “Re-Fund The Police” Initiative

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Two North Baltimore businesses are speaking retired aft Gov. Larry Hogan utilized images of their establishments to beforehand his “Refund the Police” initiative.

Last Tuesday, Hogan visited tiny businesses successful the Waverly neighborhood, including Pete’s Grill, Peabody Heights Brewery and Urban Reads Bookstore, to conscionable with concern owners and item the $1.2 cardinal his medication invested successful the Waverly Main Street programme arsenic portion of the Maryland Strong Economic Recovery Initiative.

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Later that day, pictures from his circuit showed up successful a Facebook post connected the governor’s page, on with a connection promoting Neighborhood Safety Grants arsenic portion of Hogan’s “Re-fund the Police” initiative.

The governor announced the $150 cardinal plan to enactment up instrumentality enforcement backing the program successful October, kicking things disconnected by raising Maryland State Troopers’ starting wage by 45 percent.

Eddie O’Keefe, of Peabody Heights Brewery, said he’s frustrated the concern was utilized to propulsion the agenda.

“This was expected to beryllium a elemental conscionable and greet to sermon the SERI grants that were fixed to tiny businesses and Nonprofits passim Main Streets,” said a connection Sunday connected the brewery’s Facebook page. “We bash not enactment these measures and ne'er have. We judge our enactment successful the assemblage shows that we person antithetic values than our governor.”

Tia Hamilton, a situation betterment advocator and proprietor of bookstore Urban Reads, called Hogan a “fraud” Monday successful an Instagram post accompanied with screenshots of O’Keefe’s statement.

“I situation him to play with america similar this and whoever other is liable is nether fire,” Hamilton said. “We are owed an apology ASAP. DON’T EVER INCLUDE US IN YOUR POLITICAL PROPAGANDA.”

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Hogan said the Neighborhood Safety Grants, which are not yet available, will support hardware upgrades, lighting, cameras, and accrued information services.

Efforts to “defund the police” person grown successful popularity nationwide amid unrest successful the aftermath of high-profile constabulary killings of civilians, specified arsenic George Floyd.

But the sanction is simply a misnomer since it means reducing constabulary backing and spending much connected programs to code basal causes, not eliminating constabulary budgets. The Baltimore Police Department’s fund roseate by $28 cardinal this year.

In his October announcement of the initiative, Hogan singled retired Baltimore to stress his point.

“They’re connected gait to surpass 300 homicides again this year,” helium said. “The Baltimore Police Department is short-staffed by much than 300 officers. The metropolis of Baltimore is simply a poster kid for the basal nonaccomplishment to halt lawlessness. There’s a authoritative who refuses to prosecute crime. And there’s a revolving doorway of repetition offenders who are being fto close backmost onto the streets to sprout radical again and again.”

The Governor’s Office had this to accidental successful effect to an enquiry from WJZ:

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“The politician enjoyed his sojourn to the Waverly assemblage and remains committed to strengthening the economical imaginable of Maryland’s main streets and neighborhoods.”

CBS Baltimore Staff

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