By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
Baltimore has seen no shortage of horrific crimes and human atrocities. City residents live in daily fear of life and limb, calculating their odds at being the next victim. A point lost on local politicians. My colleague at The Investigative Voice, Stephen Janis, wrote an excellent piece, begging to stop uttering the oft touted “crime is down” refrain, city elected official and the Baltimore Police Department continually attempt to drum into our heads.
They say that statistically, crime is down, but anyone taking this as cause for celebration is part of an exhibit of a classic case, of collective denial.
First off, anyone willing to trust these stated statistics for crime in Baltimore, is either deliberately in denial, or decidedly clueless. I ask you, is this what we want in a State's Attorney?
AN ALTERNATE REALITY FOR POLITICIANS
At this point, it is an indisputable fact that crime has been systematically downgraded and routinely under-reported and even ignored. Not only has this been reported time and time again, as a journalist, I've even had the fortune and fortuitous pleasure of witnessing it myself. So I know it happens. Larry Gibson, Mrs. Jessamy, Mayor Rawlings-Blake; non of them have spent much time, if any, at active crime scenes. So to put it frankly, when they speak on the issue, in all due respect, they typically don't know what they hell they're talking about.
Showing up at photo-ops and speaking a few empty and shallow words do not count. In Mrs. Jessamy's case, her silence at a community rally in Charles Village – held at the exact spot of the brutal murder of Hopkins researcher Stephen Pitcairn-- was particularly disturbing. It represented a lack of a willingness to take responsibility or to be held accountable. At least Police Commissioner Bealefeld had the balls to say he was "sorry" they [Baltimore Police] "failed to protect" us. For this he will continue to get a level of respect from me.
It is understandable why people like Mayor Rawlings-Blake, Jessamy and others speak the way they do. They live a reality vastly different than the typical Baltimorean. With their chauffeured driven luxury SUV's and full time bodyguards, how fair is it for us to expect them to get it?
DIMINISHED PERSPECTIVE
I invite any of our elected leaders to do a ride along with me as a crime reporter/photographer to see things first hand when all the bloody gore and guts are still out in the open. Before the fire department has hosed it all down and cleaned up. Accidentally walk into a pool of a victim's blood like I have. See someone's brain matter splattered all over the wall moments after their head was blown off. Smell the sickening, stomach churning, unmistakable, unforgettable, foul stench of a rotting corpse. Then tell me if you feel crime is down. Better yet, tell me if you think this city is safe.
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