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Baltimore: An Update
Well, since the events of Freddie Grey fame, Baltimore has developed a “new normal.” Police are essentially on half-strike — they don’t feel loved by the City (I cannot imagine why not), and they don’t want to risk doing anything that gets them in trouble. So the net result is that the Mayor’s own “crack” anti-crime unit has resigned, the Feds are moving in, and crime is going through the roof, since police don’t want to do much.
Please note that the police in Baltimore City have not, for at least a decade, been very good to start with. So we have moved from 20% to 10% or lower. They won’t make arrests or file crime reports if they can possibly help it. Bad for the stats.
In my neighborhood and community, we have had, in the last week alone, a pair of armed holdups on the street (three blocks from my house), several house breaks, and 14 cars broken into, with some stolen.
The open question is whether the police are ever going to be remotely effective again, or whether this ends up being the trigger for the local Shomrim and equivalents to grow into a more comprehensive community-protection role.
Published in General
iWe, I am terribly sorry for your situation, and the difficulty that you would face in moving.
Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky, but it I wonder if serious civil breakdown in several major cities will be necessary in order to convince enough Democrats or swing voters of the moral and practical bankruptcy of Leftism. The Detroit bankruptcy obviously wasn’t enough.
Hi iWc ,
I accidentally posted a fragmentary comment before I was finished editing which may have been very misleading.
I refer to Wrenn et al v. District of Columbia. Please take a look at my edited comment.
Nah. It will always be liberal here. For example, our small enclave is split into several congressional districts!
We will not win elections. But if we can create de facto peace, that is fine.
Not cynical enough. They will double down. Lots of conservatives were pointing out the long history of Democract governance in Baltimore during this whole riot thing.
I don’t recall any Democrats asking “where did our policies go wrong?”
It’s just like Paul Krugman and Keynesians. The ecnomy is stimulated because we didn’t spend enough. We needed to spend even more money (and print it or borrow it if it doesn’t exist) to stimulate the economy.
I found out recently on Ricochet that the official formula for this nonsense goes to infinity. The more you spend the better it is. I have yet to look into it in detail though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_propensity_to_consume
http://welkerswikinomics.wikifoundry.com/page/The+Multiplier+Effect
via
Tuck and Richard Fulmer
comment #53
http://ricochet.com/learning-the-basics-and-things-that-matter/comment-page-3/#comment-2851774
comment #57
http://ricochet.com/learning-the-basics-and-things-that-matter/comment-page-3/#comment-2852127
Folks, it is REALLY not that bad! I was not posting to whine, but merely to point out the consequence of the recent riots. It is on us to “man up”, and we will.
There is a community here in Columbus Ohio. Look in the suburb called Bexley. Used to live there myself.
I never said I was orthodox (much less Jewish) , just lived in a suburb where they did too.
I suspected such. Just couldn’t help myself.
If police body cameras become the norm perhaps victims of crimes will be able to confront the statisticians that try to fudge the numbers. I hope there is some way to make a change. My prayers are with you.
I think Baltimore might be on its way to becoming like D.C. inasmuch as the city police force will weaken tremendously. I was told by a PG (Prince George’s) County police officer that D.C. cops have to file a report if they take their guns out of their holsters. As a consequence of a feckless police force, federal law enforcement has strengthened in the city. It’s the only reason why D.C. isn’t worse off than it is. Criminals commit crimes in PG Co, and then it’s a run to the D.C. border for safety, hence why PG Co. police are practically paramilitary. I think that’s why the guv put PG Co. police on night watch after the first night of rioting. Did you see this move?! Talk about a surgical strike! My husband and I were watching it live when it happened, and we high -fived each other when we realized it was PG police. We lived in PG for a few years and know a lot of those guys. They do not mess around.
David Simon, creator of HBO’s The Wire, and a former Baltimore crime reporter explains how the practice of under-reporting began under Mayor Martin O’Malley.
Interview here.
I can’t believe it. Chris Cuomo actually said “He wasn’t almost hit by that armored vehicle…”
The best part was that the hummer didn’t even come to a stop! They used the vehicle to wedge him in, stuffed him inside, and had the vehicle on the other side of the police line in a matter of seconds. It was crazy. I love those guys.
I first saw that video when I heard a left wing podcaster ranting about the “kidnapping” and the trending hashtag about it. Just google “Joseph Kent” and page through the links to get a feel for “the other perspective”.
When I googled the video, it was the first I saw that he was “kidnapped” and by the national guard, no less! How ridiculous. I’m not surprised. I know a few of the guardsmen and police who were out there, and I’ve done my best to express my appreciation to them for their service. Some of them didn’t sleep for days. Many of those sent to Baltimore served in Iraq and Afghanistan, so they’re familiar with disinformation campaigns and false accusations on the part of the press and public.
