The numbers don’t lie. There is real progress on crime in Baltimore City and City Council President Zeke Cohen shares his thoughts on progress and the hope for a brighter future in the Charm City with Nestor at MACo in Ocean City on the Maryland Crab Cake Tour.
City Council President Zeke Cohen discussed Baltimore’s progress and hope during an interview with Nestor Aparicio at MACo. Cohen highlighted the city’s lowest homicide rates in history, a reduction in all part one crimes, and a positive energy in the city’s arts, culture, and restaurant scenes. He credited Mayor Brandon Scott, Governor Moore, and State’s Attorney Ivan Bates for their efforts in crime reduction and community support. Cohen also emphasized the importance of government efficiency, procurement, and responsive services. He expressed optimism about the city’s future, particularly in downtown development and community engagement.
Baltimore’s Progress and Public Safety
- Nestor Aparicio introduces the segment, mentioning the 27th anniversary of WNST and the final day of Mako.
- Zeke Cohen discusses Baltimore’s current success, highlighting the lowest homicide rates in the city’s history and a reduction in all part one crime categories.
- Cohen emphasizes the positive energy in the city, citing the vibrant restaurant scene and the creativity in arts and culture.
- Cohen mentions the city’s resilience, noting that despite external criticisms, Baltimoreans love their city and continue to support it.
Personal Connection and City Pride
- Nestor Aparicio and Zeke Cohen discuss their personal connections and experiences in Baltimore.
- Cohen shares his love for Baltimore, mentioning his wife’s medical career and the city’s proximity to major cities like DC and New York.
- Cohen highlights Baltimore’s affordability and the American dream opportunities available in the city.
- Nestor Aparicio reflects on his own experiences and the resilience of the city, comparing it to New York’s recovery after 9/11.
Crime Reduction and Community Efforts
- Cohen attributes the reduction in crime to the efforts of Mayor Brandon Scott, Governor Moore, and State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.
- Cohen praises the rebuilding of the State’s Attorney’s office and the comprehensive approach to crime reduction, including law enforcement, Safe Streets, and group violence reduction strategies.
- Cohen emphasizes the importance of community involvement and cooperation with local law enforcement.
- Nestor Aparicio and Cohen discuss the challenges of addressing crime and the need for accountability, especially for young offenders.
Economic Development and Downtown Baltimore
- Nestor Aparicio and Zeke Cohen discuss the economic development in downtown Baltimore, including the CFG Bank Arena and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
- Cohen expresses excitement about the future of the Inner Harbor and the vision of developer David Bramble.
- Nestor Aparicio shares his personal investment in downtown Baltimore and his hope for its revitalization.
- Cohen highlights the importance of making the Inner Harbor financially sustainable and the potential for it to become a major tourist attraction.
Government Efficiency and Oversight
- Cohen discusses his focus on making government more effective and efficient, particularly in procurement, permits, and the responsiveness of the 311 system.
- Cohen emphasizes the importance of government working for the people and providing quality services in exchange for tax dollars.
- Nestor Aparicio and Cohen discuss the challenges of government efficiency and the need for oversight to ensure accountability.
- Cohen mentions his ongoing efforts to improve city services and make Baltimore a better place to live.
Upcoming Events and Community Engagement
- Nestor Aparicio and Zeke Cohen discuss upcoming events in Baltimore, including the BMW Championship and various civic events at the harbor.
- Cohen highlights the importance of community engagement and the role of local events in fostering a sense of pride and belonging.
- Nestor Aparicio shares his plans for the upcoming week, including visits to various locations in Baltimore and Ocean City.
- Cohen expresses his commitment to supporting the community and ensuring that Baltimore continues to thrive.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Baltimore progress, public safety, homicide reduction, community resilience, city energy, arts and culture, affordable living, government efficiency, procurement issues, 311 responsiveness, downtown revitalization, CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, group violence reduction, community cooperation.
