Crime walk with a British twist
Our visiting British crime reporter Mark Hughes ended his first full day in Baltimore by walking with the South Baltimore's Riverside community group. They spent about an hour walking through the neighborhood with police, who even made a couple of busts.
He chatted with residents about crime (they're most concerned with car break-ins, loitering and grime) and learned that these walks are an opportunity for people to point out everything from dangling power lines to trash that needs to be picked up to blighted houses. At left, Mark is talking with the Southern District commander, Maj. Scott Bloodsworth, in an alley near Heath and Light streets.
One of the sergeants on the walk ended up arresting a man and a woman on a disorderly charge (the woman was high and both refused to leave), at least temporarily abating a problem for the night. Mark is here in part because The Wire is so successful in Great Britain (The Sun's Justin Fenton is headed there on Wednesday), but walking through Riverside was a chance for him to see a neighborhood with other, more pedestrian problems.
Mark has a blog up to recount his experiences, and he and The Sun's crime reporter Justin Fenton are on the Ed Norris show, (105.7-FM) this morning at 8:10 a.m. At left, Bloodsworth chats with a woman one of his officers had just arrested on a disorderly charge at Light and Heath streets.
Just before the walk, the spokesman for the mayor's office, suggesting a better column than one was planning to write, sent me a suggestion of his own (NFS stands for non-fatal shooting):
"The Mayor was sworn in on January 17, 2007. She has been Mayor for 1,022 days. In that 1,022 days, there have been 2,276 combined homicides and NFS. In the 1,022 days before she took office (April 1, 2004 to January 16, 2007) there were 2,558 combined homicides and NFS. This represents 282 less combined homicides and shootings – a decrease of 11%"
If those numbers are accurate, in the 1,000 days before Sheila Dixon became mayor, the city averaged 2.50 shootings and homicides a day. Under her tenure, the average has dropped to 2.23 a day. There's a disconnect between fear of crime and stats that city leaders just don't seem to get.
Does a crime drop of a few tenths of a percentage point make you feel any safer? Do you even know what that means?
Comments
The Citizens on Patrol walk in South Baltimore last night was actually a combined
neighborhood walk. It was comprised of the Riverside Neighborhood Association and the South Baltimore Neighborhood Association. This is another walk promoted by the Southern District Police and Community Relations Council and the great Southern District Police.
Posted by: SDPCRC - Jack Baker | November 3, 2009 10:35 AM
I am a member of the Baltimore Guardian Angels.
We patrol the a number of areas in Baltimore City. Some areas of the city are as bad as it gets!
As of 10/28/09 there are 184 homicides in Baltimore City in 2009.
The Baltimore Guardian Angels has projected the 2009 homicide rate between 215 to 230. Astonishing isn't it!!
That averages out to of 18 homicides per month, over 28 homicides per 100,000 Baltimore City residents.
Currently Baltimore City is averaging over 4 homicides per week.
78% of all Baltimore City homicide victims are African American averaging 29 years of age. No other group even comes close. Astonishing isn't it!!
"If you want peace you have to prepare for war."
Well the citizens of Baltimore are in a WAR. Are they prepared to take action to stop the bloodshed...
The majority --- NO!!!!
We are in a WAR and nobody believes it. People have to take back their streets. The government won't do it for them. The police can't do it.
The Baltimore City police is one of the finest law enforcement agencies around but they can just do so much.
This is fact --- this is the truth!!!
Some "can't handle the truth."
They prefer to go through life with blinders on.
Get involved Baltimore!!!
Take back your streets!! Take back your dignity!!!
Call the Baltimore Guardian Angels today at 410-916-2215.
We are here. We are listening.
We are make a difference and will continue to do so!!!!
They call me Taxman.
Posted by: Taxman | November 3, 2009 12:30 PM