Rawlings-Blake Ignoring The 'Haters' And 'Hecklers'

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is focused on the issue of street violence in the Inner Harbor, and is ignoring people she called haters and hecklers.

"I am not going to let a few haters, you know, that don't live in Baltimore City, denigrate the hard work of the Baltimore City Police Department," said Rawlings-Blake during an interview Wednesday morning on 98 Rock. "Many of them are their constituents, who they don't even have enough respect to even acknowledge the fact that we're a safer city."

(Listen to Rawlings-Blake's 98 Rock interview.)

The mayor made her comments in response to comments made Tuesday by Sen. Jim Brochin, a Towson Democrat.

Brochin told Patch he was calling on the mayor and Gov. Martin O'Malley to use Maryland State Police in the Inner Harbor area.

"My constituents are talking about this and they say they don't feel safe going down there and they aren't going down there," .

Brochin's comments echo those of Del. Pat McDonough, a Middle River Republican, who last month called on Rawlings-Blake and O'Malley to use state police and declare the Inner Harbor a "no travel zone" in response to what he called "."

Brochin has distanced himself from what he said were McDonough's "racially-charged" statements, but agreed that the perception of his constituents is that the city is unsafe to visit.

Rawlings-Blake declined to address Brochin's comments Tuesday.

During her appearance on 98 Rock, Rawlings-Blake never mentioned McDonough or Brochin, but her comments were clearly directed at the two state legislators.

"I don't get fazed by hecklers, basically, who are sitting on the sidelines watching me turn the city around," Rawlings-Blake said. "I have a track record of improving public safety. I have a track record of fiscal responsibility in tough times and moving the city forward. None of them can speak to that."