SPEAKERS
Zeke Cohen, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T. Am 1570 task of Baltimore. We are doing the Jackson Brown load out here. It is our final segment at Mako. We’re in Ocean City, Maryland, all but brought to you by the Maryland lottery. So nice. Had to do it twice. Press Your Luck with the the Whammies and the Lucky Seven doublers. It is our 27th anniversary. I am eating the final remnants of my ugly pie. Death by coconut. It is day 20. We’re continuing the countdown. We’re going to be doing the show at a place that this guy represents. Fade leads next Thursday, down at Lexington market. We have City Council President Zeke Cohen, defending champion, back on the show. Dude. This is the end of the end of the end. People are loading out here. We have sunlight. I can see the place I stayed in, 1988 89 over to convention center plazas. How are you? You worn out yet? I mean, Mako wears
Zeke Cohen 00:50
people out, man, I’m doing great. No, I love it. I’m all gas, no brakes. You know, look, man, Baltimore’s winning. I’m winning, and right now I feel like Baltimore is winning. So,
Nestor Aparicio 01:02
I mean, you and I gotten together in various occasions or in various roles in different ways. What are you excited about with Baltimore?
Zeke Cohen 01:10
Well, let me say this. You know, look, our biggest challenge has always been public safety, and right now, despite what somebody who is staying at Pennsylvania Avenue has to say, we’re seeing the lowest somebody sitting with Vladimir Putin right now. Yeah, Putin right now, that guy, we’re seeing the lowest amount of homicides in our city’s history. We’re seeing a reduction in all part one crime categories. And so this idea that we are too far gone is complete and total nonsense. This is the safest I’ve seen our city in a very, very long time. And I say that as a dad who’s raising my two kids here, sending them to public school, I say that as the city council president who pays very close attention to all the crime statistics. So number one is public safety. Number two, man, I gotta tell you, I just feel, and I know you’ll relate to this. There’s good energy in the city right now, whether it’s crab cakes and fade leaves, whether it’s our incredible restaurant scene with the vibrance, the fact that you can be a chef owned restaurant in Baltimore and not need a hedge fund backing you up to operate, I just think we’re seeing a tremendous amount of creativity in our arts, our music, our culture, and so I would say there’s an energy in the city right now that I think is very positive. And then the third thing is that, look, we feel like every time we get punched, and there’s been a lot of punches, and most recently, the president threw one, we pull ourselves back up. That is what I’m seeing consistently throughout my time in government here in Baltimore, is that people love this city, and the folks that just want to throw stones. They don’t have it right there.
Nestor Aparicio 02:43
Look, the people in the city Don’t quit on the city. People outside, that’s it. Who might not have been believers to begin with, or believe in a different version of 1965 Baltimore. That wasn’t better or worse. It was just different.
Zeke Cohen 02:54
Yeah. But let me say this though, Nestor, which is that I didn’t grow up here, right? I am, in some ways, even though I’ve lived in the city for more than 20 years, I will forever not have gone to high school here, and so always be a little bit of an outsider. But guess what? I love it here this city, there is nowhere else in the world that I would want to rather be my wife’s a physician. We know we have one of the best hospital and medical communities in the United States of America. We know we are so proximate to DC, into New York and to everything else. We know that this is one of the last few affordable cities, and it’s becoming more of a challenge here and everywhere. But think about where else in America, either east or west coast, you could live the American dream be a working person, either a teacher or a cop, elected official, own a nice house, be near the park. I just think Baltimore punches consistently above its weight class, and whether people want to give us credit for that or not, I know what’s happening in our city, and it is booming. Well,
Nestor Aparicio 03:55
when I consider public office and consider running, you know, in the five six years ago, we have good bones, man. We the things that you brag about. We could brag about now, five years from now, 20 years ago, whenever it is the crime thing always got in the way of the bones, the structure, location, the hospital, sports team, you know, whatever makes the land of pleasant living, the land of pleasant living, it’s less pleasant when there are car track jackings and murders leading I mean, you talk about getting back up the Key Bridge thing. You know, that alone, the level of resiliency it takes for all of us in the community to say we’re going to build that back and we’re going to build it, but in the way New York went back after 911 you know, just we’re, we’re not gonna fall into second city status. No, we’re gonna figure this out. No, and I’m, I know I’m in the city three, four days a week. So whether it’s bad or worse, the perception has always been the problem. General says, I haven’t been mugged, I haven’t been shot at. I i. Lived in a city 19 years. I walk around. I’ve worked in the city for 45 years.
