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Annapolis police report recent shootings, federal coordination and fixes to public-notification glitches
Summary
Police Chief and commanders briefed the public-safety committee on multiple shootings and investigations, juvenile violence trends, federal partnerships and problems with the city's emergency notification system; CALEA accreditation work and a community-focused summer crime plan were also discussed.
The Annapolis Police Department briefed the Public Safety Standing Committee on shooting investigations, juvenile violence trends, and a recent failure in the city's emergency notification system known as reverse 9-1-1.
The police chief (identified in the meeting as the department chief) described multiple 2024 contact shootings and non-contact discharges in neighborhoods including Newtown Drive, Copeland Street and Annapolis Walk Drive. The department reported arrests in several incidents and said investigators have developed persons of interest in other cases. “We prioritize it for many reasons because of the potential for damage,” the chief said, describing the department's practice of pursuing non-contact shootings even when no one is struck. He added the department is pursuing federal partnerships and said, bluntly, “If you wanna use a handgun here, in Annapolis, pack your toothbrush,” signaling a stepped-up enforcement posture.
The chief and captains urged a communitywide response to juvenile violence and flagged cultural drivers they said contribute to young people's attraction to violent images in popular culture. The department plans a summer crime plan for 2025 and described continuing investigations into recent incidents.
Committee members raised concerns about public notification after a shooting at a playing field near South Villa Drive. The police chief acknowledged a “hiccup” in pushing out the message and said the Office of Emergency Management director, Kevin Simmons, is working with vendors to fix problems with the reverse 9-1-1 system. Committee discussion showed confusion about the notification radius (committee members referenced both a one-mile and three-mile radius), and staff acknowledged the system did not perform as intended for at least one of the recent incidents.
The department also announced internal accomplishments and continuing accreditation work. The chief said the department awarded a Distinguished Service Award to its CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) team members and is rewriting general orders to align with CALEA standards. He noted a recent general order instructs officers not to ask about immigration status when someone reports a crime.
The chief and captains invited continued council support for community policing and described ongoing outreach, including meetings with federal partners and local stakeholders. The police department said it will report back with follow-up on reverse-9-1-1 fixes and other items at a future meeting.
