News, Street lockdowns proposed for Baltimore. (enemy, suspect, leader, murder)

[JD59]

BALTIMORE - A city council leader, alarmed by Baltimore's rising homicide rate, wants to give the mayor the power to put troubled neighborhoods under virtual lockdown.

"Desperate measures are needed when we're in desperate situations," City Council Vice President Robert W. Curran told The (Baltimore) Sun. He said he would introduce the legislation next week.

Under Curran's plan, the mayor could declare "public safety act zones," which would allow police to close liquor stores and bars, limit the number of people on city sidewalks, and halt traffic during two-week intervals.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070517/ap_on_re_us/lockdown_zones_1 (broken link)

[Sage of Sagle]

There is a time and a place for martial law....I'm sure that's a tough call to make....

[Mark S.]

I heard a comedian on TV the other day talking about Washington D.C.:

"Washington's bad reputation is overrated. It's not like we have 60 murders downtown every night. It ain't Baltimore."

[Evlevo]

Originally Posted by John1960

BALTIMORE - A city council leader, alarmed by Baltimore's rising homicide rate, wants to give the mayor the power to put troubled neighborhoods under virtual lockdown.

Like that's gonna happen!

Next a councilman will propose naming gang suspects "enemy combatants" and shipping them out to Gitmo for five years while they await a criminal charge.

[NYMTman]

Unfortunately for Baltimore, the 4th amendment doesn't include the phrase "except for in Baltimore...."