Zeke Cohen 05:04
And here’s all I’ll say, is that the perception is a challenge, but it’s also a lagging indicator. Right? We know that anytime you have a pretty precipitous drop in crime, which we’ve had for the last two years, that it takes a while for people to catch up to that and for people to see it and feel it and feel more safe, but all I know is the numbers, and that story that the numbers are telling is that this is the safest that Baltimore has been in terms of reduction in homicide and shoot, non fatal shootings in forever, right? And since we started counting in the 1970s we are seeing, I mean, and I don’t want to jinx us, but we are on track to have our lowest year of homicides since we started counting. So I understand that there is still a narrative out there. We have a lot of work to do, Nestor on telling our own story. It’s why I’m always excited to come on your podcast, because it’s Baltimore positive, and I feel like you’ve been really great at finding the gems and not glossing over or not acknowledging the challenges. But thank you being really clear that this is a city filled with gems, whether it’s fade leaves, whether it’s the last place you and I got a crab cake at, I believe was in Canton
Nestor Aparicio 06:15
Chaucer. You and I, that’s right,
Zeke Cohen 06:17
my man, I
Nestor Aparicio 06:18
call that Highland town, but you know, you call it whatever you want? Well, upper Highland town, upper Canton, whatever helps sales. Man, that’s what I’m
Zeke Cohen 06:27
about. Hey, look, I live there. You don’t, so I get to call it whatever I want. What do you call it? I call it can it’s
Nestor Aparicio 06:33
freaking Highland town. It’s two blocks from the Highland town library. It’s two blocks from Frank
Zeke Cohen 06:37
Zappa. Fine, fine. You can have it. But you know what? Highland down
Nestor Aparicio 06:41
to me, runs to probably where the park begins, probably two black blocks past where house nurse was, where Matthews pizza, Matthews pizza, anything west of there, I might, I don’t know those row houses, but Patterson parks in Highland town, dude. Patterson Park’s not in Canton. Let
Zeke Cohen 07:01
me tell you this. I feel like Highland town, and just that whole Patterson Park piece is having such a beautiful renaissance right now. When I look at not just the Chaucer, but when I look at things like the sausage place on the other side of the street, the other side of Eastern Avenue, Snake Hill, which I know you’ve been to,
Nestor Aparicio 07:20
Snake Hill. Yeah, when I look series complete there that night,
Zeke Cohen 07:24
when I look at the creative Alliance and just the art and energy that exists in that area, when I look at how vibrant the Latino community is, I mean, like, regardless of what, again, the national narrative is, the reality is that Highland town has always been a place for immigrants, whether it was Polish folk, German folk, Ukrainian folk, or, most recently, Central American folk, Honduran, Salvadoran. And guess what? Man, those folks, they dig in, buy houses, work hard, go to church, do what you’re supposed to do for the most part, and it’s been a real blessing. And I believe they’re a big part of why that neighborhood has be
Nestor Aparicio 08:04
right now for more for the Latin people, you know, right? I mean, so for me, being a Latin person, you know, in my neighborhood is now 90% Latin, according to Rick Metzger, who I just saw a few, few minutes ago, because I grew up. I grew up in Eastern Avenue at East Point Mall. So Highland town was our pathway, man, it was. My parents never drove. So the bus 23 and I spent all of every Saturday morning in my shop, all of our shopping. Yeah, we did in Highlandtown Epstein. That’s right, that’s right, all that’s my, you know, I took my first music lessons at Jagers, you know, upstairs and across from house. There’s the whole deal, I would say, this crime issue and the murder issue and all of that. Where do you tie that? From that moment we were Chaucer, and I think you and I were at Chaucer before the plague. I want to say it was 19. You and I got together 556, years ago, because it was definitely not masky, and it was before all of that. Because I don’t think it was even an issue at that point we were talking about, I had you with the Patterson arts creative at the alliance and all, what has happened in those six years? Safe Streets, a new mayor, new city, Catholic, different council people, different governor, you know, for recidivism, different things like that. But where do you pin the why? If you’re gonna explain, we know it’s changed, but what made that happen? Look,
Zeke Cohen 09:23
I think a few things. I think a lot of people deserve credit. And of course, mayor Scott, you know, just having a stable, solid mayor who, you know, first second term Mayor since O’Malley, right? I mean, that’s it’s a big deal just because of all the turnover that it creates when someone leaves out. I think having Governor Moore care about Baltimore in a different kind of way has been huge for us. I think Ivan Bates has done an exceptional job at rebuilding
Nestor Aparicio 09:47
everyone’s crediting him. Everyone’s given I had eyes running years. Talk about him for
Zeke Cohen 09:51
