Five people were shot this weekend. Two people were fatally stabbed last week. One of the victims was a 15 year old girl. A witness in a murder case was shot, and police have charged a 15 year old boy with the crime.
The murder toll has hit 180.
Do you think the police and the Mayor are doing enough?
We’re going to talk today with Marcie Jones of the Baltimore Crime Blog,Ser Greene of the Ashburton Area Association, and Brian Dale, President of the Ridgely’s Delight Neighborhood Association.
Bring your comments and thoughts to the table….
-Jessica
Our discussion of Citizens on Crime in Baltimore began with a conversation with Anna whose husband Zach was attacked in front on his home on June 1st. The attack on Zach shows how vulnerable we all are to crime in our city. As a show of solidarity and an attempt to reclaim our streets from violence friends and family of Zach are organizing a Neighbors’ Night Out on Sunday, August 5th from 2 – 8pm. For more information on this event go to: www.zachsowers.com/neighbors-night-out.php
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The Official Blog of Marc Steiner 
No, the police and Mayor aren’t doing enough; the real question is what should the be doing that they aren’t? And I don’t know that anyone has the answer to that. We can allways arrest more people, but will that work? How do you fundamentally modify the whole city structure so that kids actually get educated in Baltimore City schools and see some opportunity beyond selling drugs? How do you make jobs return to the City so that the HS graduate can walk into a job that allows him or her to buy a home and ascend to the middle class? The best I can do is keep moving. I lived in Ridgely’s Delight fron 1993-2000, but wound up leaving once someone broke into my house. When I returned to the city it was so far NW it’s practically Pikesville. I want to live in this city, but I want to be safe too. I fear my next move will be to the county and I hate that idea.
I missed the first speaker’s comments? What happened to her husband and where did this attack occur?
It is very scary. On a regular basis I know of many people who drive or bike west on Madisson from the Hopkins Campus every day and get rocks thrown at their cars by young children and teens. I know that is not a HUGE crime but it can be dangerous ane when that type of behavior is tolerated and ignored it just encourages worse behavior. One colleague decided to stop her car and confront the children and while some fled a few verbally assaulted her and threw rocks at her directly.
Marcie ( Miss Thing ) needs to lay off dissing Waverly, Some of us who live there have not giving up the fight. There are lots of causes and effects around the issue of crime and when I did my undergraduate work in Urban Studies ( at Morgan I migh add ), I became aware of so many studies and books from Harvard,Mit research ect. on the subject it made my head spin. It has been studied left and right and we know what the primary cuases are and we know what to do. The issue is in this system it pays not to do it. Its more important to maintain the the status quo so that money can be made and the Haves be able to keep their place over the have nots. Its not till enough haves are effected that we even pay lip services to the issue of crime and even then its just to combat the symptoms and not the underlying cuases.
How many or what % of the 2007 murders are related to the illegal drug enterprise? If it’s > 25%, can we get short term help from the DEA?
Are there vested interests in government/law enforcement that prevent looking at drugs as we looked at Prohibition? It seems so obvious now. Short of treating addiction as the public health problem it is, we need to negotiate with the DEALERS (not street level) as we would a foreign government. There must be people in the FBI, DEA, CIA or DOD who know how the drugs get in & who is profiting.
Thank you.
Pat
Baltimore
I heard a brief comment you made about someone considering moving to Waverly area of Baltimore and you saying (I paraphrase) that they were “crazy” for even thinking of doing so.
I just wanted to thank-you for working on torpedoing any progress we’ve been making in changing this neighborhood with new blood. I don’t know where the hell you get off bad-mouthing other neighborhoods instead of saying – “that would be difficult, they could use some help”. And your criticisms are uninformed if based on your previous issues/perceptions of the BWCO I might add… the El Presidente-s have been removed, budgets are in place, and hell, we even have “program plans”. No matter how bad our neighborhood is or is perceived to be you have NO right pissing on it on a public radio show. Pissing on the efforts of those that pick up the trash that the city doesn’t, that paint the play grounds, that call 911 as often as they must, that come from MICA to teach the kids art, that have community picnics to enhance neighborhood-ness…etc. etc. NO RIGHT whatsoever.
I’d like to point out that the above comment was excised from Marci Jones’ Baltimore Crime Blog – apparently you can say what you want in blogs… of course unless it offends the blog keeper… ‘nuf said I think. Mirror is pointed at YOU Ms. Marci Jones.
I am running for City Council President (I am a Green Party member) and propose the following to address crime:
De facto legalization of drugs – it’s past time to correct 40 years of failed policy, which is what the “war on drugs” really is. Stop arresting drug users, provide a safe, well-chosen, policed area for drug dealers to engage in their transactions and redirect the money and resources saved to more drug treatment clinics (that abide by neighborhood rules/concerns) and treatment on demand. I am in favor of legalizing drugs, but obviously that can not be done at the city or state level. I also want to begin an initiative with our neighboring states to demand that the federal government fund all state and local efforts associated with enforcing this failed policy.
The fractious relationship between the City State’s Attorney and the Mayor’s office must be repaired. The police department has been riddled for years and years by ineffective leadership, policy that changes with the wind, low morale and low pay. We should certainly use the rainy day fund if we need to to hire enough police to be on the streets, train them properly, pay them overtime and increase their base salaries. I am also in favor of instituting real community policing (not zero tolerance) – I’ve heard it talked about for years, but it has never been instituted. Isn’t it just common sense to have police working and walking in the same neighborhoods all the time?
Baltimore has lost its stable middle-class jobs and those manufacturing jobs are gone for good. However, we can create new comprehensive programs to provide job training and well-paying jobs. In my opinion, providing jobs is the first function of responsible government. First, implement a new public works program that repairs our crumbling infrastructure (roads, underground utility pipes, bridges, etc.) and employs city residents. Second, require that developers who receive city contracts (it’s our tax dollars after all) hire 100% city residents to do the work. If they have to hire outside the city, they must document the reasons why. Developers should develop the people and neighborhoods of this city, not just the buildings. Third, develop a new environmental jobs program for Baltimore by taking the BGE tax that BGE collects for the city (Kieffer Mitchell wants to give this back to the ratepayers, but it’s only $30/year – although it’s $30.8 million to the city) and begin to solzrize Baltimore. By that I mean install solar shingles, paint the flat tar roofs white/silver and begin installing solar panels. We can outfit over 2000 homes with solar shingles with that $30.8 million – the first year.
You can not talk about crime and education unless you talk about providing jobs that allow everyone to find meaningful work so we can support ourselves and our families. Almost as important is legalizing drugs. Our society and our city would look very different – imagine it.