Baltimore police stopped noticing crime after Freddie Gray's death. A wave of killings followed.

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.

The article continues:

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.

I know the knee-jerk reaction by some will be to blame the left for this.

I have a different take. I think these numbers represent the healthy percentage of LEOs that should be moved out of the force. They didn't belong there to begin with, imo.

What's your take?

a reply to: loam

I think the city government told the cops to stop policing so much, to avoid costly mistakes like this one, and they did. If they are going to get demonized for doing their job, find a way to stop being demonized. (stop doing your job) It's a dangerous game to vilify the entirety of the police over a few instances that are questionable. If you do, you may have this situation, where policing becomes a liability. And the people who initiated the conflict ultimately suffer.

a reply to: loam

It's hard to say. It could be the result of tensions being high and so they don't want any more fuel on the fire. You can stop someone and have them attack you and then videos only showing the end where you have them on the ground pop up and people don't care about what happened first and never will.

Then there are those who wanted to punish people.

a reply to: loam

For cops it's a damned if you do situation.

They started ignoring crimes.

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.

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? It's not like after all the legal battles you can just go back to work, and the lengthy legal battles are going to destroy your family. What fallout will they take because it's not like your name will be kept out of the news.

Your kids will have to survive at school being the known son or daughter of a racist killer cop because that's how the press brands you.

As was discussed in another thread. We live in times where the very worst thing you can be branded is a racist ... worse than a murderer or rapist.

So what would you have them do?

At this point, you have only the worst who will risk being cops because of the potential character assassination and legal problems that come with it. It becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.

The police don't have the support of the city Govt or the people. So why would they stick their necks out any more than necessary?
So they're doing the bare minimum. Which leads to more crime.
I expect Baltimore to look a lot like Detroit soon. Just an urban wasteland of gangs drugs and crime.

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?

Find other employment?

As with most issues, it's not all the cause of one issue or another.

I actually sympathize greatly with what you are saying. On the other hand, I also think that there is a reason for the phrase 'a bad apple spoils the bunch'.

It's long overdue to get serious about the bad apples.

Because the police don't see crimes doesn't mean crimes went down 30%.

a reply to: loam

Have you considered that maybe most of the good cops have left? That maybe the ones who haven't are close to retirement and that's why they're staying? That the others are doing their best to simply hang on but they're stretched thin and scared?

That maybe the rest don't care like you'd want them to?

Cops are part of government and when your own government is against you as much as the people you police are, it's an impossible job. We aren't given any statistics about what's been going on with Baltimore cop employment though.

a reply to: ketsuko

I have no doubt many of the good ones have left. It's what I would do.

But I'm not prepared to entirely lay this at the feet of the political backlash that has occurred over the last several years. That backlash was only possible because our LEO institutions didn't have a clean house to begin with.

This is the same police force that was caught on video planting drugs on subjects and placing guns at scenes to justify shooting suspects. It's also the same police force that can't keep a commissioner due to things like corruption, tax evasion, and just sheer incompetence.

The city government isn't much better. Despite the skyrocketing crime rate they have decided to focus on identifying areas in the city that are prone to having elderly people fall. Just this morning I heard they completely botched their attempt at improving traffic in the city.

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.

Have you considered blaming the people committing the crimes?

a reply to: loam

Partially true. Some of the backlash was when the LEO acted correctly. Criminals were turned into innocent martyrs.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Citizens should be blamed. They just should not be singled out. It's a top to bottom problem.

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.

Quoted for complete truth.

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.

Don't disagree.

But that would have been far less meaningful or impactful had the LEO institutions started with cleaner hands to begin with.

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.

the thin blue line. It exists, and we all know it's there. Addressing the part you skipped, 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.

But I think with the amount of good cops and good policing that happens, a huge chunk of that is ignored in favor of the few bad apple stories. But they do say, it only takes 1 aw sh!t to wipe out 20 ataboys.

a reply to: loam

It's going to be impossible to fix because many aspects of the problems will not be able to be addressed due to PC concerns. That's my belief.

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.

I completely support that idea.