a minute. Yeah. No. Look man, I think Ivan came at the job with a level of seriousness that we’d been lacking in that office. I think that. And I’m not going to throw shade on anybody, but I think that I’d watched Junior State’s Attorneys just be decimated out of that office. I mean, their staffing level was unsafe for the city of Baltimore, and when Ivan came in there, he made it his mission to rebuild the office and to talk tough and say things like, if you’re going to bring a toothbrush, but also to do the work of actually rebuilding an office that had been smashed to bits under his predecessor. And again, I mean her no disrespect, but I just I want you know I’m sitting in the city council, and I watched it go from very few people and folks who should not been working murder cases, working murder cases because they were so understaffed, to now where it is beyond functional. It is winning. And again, I think even though sometimes people do this thing where there’s a narrative about the mayor and the state’s attorney, you don’t get along, I think they actually complement each other really well. I think that Ivan is a little more on the like, tough on crime kind of take. I think the mayor is really good at understanding it’s a comprehensive approach. It is law enforcement, and it’s also safe streets, and it’s also group violence reduction strategy, and it’s community and so the last piece, I would say, Nestor, that I think has really been an engine for why we’ve had this comeback as it relates to crime is about community stepping up, like people saying enough is enough. We’re sick and tired of it, and just the level of whether it’s cooperation with local law enforcement, whether it’s folks in neighborhood associations putting up the ring cameras, going on walks and patrol, looking out for each other. I’ve just felt like these last couple of years. People in Baltimore have always been civically minded, but I think we’re really digging in, supporting each other, collaborating and having each other’s back right now.
Nestor Aparicio 11:55
Well, the part where these murders were happening, as I understand it, and safe streets being a part of that, Roca, different things like that. Yeah. Was was saying to someone in trumplandia, I don’t want to insult anybody, but you know who you are, whoever you are, the white people that are out in the suburbs who I ain’t going back down here for a ball game, I go, you know, whatever that was, right? That notion is saying that six, seven years ago, a bunch of policy wonks and electeds would say, we’re going to have them talk this through, and we’re going to de escalate, and we’re going to and you’re like, these are thugs with guns who want to kill each other. Really want to kill each other. They don’t really want to be in a gang. They don’t really not want to have a job. They don’t sense any opportunity. No, that’s right. And so this part where we said, there’s going to be this DS, we’re we’re going to come back in five years and there’s going to be less murders, because we talk it out, we hug it that, I don’t want to say that didn’t sound normal to me when I was considering running for mayor, because I had all of those guests on and I’m thinking about it. Well, What other choice do we have? We can’t put everybody in jail, you know. And this notion that these, that the young people that are carjacking, committing crimes, holding their parents responsible, dude, I’m a Republican in that, you know, I will take the right side of that and say that has to happen. That has to that you can’t have 14 year olds out carjacking people, and there’s no accountability, no adult accountability. Yeah, so I’m with I’m on the Ivan train with that
Zeke Cohen 13:26
look. And again, what I would say Nestor is I think that people respond to the circumstances that they’re in and the choices that they have in front of them. And so I think what has been really good about the group violence reduction strategy and this idea of giving people an opportunity to turn away from crime is it’s a choice. And we all know that human beings are going to make choices. And the very clear choice that we give people who are persistent offenders is, look, we are watching you. We are going to be on you like white on rice. If you so much as jaywalk, you are going to not only get picked up, you’re going to serve all of the other years that have been suspended off your sentence. And we have a state’s attorney, and we had a federal prosecutor from DC, which we don’t anymore, who in Eric Barron, who are going to make sure you go away for a very, very long time. But if you make a different choice, if you choose to get on the side of law enforcement community just doing right by people and stop the nonsense, we will make sure that you have what you need to be successful, whether that is housing, healthcare, a job, a career, we are going to make sure that you are going to have support in place. And I think people, when they have that choice in front of them, a lot of people will do the right thing. Some won’t right and I think we all need to be on and lock them up. Let’s go. That’s like, Yeah, let’s go. Look anyone who chooses in that juncture to go continue to harm community. I got no empathy for you. You got to. Go away, and you got to be out of my community, because you are not going to continue to prey on the people that I love and care about. But I think in that situation, more people will make the right decision. That’s why I think it’s working. I think you have a good juxtaposition, even though people are going to constantly say these guys are battling and Brandon and Ivan and this and that, I think you’ve got the right state’s attorney. I think you’ve got the right mayor, and I’m proud to say I got a great city council working with me. I think my 14 folks are hungry. They’re smart. It’s just a good, aggressive group that wants to see right by our communities.
