--- title: "Perkins Homes Community Policing Office" type: "pdf" year: "1995" canonical: "/projects/183" --- ![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/95-09/img-0.jpeg) # Baltimore Police Department COMMUNITY POIJCING The move to excellence in the 1990's ![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/95-09/img-1.jpeg) KURT L. SCHMCKE Mayor THOMAS C. FRAZIER Police Commissioner July 21, 1995 Mr. John Lusardi PERF 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 930 Washington, D.C. 20037 Dear Mr. Lusardi: - As you know, problem- solving is the foundation for effective Community Policing. The Baltimore City Police Department has placed great emphasis on Community Policing. Our department successfully completed a. renaissance period where all personnel received the Comniunity Policing philosophy and the importance which our department has placed upon it. It gives me great pleasure whenever a member of our agency is recognized for their efforts in Community Policing, in particular, the initiative and resourcefulness demonstrated by Police Officer Melvin Penn. Therefore, I ant proud to submit his nomination for your prestigious award. Sincerely, ![img-2.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/95-09/img-2.jpeg) # Table of Contents - [Baltimore Police Department](#baltimore-police-department) - [POLICE DEPARTMENT BALTIMORE, MARYLAND](#police-department-baltimore-maryland) - [POLICE OFFICER MELVIN J- PENN](#police-officer-melvin-j-penn) - [SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT](#southeastern-district) # POLICE DEPARTMENT BALTIMORE, MARYLAND | NAME: | Police Officer Melvin J. Fenn | | :-- | :-- | | AGE: | 36 years of age as of January 17, 1995 (DOB: 1-17-59, Washington, D.C.) | | EDUCATION: | Community College of Baltimore - 29 credits May 1986 Morgan State University -16 credits - 1978 Southern High School - High. School Diploma - 177 | | MARITAL STATUS: | Married - Three children | | YEARS OF SERVICE: | 17 years of service as of August 7, 1995 (Appointed: 8-7-78) | | ASSIGNMENTS; | Southeastern District - Present Assignment | | | Appointed Police Cadet, Assigned to Communications Division 8-7-78 Education \& Training Division - 10-22-79 Change in Classification to Police Officer - 1-17-80 Southeastern District - 3-7-80 | # POLICE OFFICER MELVIN J- PENN ## SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT Police Officer Melvin Penn entered, the Baltimore Police Department as a Cadet on 8 August 1978 and was appointed a Police Officer on 24 January 1980, following his successful completion of Entrance Level Training. Officer Penn is married and the father of three children and a lifelong resident of Baltimore. In less than a year since being assigned, which was in July 1994, to the Southeastern District's Neighborhood Services Unit, Officer Penn has made a tremendous impact on the neighborhoods and communities he serves. He was instrumental in the recent establishment/ opening and staffing of a Community Policing Office in Perkins Homes in partnership with the Housing Authority Police. With the opening of this office, staffed toy one Neighborhood Services Unit Officer and one Housing Authority Police operating periodically $8 \times 4$ and $4 \times 12$ on weekdays,- Officer Penn has been able to re-establish the community's sense of trust and confident in. the Police Department through his caring and "can do" attitude. He recently organized a tutorial Program named PATCH-N (Police and the Community Helping Residents). The PATCH-N mentoring program is a partnership between the Southeastern District and the Perkins Homes "Just Say No" to Drugs Club which Page 2 Resume P/0 M. Penn began May 24, 1995. This program is specifically aimed to assist the neighborhood youth between the ages of $S$ to 15, with learning difficulties. Officer Penn teaches drug identification and resistance skills, making a positive impact on the children and getting them involved, officer Penn has also gotten Dominos' Pizza to participate in the way of providing pizzas. This Officer soon learned that there was a need to extend the program to the adult population as well, which caused him to expand the program to assist all age groups in the community. This program is sun by volunteers from within the community/ as well as outside the community and has had a very positive effect in Perkins Homes. In the short period of time this program has been in effect, Officer Penn has gotten over 300 children involved. Additionally, officer Penn recently completed PATHS (Police and Teachers Helping Students) training and has gone into the elementary schools throughout the district teaching Substance Abuse Resistance to the children. This program includes 11 elementary schools with a total of over 1100 children involved- The program teaches children resistance skills and how to "just say no" and also teaches the children the consequences of drug Page 3 Resume P/0 M. Penn abuse. PATHS is taught in a way that the children are able to understand, and Officer Perm has a special way with the children which makes the learning process fun- In addition to these commitments, Officer Penn manages to carry out all the other duties of a Neighborhood Foot Officer, which includes handling the myriad of community complaints on a daily basis. Additionally, he is responsible for attending the monthly meetings of the more than 20 other community groups. This adds up to quite a workload, but he manages to always have time for someone with a question or a problem. Officer Penn. is the recipient of one Departmental Commendation which he was awarded in March 1994 for his role in the apprehension of a bank robbery suspect - Officer Melvin Penn's exemplary service to the department and to the community in which he. serves makes him an excellent candidate for "Police Officer of the Year".