Maryland Is Among the 10 Most Violent States
Year after year our state is ranked among the 10 most violent states in the nation, says Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, candidate for the Democratic nomination for Maryland Governor. Let’s make Maryland one of the 10 safest. To do this, we need experienced effective leadership at the top and a bold plan to tackle Maryland’s persistent crime problems – a plan that empowers communities, victims, and law enforcement. Everyone deserves to live in a safe community. That’s fair and that’s my fight.
I have been a prosecutor for the past 22 years, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, Montgomery County State’s Attorney, and now Maryland’s Attorney General, fighting crime and keeping our communities safe. I am the only candidate for governor to have personally prosecuted cases at every level, standing up for victims and bringing dangerous criminals to justice.
I have taken on tough fights on behalf of victims and their families, and I will do the same for all of Maryland as Governor.
Throughout my career in law enforcement, I have relied on my experiences on the ground to identify, seek out and implement cutting-edge techniques for fighting crime and boosting crime prevention. When I became State’s Attorney for Montgomery County in 1999, the County’s population was growing, the Gansler-Ivey campaign website annotates, and with this growth came an uptick in crime and gangs. More than 20 gangs were operating in the county, and they were making inroads into more communities and schools. So I rolled up my sleeves and took action, creating the first gang prosecution unit in the state. I then changed our County’s entire approach to prosecution – taking lawyers out of their offices and into the neighborhoods to work alongside law enforcement, community organizations and county residents – making me the first prosecutor in the United States to fully implement community prosecution. These innovative strategies allowed us to more effectively and fairly fight crime and improve public safety in the County.
I also changed the way our justice system treats victims of domestic violence. As a young Assistant United States Attorney, I saw first-hand the emotional and physical pain domestic abuse victims suffered, as well as the frustration and bias they confronted in court. So I fought to empower domestic violence victims and improve the justice they received. I established the state’s first docket specially designed to handle domestic violence cases. And I championed the establishment of the state’s first Family Justice Center, which connects domestic violence victims and their families to services.
I have devoted my career to putting the law on the side of the people. Now I am eager to put my experience to work, as Governor, to reshape our state’s approach to fighting crime by empowering communities, victims and law enforcement.