Nestor Aparicio 15:36
Well, I love to see your enthusiasm all this, especially at the end of Mako Zeke Cohen is our guest. He is the city council president. What’s good? What’s going on our city? We got, we got events happening. Good things, like, obviously, this BMW thing I’m going home for, but like, Baltimore’s on the map here right now. The football team’s clearly gonna, you know, bring a little bit of that through. But I mean civic events. And seeing, I was down for what they do, the Italian looking wine thing down at the harbor, and then we’re going to do the Christmas thing at the harbor. And we have, we have built in things. But for me, harbor place still, and the hole in the ground with the mechanic, and I’ve talked about tax code stuff with Zach Blanchard here a couple days ago about that. But the notion of downtown making this comeback, CFG Bank Arena come back. Orioles, if they could ever fix it on the field, people would come and see them play, but the harbor, the harbor, to me, was my heart. I gave 19 years of my life and hundreds of 1000s of dollars of losses, honestly, like what I bought my place for, what I sold it for at that point in my life. It’s tragic that my investment was in downtown Baltimore in that way. And I speak, I almost ran for mayor because of it, but I look at it now and say, there’s going to come a point where I hope to live long enough that I go back to that harbor and see whatever it’s going to be when it grows up. But we got to go. We got to go. We got we got to get something going here.
Zeke Cohen 16:54
No, we can’t wait and look, you know, I’m really excited about both, sort of what you talked about, in terms of the energy of downtown CFG arena, the sports teams. You know, I was at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra not too long ago for a NAS concert that was amazing for those of us that are in the younger millennial set, the sort of 40 ish crowd. Well, the lyrics alive with events. Come on drums a lot. I mean, center stage is knocking out of the park. We got new leadership at the Walters Art Museum. They’re doing this whole you should check it out, Latin, Latin exhibit. It’s beautiful. Artscape. Skip got moved to the right spot. Yeah, they did it right. But let me say this on down on the harbor. I do think that we got the right partner in Mr. Bramble. I am excited about what is to come with his vision, with our vision that needs to remain a incredibly pedestrian, friendly, walkable. It truly is an asset. It’s one of the best waterfronts in the United States of America, and you’re right. Over the years, it was allowed to fall apart. It became decrepit, and the former ownership of those pavilions let them literally sink into the ground. And I’m excited for what this next stage can look like. And there are some folks who are naysayers. But guess what? There’s always naysayers in Baltimore. That’s part of our culture too. People are going to be cynical. They’re going to be down on a thing until they see it happen, and then, oh yeah, I was with that all along. I love that thing. Same thing happened the first time they did the Inner Harbor. There were a whole bunch of folks that didn’t like it look. I know some folks have some questions about building up and apartments and all the rest. I gotta tell you, though, in order to make this thing work, there has to be a financial component pay for itself. Otherwise, what? How does it? How does it go? Go anywhere else in the world that’s doing this kind of thing. I think about the National Harbor in DC. I think about any of these places, there’s got to be some kind of way for someone to make money. And I’m excited, man,
Nestor Aparicio 18:53
well, I hope we get a shovel in the ground soon. A real, real plan. Because I just, I think that the enemy of anything’s time, in this way, right? The fact that that mechanic was still a hole in the ground, and we were a decade and a half into having the Hippodrome, like, literally, you know, and it’s such prime real estate. I don’t know, make that a park or something
Zeke Cohen 19:11
there, but let me give you another one, though. Nestor is, do you know how many people when we were doing CFG said, Oh, it’s a terrible idea. No one’s gonna want to come to that. There’s never gonna be a concert, and then we’re gonna be basketball. Look at it. It’s killing it, man. Like they’re getting top class acts at cfg. We’re getting the CIA AA to keep coming back. I mean, it just, I feel like this is the perpetual thing in Baltimore, is everybody is down on everything until it works and they’re like, Oh yeah, that was great. I knew it all along.
