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On June 15th I was mugged for the first time in my life, for a bicycle with about zero resale value and shoddy brakes. I was accosted by a group of about 15 youths on the Gwynns Falls Trail and escaped unscathed, minus a bicycle. Traumatic, yes. But it could have been worse.
Little did I know that it was only the beginning of my ordeal. I quickly dialed 9-1-1 and spent an unacceptable amount of time on hold, before being connected with a dispatcher who gets a D- for her knowledge of the city's geography. I walked north along the trail in the direction of the Southwestern District police station.
I arrived in moments and knocked on the door, and a brash young officer opened it, and while chomping obnoxiously on a wad of gum and barring my entrance with his arm, he curtly informed me that the police station was closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and was not the correct place to report a crime or come for assistance. I stood there for a moment trying to formulate a response to the only circumstance I hadn't prepared for: The police station was closed. Closed. The police station.
Connor was persistent, and eventually got a detective to take his statement. That cop interrogated him about the exact location of the crime and then told him he was at the wrong district, and got him a ride to the Southern District. “The Southern District Station was over four miles away. But I agreed, and was escorted to the Southern District by an officer who held his iPhone in his right hand for the entire drive, seemingly getting directions. We arrived and — lo and behold! —the Southern District Station was closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The officer mentioned that this was because people ‘want to come in here and shoot us up.’”
Today, Michael Witmer, claiming to be the cop who drove Meek to the Southern District, added insult to, well, other insult: “I explained to you why I was having you driven to the Southern District, if you don’t understand but say you do then I can’t explain it differently. Im not a mind reader,” he posted to Facebook. “P.S. you were riding your bike in the dark with no light down a dark trail that closed at dusk to the casino. Do you see any issues there? Think about what your [sic] complaining about before you speak!”
There is a Det. Michael Witmer assigned to the Southwest District. He’s been involved in more than 300 criminal cases, according to online court records. City Paper has asked Baltimore Police to confirm that that Witmer is the Facebook Witmer, who has posted several profile photos in BPD uniform. He's also posted a number of police- and military-related memes, including one posted on June 29, more than two months after the death of Freddie Gray, with a sign reading "The beatings will continue until morale improves" over a skull and cross-bones. Witmer posted it with the message "BPD MOTTO!!!!!!!!"
If I were a cop in Baltimore, I'd be pretty much just taking calls from the affluent side of town about people parking their cars in front of the house instead of in the garage.
The Small town I grew up in the Police Dept Station, was only open by appointment.
The Police secretary might be in the station during office hours, or next door at the municipal building. The officers are based there but are on the road most of the time. They Did have a "Emergency" phone @ the door, that went to the regional 911 Center, and a officer would be dispatched to the station if needed.
The Much bigger county I'm in now, has two station, they are open 24x7 (Well the Outer lobby is [I think from ~10p-6a you go get buzzed into it by 911 center, that is in a different building few miles away.] ), But after office hours there is no one manning the "Front" desk, One of the officers in the building staffs it as needed.
The people wanted less police presence. Looks like they win!
Law of the jungle baby...law of the jungle. Welcome to Detroit...eh Baltsoweto.
This does bring back a memory I had when I was in college I worked at a fast food restaurant and to make the story short, we ended up in a shootout situation with between a crazy patron and a crazy Store Manager. I called the police who responded when I asked for immediate assistance 'we're kind of busy right now' What I heard was, when everyone's out of bullets, call us back and we'll pick up the dead bodies.
Last edited by Tall Traveler; 07-07-2015 at 02:47 PM..
Reason: misspell
Time to start firing those police officers who don't do their job.
Time to start firing those police officers who recklessly shoot suspects, thus acting as judge and jury.
And that will leave behind the honorable police officers who do their job legally and proudly.
Time to start firing those police officers who don't do their job.
Time to start firing those police officers who recklessly shoot suspects, thus acting as judge and jury.
And that will leave behind the honorable police officers who do their job legally and proudly.
The police station was closed, what part of this story said the officers didn't do their job?
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