Under fire from a fresh inspector general report, Stefanie Mavronis, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), went on WBAL’s C4 and Bryan Nehman show this morning to defend the agency’s SideStep youth diversion pilot. She rejected suggestions of fraud tied to the program’s record-keeping and grant oversight and said MONSE has been reshuffling staff and tightening procedures while it continues to refine the pilot.
Inspector General's Findings
According to a report by the Office of the Inspector General, SideStep, a Western District pilot that ran from 2022 to 2024, spent roughly $700,000 and paid $24,999 for an evaluation that did not have full access to participants. The report found multiple invoices submitted without supporting documentation, scopes of work that allowed vendors to serve people older than SideStep’s 17-and-under eligibility, and that MONSE had not billed the Department of Juvenile Services for approximately $357,775 in reimbursable costs. Taken together, those gaps led the OIG to label the pilot’s outcome “inconclusive.”
Mavronis' Response On The Air And In Writing
MONSE’s written response, included in the OIG packet, states the agency "remains committed to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement" and outlines steps it has taken to shore up oversight and data tracking, according to the OIG report. On WBAL, Mavronis repeated that message, telling the hosts that the office has realigned staffing and tightened procedures as it rolls out reforms, according to WBAL NewsRadio.
Where This Fits In MONSE’s Troubles
The SideStep review is the latest in a series of oversight problems for MONSE. In 2024, the inspector general flagged what appeared to be fictitious names on Safe Streets contracts, WYPR reported, and a subsequent city audit found roughly $290,000 in duplicate payments to Safe Streets contractors, with at least one staffer terminated, according to CBS Baltimore.
Prosecutor Demands Data; Law Department Cites Privacy
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates has warned he may pursue civil action to obtain case-level SideStep records, arguing that prosecutors need identifiable data to evaluate diversion decisions. MONSE and the Law Department have pointed to statutes and confidentiality rules in resisting broad data sharing, a fight that watchdogs say has further strained relations between the prosecutor, the mayor’s office, and the inspector general, according to Baltimore Brew.
For now, MONSE says it will put the OIG’s recommendations in place before any citywide expansion of SideStep and will continue tightening internal controls. Local coverage and Mavronis’ radio comments indicate that oversight and clear data practices will ultimately decide whether SideStep moves beyond a pilot, according to WBAL NewsRadio.