Nestor Aparicio 19:41
Well, I’m always with you, man. So I’m not in the city, but I’m in a city three days a week. You know that I can’t vote for you, I can’t vote against you, but I can certainly promote the good things that are going on and ask the tough questions when I get a chance. Biggest problem in Baltimore right now, if it’s not crime, if it’s not, take that out, that’s always going to be number one. Right now, what? What’s your your your thing, what’s the we’re gonna change this? What? Yeah, so, because you’re Mr. Positive, and that’s beautiful, but I know there’s three things on your list to keep you up at night that get make you work tomorrow.
Zeke Cohen 20:12
Look, this is what I ran on. This is what I still believe, is that government needs to work effectively and efficiently for the people we serve. And I would say that while there has been enormous progress under Mayor Brandon Scott’s leadership, there’s still a long way to go in terms of execution and agency efficiency. I think about procurement. I think about permits. I think about just the ability for the 311, system to be responsive when folks see something they don’t like and they dial the thing and then some actions supposed to happen. So a lot of what I’m working on as council president is about oversight and making sure our agencies are responsive to the needs of our residents in the city of Baltimore. That, to me, is the thing that really keeps me up all night is, look, I pay a lot of taxes to live in the city. You mentioned your house that didn’t do well. I want for those taxes, a great education for my kids, a sense of safety and for government to simply work, quality of life. That’s it,
Nestor Aparicio 21:11
all right, quality crab cakes and the crab score. We’re about to have some crab cakes. There’s a huge crab feast down here in Ocean City at Mako. We’re always part of it down here. I’m wrapping up things. You can hear the it sounds like a Jackson Browne says that. The Lowdown going on here, it’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery, pressure luck and the Lucky Seven stumps. I’ll have these at fade leaves on Thursday. I’ll have the pizza Johns on Friday. We begin the following week at Costas and Timonium, also headed downtown, back down in your neighborhood, Fells Point, upper western Canton, I guess is what we would call fellas. We’re gonna be at slant. You doing that, eating some delicious gumbo, and then we’re gonna wrap things up also in the city. I’m gonna city three out of five days next week, Coco’s. We’re gonna be in laurelville. We’ll have some great guests there. You better
Zeke Cohen 21:55
shoot me a tax when you’re coming. Shoot me in Brant. Shoot me in the mayor attacks. Well, we’ll come down and say, Hey, if you’re on, if we’re around,
Nestor Aparicio 22:00
I am at Coco’s on Wednesday the 27th is Wednesday at 27th That is correct. Never
Zeke Cohen 22:05
mind. I have a hearing that day. I’m not going to be there, but God bless you,
Nestor Aparicio 22:09
and good luck. Yeah, it’ll still be a great show, even though you’re not there. I know well, Zeke Cohen, city council president, joining us here, signing off from Ocean City will be at first. Sponsors a curio wellness, foreign daughter, our friends at the Maryland lottery, as well as our newest sponsor, not in the city, but some GBMC, one of our great sponsors. We’ll be talking men’s health. They’re gonna make me go to the doctors and colonoscopy. I am Nestor. I know I need to do that. 56 years old. I’m Nestor. We are not tonight, though. I’m gonna go eat crabs and drink beer and see bad with names. Back for more in Baltimore from Ocean City. I’m Nestor. We are wnst. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stopped talking Baltimore positive. Stay with us. You.
