Baltimore City Police meet reality - Updated 7/28/10

I know that the mass exodus from the Baltimore City Police department was partially a result of the changes in the pension system and who can blame those members. Some of them were/are ready to retire and some sought new positions elsewhere for better(?) benefits, taking the training and intense experience with them. This certainly was anticipated by city leaders for sure. The firemen are next to go but the demand for them in other municipalities is lower, so it will take longer. This type of thing is happening all over the place now including my college which retired nine people at the end of the school year, about 8% of the professional staff, and will be seeing the retirement of several others, including me, at the end of December.

Back to Baltimore City - One question is obvious - why stay in Baltimore City? Others have been asking and answering this question for many years, especially teachers. Back in the 1970s it was a big problem for the city and in fact I remember talking to AA county about teaching for them and was informed that "they were not allowed to talk to any Baltimore City teacher under current contract." The fact that I was on a probationary, year to year contract didn't make any difference. Talking about collusion in public governments. (I went elsewhere, i.e. private industry.)

Another point worth noting as I think about Baltimore City Police is that of the mind set of the young offenders. These minds are being illogically conditioned not only by the constant revolving door of the criminal system but by circumstance that occur even before serious crimes are committed. In the mind of a young person, how much credibility do the police have if they can't even curtail the expanding and dangerous use of "dirt bikes?" The obvious thought implanted into the distorted mind of a 16 year old is that "if you can't catch me now, why should I worry about you catching me later, when I am doing something more criminal?" Maybe the Police department should purchase some of those "pulsers" featured in science fiction shows that simply cripple electronic devices. That way they could zap the dirt bikes and stall them in their tracks. Right! I certainly don't know the answer and can appreciate the dilemma. Still, it's another, clear message of "you can't catch me."

Update: Today's paper reported the death of a Hopkins researcher on his way home by two individuals with lengthy criminal records but minimal incarceration despite probation violations. This pair, a male and a female were out that night "hunting to rob someone" and reported to friends that they had robbed and "hurt" a "white boy." Give me a break! The judges and prosecutors should be so proud of their past work. Meanwhile four teenagers have been arrested for their string of robberies on or around the light rail. (I wonder how many hours jail time they will receive.) And as a point of comparison, the paper noted that a 27 year old male with a criminal history received a 90 day sentence for stealing a pet tarantula from a Carroll County library. Unfortunately for that individual, the theft was enough to trigger a probation violation of his 2007 assault case and the Carroll County Circuit Judge sentenced him to four more years for that. Different cases? Yes. Different municipalities? Most definitely! (Of course in Carroll County you can ride a dirt bike in the fields and woods, WHERE THEY BELONG.)

Oh yes, now we have a Baltimore County woman who claims she didn't know she was pregnant, delivering an eight + pound baby in the second floor bathroom. Then, she wraps the newborn in a plastic bag and throws it out of the window! The police aren't sure if they will charge her. What can I say. Thankfully, the baby is in good health despite all of this and in 'child care' no doubt headed for a better life than just a few days ago. Likewise, the mother is OK, physically.