Is there any way for the general public to find out if there are any arrests being made for a particular sort of crime (such as vehicle break-ins)? I don't recall ever seeing a lot of those lists anywhere, and the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website indexes by person, not the type of offense.

I keep reading about breakins, but I wonder if there is any result ever seen after the case happens. When my home was broken into in 2007, the BPD sent a crime lab tech out who got some fingerprints, but we never heard anything about the disposition of the case, and our messages weren't returned. I have doubts that reporting these sorts of crimes (even when evidence is obtainable) does any good, besides creating a paper trail for my insurance company. I've seen speculation that police forces in Maryland have essentially given up on trying to prosecute thefts from vehicles, as it's so hard to prove and there are so many restrictions on measures like "bait cars".

I'd like to add my two cents to the discussion of vehicle break-ins in Baltimore City. For the record, I am siding with Ms. Gosnell. I see absolutely nothing wrong with how she explained the situation to the children. I know for a fact that the cops don't care - they pretty much told me that to my face.

My car was broken into two days ago while parked in a privately run parking garage beneath the Fallon Federal Building on Lombard St. Whoever did it cleaned me out - GPS, cell phone, bluetooth, iPod, CDs, even my owner's manual and registration - pretty much everything I had, even though NOTHING WAS VISIBLE in the car. This guy took his time, even going through my makeup bag, which makes me think he probably wasn't wearing gloves. To preserve evidence, I deliberately avoided touching door handles or any objects that had been moved. I took note of several hairs found in the car that clearly came from the intruder. To their credit, the police arrived in a timely manner and were very nice. But when I asked them to fingerprint the car and check the surveillance tape (yes there are cameras), I was told that they "just don't do that in cases like this." I was informed that "if it was a murder, then yeah, but not for stuff like this." When I asked why this was the case, I was told that "there's too many of these cases" for any them undertake any kind of subsequent investigation. They even cited the Baltimore Sun article on vehicle theft. I suppose it never occurred to them that if the DID investigate, we might not HAVE a rash of vehicle thefts and hence, no need for the Sun's article.
I wonder if it has ever occurred to them that the people committing these crimes may be out there committing bigger ones. Last time I checked (and I am a lawyer) theft over $500 was a FELONY, but I guess Baltimore City just isn't interested.

So to Ms. Behr, with her namby-pamby comments about "perspective," try this on for size: this is the THIRD TIME IN A YEAR my vehicle has been broken into and/or vandalized (once in Baltimore County and once in Northern VA). My damages have totaled approximately $3,000, with only a portion covered by insurance. Since Ms. Behr apparently thinks this is nothing more than an inconvenience, maybe she wouldn't mind parting with her cash. Money orders and checks are greatly appreciated.

Ms. Gosnell was dead-on. When our government and our officials behave in a manner that is insensitive and inexcusable, we are not doing our children any favors by sugar-coating it. Tell them like it is and encourage them to change it. We might find that they grow up to be more responsible and accountable than we are.

After rereading the original Sun article, I thought of something else.

The circumstances and M.O. used in my break-in and Ms. Gosnell's are very similar. I think it's highly possible that it may be the same person or group of people specifically targeting these parking garages.

If that's the case, can you imagine how much stiffer the penalties would be if those individuals could be linked via fingerprints and video to 10, 20 or 100 break-ins as opposed to just one or two? I think the police have lost a golden opportunity to build their case here. It seems the police don't want to put in the work for "minor" crime, but minor crime quickly becomes a "major" bust when you can nail them for doing it repeatedly.

I'd really like to hear the police commissioner's explanation for how they're handling this. How much more of a public tap on the shoulder does he need to decide this might be worth some of his time?

My car has been stolen twice, I've had windows broken out, my husband's van has been vandalized. And while this was all very expensive and inconvenient, I do have the perspective to know what's important: I am healthy, my husband and children are healthy. If the police are busy working on crimes of violence rather than crimes against property, I do have the perspective to know how very lucky I am that all I have to complain about is the expense and inconvenience. And I would rather have my children value their health and happiness over their bank accounts; rather have them appreciate their good fortune rather than bemoan their misfortunes. I think that that is more likely to lead them to grow up responsible and politically active.

I never knew about 311 intead of 911 I lived in Baltimore for 25 years and have been gone for 15 and had no idea there were two numbers. Are there signs with this info somewhere? Do the 911 operators pass that info when they get a Non emergency call??

I do not get why the 911 operator not have told the person Oh well you should call 311 and they can do a report for it over the phone.

WHY if they did not come in 90 minutes did Ms. Gosnell not call back??
I would have and demanded to know what in heck was going on.

Now without the report How does she file her insurance papers? or does it not get counted cause well Someone in 911 borked the call??

Marie, the 311 nonemergency number has been around since the mid 1990s. There was a big campaign when it started but now you can see the 311 number on every police car. It's also on every sticker that police give out with the 911 number.

If you call 911 however, dispatchers will only refer you to 311 if you are calling about a non-police issue, such as a complaint about trash (311 is for all city services). In this case, the woman could have called 311 but I think the dispatcher would've sent a police car anyway because the crime had just occurred and evidence was left behind (a pipe and a screwdriver.)

Yes, had it been me, I would've called 911 back to see where the officer was. The officer had gone to the wrong address. It boils down to a communication problem. The officer called in to dispatch to say he couldn't find the location; the dispatcher should've called the woman back and then both would've been together.

It is precisely because I value my health and my happiness that I feel so angered that the police are dropping the ball. I can't help but wonder if the outcome might have been different if Ms. Gosnell and her class had interrupted the robbery.

Years ago, I was robbed at gunpoint outside a restaurant in Baltimore City. The man was a drug addict and he was high. The police did catch him, and found that the .45-calibur gun he'd pointed at me was loaded. When they caught him, he didn't even know where he was. I truly believe it was the luck of the draw that he didn't kill me.

And who remembers the murder at Towsontowne Center a while back, where a teacher interrupted a carjacking in the mall's garage?

These robberies are taking place in garages which, to my knowledge, have a limited number of entrances and exits. Why is it so difficult to position guards at the entrances? I work in a FEDERAL building that rents out space to a private garage UNDERNEATH it. Do you remember Oklahoma City? If a homeless drug addict can get away with this over and over again, that makes me wonder what a more sophisticated criminal could accomplish.

Yes, Ms. Gosnell is very lucky and should be grateful. And yes, one's health and happiness is far more important than his or her bank account. I'm with you there. But the thieves are doing this precisely because they know they can get away with it with impunity. Moreover, the people doing it are desperate and in this economy, I believe that can make them dangerous.

The police need to do their job, and while murders and the like certainly take priority, I agree with Mr. Hermann that they can't forget the small stuff because the big stuff is usually right around the corner.