Police Commissioner To Meet With York Road Partnership

Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts is scheduled discuss his plans for the Baltimore Police Department with the York Road Partnership.

The meeting is slated for 7:15 p.m., Wednesday at St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church, 5502 York Road.

"Commissioner Batts has created a new vision for a more bold, creative, innovative and fast-moving police department. Join us as he shares this vision and his safety plan for Baltimore," according to a message posted on the group’s Facebook page.

Although the meeting was scheduled prior to the events, the Villages of Homeland, a neighborhood in the York Road corridor, has been the location of three home invasions since February.

The most recent incident occurred when a robber forced his way into a house in the 5200 block of Downing Road on Thursday, put a knife to a resident’s neck, and then ran away after being given cash.

On March 18, an intruder armed with a handgun entered a home in the 300 block of Homeland Southway, demanded cash but ran out after struggling with a resident.

Back on Feb. 15 a pair of robbers armed with handguns chased two women into their apartment in the 300 block of Homeland Southway. The robbers again ran away from the scene after the woman handed over their purses. 

A pizza deliveryman was also robbed in the neighborhood at gunpoint in March.

Batts was named police commissioner last October. He took over the department after a short stint as the chief of police in Oakland.  

The York Road Partnership is an umbrella group that works to improve neighborhoods that boarder the York Road Corridor, according to the organization's website.