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Ba ltimore police stopped noticing crime after Freddie Gray's death. A wave of killings followed.
Just before a wave of violence turned Baltimore into the nation’s deadliest big city, a curious thing happened to its police force: officers suddenly seemed to stop noticing crime.
Police officers reported seeing fewer drug dealers on street corners. They encountered fewer people who had open arrest warrants.
Police questioned fewer people on the street. They stopped fewer cars.
Millions of police records show officers in Baltimore respond to calls as quickly as ever. But they now begin far fewer encounters themselves. From 2014 to 2017, dispatch records show the number of suspected narcotics offenses police reported themselves dropped 30 percent; the number of people they reported seeing with outstanding warrants dropped by half. The number of field interviews – instances in which the police approach someone for questioning – dropped 70 percent.
originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: loam
What would you have them do?
If you are a police officer with a family - wife and kids - and you see an incident that you know could spiral very quickly, what do you do?
originally posted by: Xcalibur254
The city is just a mess from top to bottom. I know people on this site will try to blame the citizens but when your police force is corrupt and the mayor's office is incompetent you're dealing with much bigger issues.
originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
a reply to: loam
Partially true. Some of the backlash was when the LEO acted correctly. Criminals were turned into innocent martyrs.
originally posted by: loam
a reply to: network dude
I'm not entirely opposed to your viewpoint on this. Where we differ perhaps is on the question of the 'few' instances.
Leaving discussion of that issue alone for a moment, I have always wondered in the instances where there was clear wrongdoing on the part of the officer, why the other LEO's who stand around and do nothing to intervene get a pass.
In my book, they're just as culpable as the officer committing the crime.
originally posted by: network dude
I think an independent entity is needed to be able to anonymously receive tips on corruption, and investigate without internal interference. Police for the Police. IA doesn't seem up to the task.