What can be done to lower Baltimore crime? (live, moving)

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I'm gonna have to go with the 'Legalization of Drugs'.

There is a ton of literature out there on why this would be a good thing. A few of the highlights:

1) Police can focus on criminals than drug abusers.
2) The justice system can focus on criminals rather than drug abusers.
3) The prison system can maintain and deal with criminals, rather than drug abusers.
4) Drug abusers won't be socialized into a criminal world through being criminalized.
5) Shady drug dealers will be 'out of business'
6) Enterprising drug dealers can corporatize their businesses, and pay taxes.

On and on...

The problem with this is that only a minority of residents living in poverty are involved in the drug business. In fact the majority of killings in many cities, including I think Baltimore, are not drug related.

Growing up in an environment with a drug trade it's not something that any kid can join. It was usually the toughest kids that did the dealing and frankly with or without drugs they would have found trouble anyway.

[CityGirl332]

Originally Posted by dogpark

Something a colleague said to me (we were discussing another colleague attacked, but not injured, by local kids here doing their attempt at the Knockout Game - right by the door to our building) - poor blacks in the US have a matriarchal culture, where the women do most things and the boys have no positive mail rolemodels to teach them how to be successful men, at home/in relationships/parenting, at work etc.

I have to agree with your statement. I've seen this "at play" while growing up. At an early age, many black children who are reared in single parent homes (led by women), often suffer from a lack of self confidence. Often, the girls grow up to believe that they are not good enough to marry and settle down with, while the boys grow up believing that they do not have to be responsible. The only way to break the cycle, is to well, BREAK THE CYCLE.

But of course, most people won't be successful, due to their inability to control basal desires. Also, many lack critical thinking skills and are therefore very much influenced by the social norms of their environment, negative "entertainment" outlets, and peers.

[CityGirl332]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

The problem with this is that only a minority of residents living in poverty are involved in the drug business. In fact the majority of killings in many cities, including I think Baltimore, are not drug related.

Growing up in an environment with a drug trade it's not something that any kid can join. It was usually the toughest kids that did the dealing and frankly with or without drugs they would have found trouble anyway.

There are many regular looking "non tough" teens who sell drugs. They are selling drugs for a myriad of reasons (but chiefly financial, and due to pathological norms that were instilled in them at home and in the "community").

[BMoreJuice]

1) No more $1100 rents in the hood. No more outrageous and over priced rental prices in the city of Baltimore, especially in neighborhoods you only have a few square miles of sanity.

2) Job Availability

3) More community centers, Church involvement through the city, Sports camps/training through out the year with academic tutors ( Reduced price to almost free).

4) City of Baltimore cleaning up the streets and restoring roads, side walks, parks, ect.

[boreatwork]

Originally Posted by bmorejuice

1) no more $1100 rents in the hood. No more outrageous and over priced rental prices in the city of baltimore, especially in neighborhoods you only have a few square miles of sanity.

2) job availability

3) more community centers, church involvement through the city, sports camps/training through out the year with academic tutors ( reduced price to almost free).

4) city of baltimore cleaning up the streets and restoring roads, side walks, parks, ect.

[baltplanner]

I agree with " the city of baltimore cleaning up the streets and restoring roads, side walks, parks, ect.". In urban planning this is called the "Broken Windows Principle".

Reading the news recently I was also struck by this story (Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts held a gun to a man's head and punched him in the face during an arrest this month - Baltimore Sun ). The part I found most disturbing was that the man who pulled the gun on our police commissioner had recently received a 20 year sentence for a different crime but the sentence was suspended for all but two days.

