They can no longer have 2 cops on bicycles patrolling a neighborhood. Those two cops would be in danger. Now they need 5-6 cops in cars, so they aren’t visible on the streets any more and the gangs from outside the city know this, so feel more able to commit crimes. There are reports of people just standing in the streets firing guns, bullying people, committing crimes. Other city workers need protection - fire fighters, water department - and that takes police time.
Baltimore had a history of strong mayors with a lot of political power. Nancy Pelosi’s father was the mayor for many years. It was a position as powerful as the governor, and in the last few decades the mayor went on to be governor. This mayor does not have the political power or experience behind her. She just became mayor after the previous one was removed. She was a city counsel member with little experience. I don’t think she has the support of the powers of the democratic party. She definitely doesn’t have the support of the police department.
The police are flexing their muscles and they have blood on their hands because of it. They are showing the city and the country that they will not be disciplined, they will not be questioned and they do not care who gets hurt to prove those points. Rawlings-Blake had the support of Governor O’Malley and the power of the Democratic party. The mayors of many large American cities are sitting on powder kegs.
This is true. But it is also true that many cops, even cops of color, are afraid of becoming another dead cop in the line of many recently and also afraid of doing nothing wrong as in the case of Michael Brown and still having their lives ruined. Failing to recognize those legitimate fears means both groups will continue to talk past each other.
Well in New York City it is a sought-after job with tens of thousands of people on the list to be called because of the six figure salary and million dollar pension, not to mention spectacular benefits. But the unions don’t allow firing. So what’s your point?
Instead of disappearing, the Baltimore police could try community policing. That is, if they are interested in abandoning the occupying-army model, which it doesn’t sound like they are:
The mayor whom Rawlings-Blake replaced focused more on community policing. Her police commissioner, Frederick Bealefeld also supported community policing. He now heads up security for Under Armor. Rawlings-Blake should have figured out a way to hold on to him.
Haven’t checked the numbers but I’d hazard the middle ground is taken in all but a statistically insignificant number of cases.
They’ve disappeared because: A) They’re voting with their feet, subsequent to the City dropping a nuke on every single body involved with the Gray death, or B) They truly do feel that pushing their authority to protect the areas that routinely called them in is going to see one or more of them goaded into charges, or dead.
Other than Andy of Mayberry, I can’t imagine who could walk into that and believe they would walk out again, every time.
“Other than Andy of Mayberry, I can’t imagine who could walk into that and believe they would walk out again, every time”
For sure. When I listen to some of these comments, it reminds me of the comments I heard about soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s as if people think they are robots who should never make a mistake, never have fear, never be worried about their lives–it’s their job to go out there and die, so do it! So what if they have to walk into an emboldened crowd of dozens of people taunting you, it’s your job, go do it! Of course, WE wouldn’t do it, but WE are a different class of people…
These police officers (about half of them whom are black, by the way), are working in some of the most dangerous areas in the US. So many murderers, drug dealers, and criminals. Their leadership has shown that they are going to crack down and hang anyone who might ever make an error in judgment, or anyone who might have a possibility of making a mistake, or anyone even connected to a case where there was a mistake. All this to make themselves look good. So why, as a Baltimore police officer, are you now going to put your life and job at risk, when your leadership has shown they will not support you? It’s one thing to have done a thorough investigation, and only charge people with things you truly think they are guilty of. It’s another thing to make it into a witch hunt, so they can look good. I don’t see why people can’t understand this. If you feel like your leadership is going to hang you out to dry, there is no WAY you are going to put yourself at risk any more than you have to, and now the bad guys know it.
There are so many ways they could have tried to fix the problems in the Baltimore police force. But the worst way is to not support your officers, whom most of them are doing the right thing, and risking their lives every single day.
It occurs to me that one’s background could easily influence how they feel about these kind of situations. I have been either in the military, or a pseudo command and control military like organization for 31 years. And I know for a fact that if your leadership is only interested in covering their butts and self promotion, they have absolutely lost their people. If they are asking others to risk their lives and go above and beyond, if their subordinates think their leaders are not standing with them, and are looking to “get” them, all is lost. People will just show up for the paycheck, and not risk anything. They will only do what is required. I believe that a complete change in leadership in Baltimore needs to be the first thing to happen.
I imagine they are still showing up for their jobs, however, they are not risking their lives when crowds of people surround them and they feel they are not supported. Who would?
^^Yep, interesteddad, that’s the main problem in Baltimore, isn’t it? All those vicious, cruel cops.
“Fire every last officer and start again. This crew is beyond fixing. Petulant, crybaby brats. Disgraceful”
For sure. Blame them all. It’s all their fault. They should just walk on into those crowds of pissed off people openly displaying weapons, and go do their job. Those whiners should just hurry up and die, and it’s disgusting that they are trying to protect themselves. Why are they worrying that they might get arrested or killed for doing their jobs? Dang wimps.
@HS5331 - Sadly, I agree that that’s the only answer. The current force evidently views the community as indigenous hostiles and itself as an occupying army.