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About FHNP
Our Story
FHNP was started as a three-month privately-funded pilot project in 2021 to address rising crime and safety concerns in Federal Hill. Due to the commitment and investment of individual neighbors, it has now expanded to fund a professional security service that covers all of the Federal Hill neighborhood and Federal Hill Park. Our goal is to continue to help keep our neighborhood a safe and welcoming place to live and visit.
Federal Hill Neighborhood Patrol
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How do I become a member of the FHNP?Send or bring a check to 210 East Montgomery Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. You may also make a PayPal or credit card payment via the link provided on this website.
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Who'll provide the Federal Hill Neighborhood Patrol service?We contract with well vetted, well qualified security companies that are licensed and experienced.
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How long has FHNP been in operation?We initiated our pilot program in May 2021, and over the years we have been able to expand our coverage to one patrol car seven days a week, with two patrol cars covering on the busiest days and times. The link below shows the areas covered by the Patrol. Please note that at this time FHNP patrols ONLY the residential areas of the neighborhood; they do not patrol the business district. Click to view FEDERAL HILL MAP
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What additional services will be offered members of the FHNP?For those who become members of the FHNP there will be a call-for-escort-home service, helping residents from their parked cars to their front doors. There will also be the option to have Patrol team members keep an eye on your home while you're away.
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Will the FHNP police the park?The Patrol does cover the Park, but note that the FHNP does not “police” anywhere per se. By a memorandum of understanding with the Baltimore City Police Department, the patrol works with the police to increase a security presence and promote safety. Please remember that the Patrol is NOT the police, so when emergency help is necessary always call 911 first.
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How much will it cost to become a member of the FHNP?We are requesting donations of $300 to support our program annually. Donors will have access to the phone number to call the Patrol when needed, such as to accompany them home from their car.If donors are out of town the Patrol can monitor their house during duty hours.
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How will the FHNP work?Our donors fund a professional security company to use clearly-marked vehicles with flashing lights to circle residential Federal Hill during operating hours. Depending on the time and day, either one or two vehicles will be in use. Our current provider is MatCom, who is now on year three as our Patrol company.
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Does the FHNP take the place of Baltimore City Police officers in your neighborhood?Absolutely not! The Baltimore Police Southern District Commander and our City Councilman are fully aware of and supportive of our efforts to launch and maintain a citizen-funded security presence. The Police Department views the Patrol as an asset for them, providing additional eyes in the neighborhood.
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Who's behind the FHNP?The founding directors of the nonprofit FHNP are all homeowners who've resided in the neighborhood on average for more than 20 years. Their names appear on this website.
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Do other neighborhoods have a similar privately funded service?Yes, some of Baltimore City's most well-regarded neighborhoods have citizen-funded security patrols with Roland Park, Otterbein, and Guilford long-established programs.
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What is the Federal Hill Neighborhood Patrol?A neighbor-organized effort to fund and deploy a safety and courtesy patrol vehicle circulating the residential areas of Historic Federal Hill.
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Why do we need this service?The FHNP is a response by committed neighbors to increase "eyes on the street," reducing the opportunity for violent and nuisance crimes in our area.
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Does the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association (FHNA) endorse the Federal Hill Neighborhood Patrol?While FHNA fully supports any well-reasoned initiatives to reduce crime in our neighborhood and are fully aware of our efforts, they do not specifically endorse the FHNP.
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Are there plans to expand the area covered by the Patrol?We currently have two Patrol vehicles that operate on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and one vehicle that operates on Monday through Thursday. The hours of operation vary according to need. Our plan is to keep the coverage area the same in order to maintain the current level of service.In order to increase the coverage area, additional officers and cars are needed and we would have to get significant additional financial support from donors. The link below shows the areas covered by the Patrol. Please note that at this time FHNP patrols ONLY the residential areas of the neighborhood; they do not patrol the business district. Click to View Federal Hill Map
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