Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood has new security measures in time for the holiday season. The goal is to increase security, reduce crime, and make residents and visitors feel safe in the neighborhood.

This includes installing more outdoor lighting, fresh paint on street signs, additional cameras, valet parking and a license plate reader on President and Pratt streets.

“We are the safest community, and we want to keep it that way,” said Giovanna Aquia Blattermann, owner of Café Gia. “We never dreamt that we would have the ability to do all this. It’s almost like a gift to Baltimore because the city is backed up.”

In 2022, former Gov. Larry Hogan and Senate President Bill Ferguson announced a series of safety grants for Little Italy.

“Fundamentally, nothing else matters if residents don’t feel safe,” Ferguson said in a statement. “The increased lighting, enhanced security camera coverage, pedestrian safety improvements, and deployment of license plate reader technology funded by these State grants are making a tangible difference. Accordingly, in the most recent numbers from the Baltimore Police Department, the 46th District has experienced a more than 45% decline in both homicides and shootings compared to this time last year.”

Some of the grant money went towards more lights in the neighborhood. The neighborhood association donated the plate reader to the Baltimore Police Department.

Lisa Regnante, president of the Little Italy Neighborhood Association, says, “Nothing good happens in darkness, so we put a thousand lights just on these few streets here which is a main corridor.”

Joseph Gardella, owner of Benny’s, has seen the neighborhood get safer over the years and says the residents and business owners are a big part of that.

“You can only count on your elected officials so much, you have to guide your community, you have to have eyes open, and do your part,” said Gardella.

Outside his restaurant, they now offer valet parking.

“They can come right in and drop their car off,” said Christopher Wade, owner of Wheels Are Here LLC. “It also puts 10 or 12 other eyes that are walking through the neighborhood on a consistent basis day in and day out.”

BPD sent Fox 45 News a statement noting that the newly installed license plate reader and two surveillance cameras have helped police solve crimes, locate stolen/carjacked vehicles and curb “squeegee-related activity.”

“CD (Central District) Command and NCOs have attended Little Italy Neighborhood Association (LINA) meetings and are working with not only the President, but assisting the newly appointed Safety Coordinator with means and methods to improve the area,” the statement said. “We recently held a Multi-Agency Blitz with other Baltimore City agencies to address a myriad of environmental issues to assist with crime reductions. This includes code violations, parking issues, homeless issues, and alleyway gating. The LINA and residents have been very responsive to assisting in crime reduction efforts and are great partners to the Central District.”

While these improvements are a big step in the right direction, there’s always more to be done, Blattermann said.

“We advocate feet on the street, and we want people to walk our neighborhood to feel comfortable and love it,” said Blattermann. “In order to do that there’s a few more things that need to be done, we need a few more areas with video cameras and more lights.”

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Olivia Dance at oadance@sbgtv.com.