God forbid liberals actual changed the law and let you elect your police chief so you can hold someone accountable for effective policing that also respects its citizens freedoms. I have always thought the reason cities have such poor police forces is they don’t elect who operationally runs them. In places were you actually elect sheriffs you can get poorly run departments but their seems to be a bottom they can’t get below before they are removed. Liberal utopia which the mayor or city council appoints the police chief don’t see to have the same pressure at losing their seats when policing gets bad so their is no bottom.
Forgive my ignorance, but is it just the riots that have the police down, or is it a hostile political atmosphere? Has the indictment disheartened the police? Not knowing much about the Freddie Grey case, the few articles I read made it seem that an indictment was called for.
-E
Remember my idea for an Uber for protection? Looks like someone was able to put it into action.
It was realizing that they are fighting a losing battle.
I think the police will walk – Mosby overreached.
There is little downside risk to ignoring black crime if you are a police officer in Baltimore right now. The authorities stab you in the back. The police union is fighting the DA and the Mayor. The Mayor’s own anti-crime experts have quit.
If you must arrest someone, pick someone who is low-risk, who won’t fight back, and who is not black.
Otherwise: It’s Dunkin’ Donuts time.
We do elect the Sheriff.
But this is a town that believes that we should not be building prisons – just offering more after-school entertainment for the illiterate ignorant 14 and 15 year olds possessing adult bodies twinned with the time horizons of chickens. And they have ALL been inspired by THIS video.
Here is the latest internal update. For the past 5 days. I’d wager the police will not take reports on at least half of them.
“Normal” crime here is an order of magnitude lower (a few car ransackings a week, no home invasions). And armed stickups on the street are quite rare.
Do people have no garages? Alarm systems on their cars? Other types of protective noise alarms? Seems like the area is somewhat unprotected. I installed protective bars and security doors on my house. Back yard was protected by a large Shepard and Rottweiler. Seems as if these incidents are logical reasons for CC. Were the people who were mugged carrying pepper spray? What a real shame. It seems like Israel, your neighborhood is going to have to be responsible for self protection.
Garages and sheds are more popular targets than homes. And alarm systems don’t stop you when you have already swiped the car keys.
Large dogs are always good. The crooks avoid houses with cameras. None of the victims had spray as far as I know.
State of mind matters. Hoodlums don’t try me. They prey on those who are not looking for an excuse to cause damage.
I refuse to draw the curtains. Only afraid people hide behind walls – fear attracts predators.
Being hearing impaired is a disadvantage if problems occur during the night. Before I had protective bars installed over my front windows, my Shepard went after someone messing around in my front yard. I got up finding the draperies, window, and screen in the rose bushes outside. I’m surprised not to find a single cut on the dog, but I’ll bet she scared the heck out of who ever was trying to get in. I didn’t hear a sound with my bedroom at the back of the house. The dog had a big doggie door as well with access to all areas of my property.
Ricochet is not cooperating with my efforts to post the crime graphs shown here. I encourage you to click through.
Serious civil breakdown won’t work. The repeated and predictable response of the left is to double down; the next step in the trend will be expanded federal control of formerly local law enforcement. Never assume a mind of the left will see reason if only things get bad enough.
Self-protection and migration away from the centers of failure are the only practical solutions, and the former is increasingly risky.
Serious breakdown is an opportunity for the left, not to be wasted.
iWe, may I offer recommendations if you’re committed to your neighborhood?
First, seek personal defense training. It is the responsibility of every adult male to be ready to protect himself and those for whom he bears responsibility. I recommend krav maga. Its purpose is to defend and disengage, and it does not require long study.
The pepper spray is a good idea, and probably more effective than chemical mace if you get a professional quality device. Don’t just buy something off the shelf. Try to carry what the police carry.
A small telescoping baton is an excellent choice for non-lethal personal defense. I recommend an Asp.
Check the laws in your area before carrying any personal defense device.
Finally, seek training for any self-defense device you decide to carry. You’re responsible for the outcome if you use it. That’s my first and last recommendation.
Barfly – on them all, thanks. On Krav – I disagree that it is designed for disengagement. Its purpose is a quick and sure victory, which suits me fine.
Multiple times I have walked past some Bad People, only to learn later that they mugged people before and after seeing me. So my concern is not for myself, but for others in the community. I worry about people who are not physically able to handle an assault – and very few people really are prepared for a pack of teens armed with knives or brass knuckles. I would not welcome that encounter, either. And it happens here, sometimes.
My goal is to get most people to carry pepper spray. If most targets are actually not ready to be victims, we can achieve some degree of herd immunity. And the sprays sold by Amazon are quite effective, as I have reported here. I am making sure that everyone knows they are legal and viable. Even the sprays designed for bears and other dangerous animals.
Well, there are those of us who don’t want the neighbors to see how really bad we look padding around in our underwear.