BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, May 11, 2023) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) Executive Director Shantay Jackson announced the departure of Executive Director Jackson effective June 30, 2023.
“On behalf of the entire City of Baltimore, I want to thank Executive Director Jackson for her service,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “She has been an integral part of my administration’s work to treat violence as a public health issue and carry out Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan. Together, we have built a strong team at MONSE that is well positioned to continue to move this work forward to improve public safety outcomes for all of Baltimore.”
At the beginning of his administration, Mayor Scott appointed Executive Director Jackson to lead the newly created Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement as part of his holistic approach to public safety that combines traditional law enforcement with Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) and Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ecosystem.
“It is with mixed emotions that I have chosen to resign as the Executive Director of MONSE as I enter into my next chapter of service to our City,” said MONSE Executive Director Shantay Jackson. “I do not take this decision lightly, and it has been an honor to serve the city I love. I have full faith that the team we have built over the past two-and-a-half years will be able to carry on this transformational work and deliver on our commitments to building a safer Baltimore. I will be working with Mayor Scott to ensure a smooth transition ahead of my departure on June 30.”
Since its inception, MONSE has grown to a team of 40 employees across six lanes of work including: Gun Violence Prevention, Community Engagement and Opportunity, Victim Services, Policy and Research, Communications, and Finance.
In her time as Executive Director, Shantay Jackson has overseen the successful launch of the GVRS pilot in the Western District – leading to a 34 percent aggregate reduction in homicides and nonfatal shootings in 2022; the expansion of GVRS into the Southwestern District; the creation of Baltimore’s first-ever CVI ecosystem; consolidation of the City’s victim services efforts with a focus on redefining the definition of victim to include survivors of gun violence and indirect traumatization; and the launch of MONSE’s reentry efforts.
Leading up to June 30, Executive Director Jackson will continue to be engaged in MONSE’s work to operationalize Mayor Scott’s youth engagement strategy, expand GVRS to the Central District, and deliver on the agency’s commitments to build a better, safer Baltimore.
For more information about MONSE’s portfolio, agency structure, and Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, please visit www.monse.baltimorecity.gov.
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