 As Mayor Royce's office is viewed as being soft on crime by the public safety subcommittee, Royce is extremely critical of the Baltimore Police Department often blaming Commissioner Ervin Burrell solely for the department's problems.Other politicians such as Odell Watkins view Burrell as merely the "hack" of the ministers and often pass down the negative criticism of the department to the mayor's office.To improve his office's view on crime, Royce pressures Burrell to reduce it by any means necessary as a means of being re-elected.