David Simon, amongst others, has spoken a lot about jury nullification (when a jury of your peers refuses to convict you for your crimes if they're sympathetic to the criminal) and lenient judges. The idea here is that alot of people turn to crime because they're the product of their environment (ie. its not their fault they ended up becoming criminals). These people are given light sentences or are not convicted in the first place in the hope that in a second or third chance, with counseling, they'll be able to turn themselves around. While this view is certainly compassionate towards the unfortunate it also means that a lot of criminals get 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc. chances to victimize innocent people.... something I personally find unacceptable. The simple fact is that if we put more poor criminals in jail for longer periods of time we'd have less of them wandering the street potentially committing crimes..... but then again we already have the some of highest incarceration rates in the world... and having fathers in jail away from their children only helps to perpetuate the cycle.

My oversimplified solution would be to seriously reduce the sentencing and legal ramifications for drug abuse (turning marijuana possession into basically a speeding ticket that wouldn't go on your record is a good start... reducing the amount on non-violent offenders in jail) and then be exceptionally harsh on ALL violent criminals. I've read enough absolutely tragic stories about innocent people being assaulted or even murdered by a poor, desperate person (typically a disadvantaged black male) with a record to know that we HAVE TO get these people off the streets to improve living conditions in this city.

[baltplanner]

Originally Posted by baltplanner

David Simon, amongst others, has spoken a lot about jury nullification (when a jury of your peers refuses to convict you for your crimes if they're sympathetic to the criminal) and lenient judges. The idea here is that a lot of people turn to crime because they're the product of their environment (ie. its not their fault they ended up becoming criminals). These people are given light sentences or are not convicted in the first place in the hope that in a second or third chance, with counseling, they'll be able to turn themselves around.

I also wanted to point out that a lot of criminals are aware of the City's relatively light conviction and their sentencing.... and the awareness of that fact actually increases their likelihood of committing more crime (ie. the relatively light consequences of their actions aren't sever enough to be an adequate deterrent). I personally got really disgusted the other day at a post office in West Baltimore when I heard a young guy oh so casually comment, "He only had to do 6 months... should be seeing him back around soon". There is very little stigma to being arrested for people in this City's poor communities.

[bmoregrimey]

baltplanner
I also wanted to point out that a lot of criminals are aware of the City's relatively light conviction and their sentencing.... and the awareness of that fact actually increases their likelihood of committing more crime (ie. the relatively light consequences of their actions aren't sever enough to be an adequate deterrent). I personally got really disgusted the other day at a post office in West Baltimore when I heard a young guy oh so casually comment, "He only had to do 6 months... should be seeing him back around soon". There is very little stigma to being arrested for people in this City's poor communities.

I understand why there is very little stigma related to incarceration among the poor...could it be due to most have been at the mercy of this vicious slave/law enforcement system that has lasted for hundreds of years. Descendants of slaves and their descendants were and are still at the mercy of law enforcement and can not afford to actually have the law on their side. There are 2 societies one for people who have money and can afford a lawyer and one for people who cannot and end up in jail on minor charges. Studies show the rate and amount of drug use is no different across racial communities. Yet the majority of people in jail are persons of color. Obviously something is wrong. In urban communities drug dealing is done differently then in surburban communities. In the suburbs drugs are sold behind closed doors. In the city people stand on corners and storefronts which are visible to everyone. I dont condone criminal behavior at all. I agree with you that the city should focus on the most violent offenders and should introduce mandatory sentencing for violent offenses no matter what kind of weapon was used. Domestic violence is not excluded.

[Tinawina]

Having served on a jury in Baltimore (I was an alternate) let me say that any low rate of conviction might have something to do with the competency of some of the city's lawyers. I was on gun possession case that really should have been a slam dunk but the prosecutor was sooooo bad... I mean he didn't even come up with counter arguments to the defense's, was arrogant and condescending to the witnesses, and didn't even really seem to understand anything about the world of the people he was prosecuting. I was not surprised when I found out later the guy got off. I was stunned by how awful hethe lawyer was but when I asked around people told me similar stories from when they served on juries. It made me look at the legal process a whole new way frankly.

[tairos]

I just saw a homeless woman urinate on the sidewalk on Charles Street, in the middle of Mt Vernon. Maybe scraping their ilk out of the desirable sections of the city would be a good start?