Timothy "Comedy Cop" Hall jokes about everything from marijuana to what he calls "raggedy --- police cars" in Baltimore. He's a city police officer, a 19-year veteran who grew up in Baltimore and when he's not catching criminals as part of a warrant task force, he's on stage making fun of them.

And he makes fun of his own police department.

Hall has been on HBO's Def Comedy Jam and done hundreds of shows at the Baltimore Comedy Factory. I saw him Friday night at the Havana Club where he peformed for a benefit for ReWired For Change, a group of actors from The Wire who help at risk youth to prevent violence.

There's more about Hall in today's Crime Scenes, but suffice it to say I couldn't quote many of his jokes (especially the ones from Def Comedy Jam). He says he's trying to give people a glimpse into the hard work of city cops and not exploit the violence that has made Baltimore a household name around the country.

But he still took shots at city criminals, as did the comedian who performed first and the host of the show, "Alabama," who works at the Baltimore Comedy Factory and said he told me, for the first time, his real name: DeShawn Alabama Frazier. He took a few shots at his new home (yes,' he's from Alabama), noting that you shouldn't go anyplace that has the word "Heights" in it.

First up was Justin Schlagel from Washington. He noted that Baltimore has some of the scariest homeless people he's ever seen. He said he used to live in Baltimore, but had to move -- "Stab me once ..." he noted, playing off the old slogan.

Justin also said that this city is the easiest city to navigate -- you either end up in the harbor or end up dead.

The event raised money for a good cause, even if it meant poking fun at the city's ills for a few hours.