HEDGING HIS BETS — O'Malley still coy about endorsing Jessamy

HEDGING HIS BETS — O'Malley still coy about endorsing Jessamy

In Regards To Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Patricia Jessamy & Crime Stats

Don't Give Me No Broccoli & Tell Me It’s Greens

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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Franchot, O'Malley weigh in on Charles Village killing

BANG, BANG! Chirp, Chirp

A True Tale Of Two Bullets & Two Birds


By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

After witnessing gunfire right outside my window and the accompanying speedy, yet unimpressive response by Baltimore Police, I decided to take matters into my hands.  As a former investigator, I know a few things about gathering evidence, so I decided to canvass the area.

Unlike the police officers who just slowly drove through the areas, barely bothering to come out of their cars, I took to the streets.  As police officers stood around doing nothing, one or two on foot, others sitting in their vehicles, I felt forced and compelled as a citizen to take action.

Pounding pavement moments after the incident, with full knowledge the shooter  was most likely still being in the immediate vicinity I set out.  Armed with nothing more than the power of observation, I interviewed several witnesses.  I also canvassed the area searching for spent shell casings, bullet fragments, or anything else that my prove useful.  The police did not.

In the early morning darkness, my visual canvass yielded very little.  However, later in the morning after the sun had risen, my routine daily walk produced a strange ironic coincidence.

One of my dogs began pulling hard on the leash towards a particular spot on the ground.  Looking closely, I observed a young robin madly flapping it’s wings but unable to take flight.  With all it’s might the poor winged fowl could not get off the ground. I felt pity and compassion for the desperate little creature as I pulled my curious dogs away.

Shaking off the sadness of the sight, we moved on with our walk.  Things remained uneventful until we rounded a bend to approach home.  Directly across the street from the after hours club where two shots were fired into the air, there lay another bird, this one half dead, and not able to move, save for blinking it’s eyes. 

Though both birds were still alive upon my discovery, it wouldn’t take a veterinarian to determine that both would soon be dead, there was no hope of saving them.  Much as I wished something could be done, I had to abandon all hope.

Living in Baltimore, I continue to encounter strange metaphors and symbolic observations that mirror real life situations.  So while Baltimore Police may wish to disguise that fact that shots were fired the night before, natured provided a reminder.

I thought to myself, could it be related?  Is it possible?  What are the odds of a gun randomly being fired into air; producing two bullets, killing two birds?



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Open Letter To Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

To The Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor, City Of Baltimore

Dear Madame Mayor;

Last night I called the police after witnessing a serious crime, and I was deliberately ignored!

I am writing this letter to make you aware of a problem that you have openly stated your concerns about: the Baltimore Police Department, accurate reporting of crime, and improved relations between the citizens of Baltimore and the police.

After sitting through numerous conferences, events, forums and meetings and listening to yourself, Police Commissioner Bealefeld, City Council President Jack Young and others speak of making improvements, I must say, as a citizen, I’m largely unable to see any difference at the street level where the rubber meets the road.


SHOTS FIRED, POLICE IGNORE WITNESS


Early this morning I was awakened by a very loud commotion involving a large group of young men, standing around, arguing loudly, on the verge of getting into a physical altercation.  Within moments of my looking out the window, a young man pulled out a pistol, fired several shots in the air, and the group began to disperse.

After reporting the incident via 911, I was pleased to see what appeared to be a speedy response.  What bothered me though was when I made numerous attempts to get the attention of responding officers, but was flatly ignored by all.

At one point, one nearly struck me with his patrol car as I tried to flag him down.  Note, he was moving at an extremely low speed (perhaps five miles per hour), with flashing lights on as he went by with his windows open.  Besides my frantic arm waving, I also attempted to verbally get his attention, this was all to no avail.

Standing inches away from his open drivers side window, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for him not to have seen me.  Being the only one standing there at the time, it’s not as if I blended in.


ROUTINE UNDER REPORTING


When witnesses are ignored it makes it easy to avoid paperwork and not file a report.  When reports are not filed, it makes it easy to show statistically that crime is down.  When the city, and media report crime is down, and the perception by the majority of citizens is that is pure nonsense, this is the reason why.

If this has happened to me on numerous occasions, one must wonder just how widespread is it?  It’s not just rape victims.

Because of my many attempts in the past of going through internal affairs, speaking to district supervisors, and even the commissioner; concerning officers failing to live up to their duties of protecting and serving the public.  I feel there is no other choice but to turn to you.  Will you also ignore me and continue to allow the status quo to continue?

With all of the robberies, assaults, stabbings, shootings, and murders that have occurred recently in this north Baltimore neighborhood, I am truly disturbed by police ignoring a citizen complainant who was also an eye witness.  Reminds me of when I was a witness to murder and was ignored and offered no protection, despite the shooter being aware that I knew who he was.


VICTIMS TREATED LIKE SUSPECTS



Too many times in the past, Baltimore Police have made me the subject of investigation in response to my complaints, rather than focus and place efforts on actually following up on the reported criminal activity.  This is shameful.

Madame Mayor, I should also point out, due to past experience, I know that my complaint leaves me wide open to retribution, revenge and ridicule by those who would rather keep the truth in the dark.

While I often feel I stand alone in a place resembling a war zone in sight, sound and atmosphere, the truth must be told.  This is a large part of the reason Baltimore city continues to lose it’s tax base.  People are moving away.  Even the cops don’t want to live here, and 80% to 90% don’t!  Not my numbers, but those of Commissioner Bealefeld himself.  What message does this send?

In conclusion, I must again express my extreme displeasure in what has been a lengthy pattern of systematic avoidance, ignoring and lack of action to address criminal activity on the part of Baltimore Police that I have PERSONALLY brought to their attention.

When will we see a true and genuine effort to fully reform the standards, practices behaviors and procedures of this department?



Sincerely disgusted and discouraged;

A.F. James MacArthur, Ph.A.L.



P.S. In the interest of being somewhat brief, I won’t even go into the numerous incidents of police officers currently involved in the court system as criminal defendants, accused of all sorts of violations, assaults and out right criminal activity including and up to MURDER against the people of Baltimore.  The time for change is NOW!  TOMORROW WILL BE TOO LATE!


P.P.S  A more fully detailed account of the above incident, and numerous others will soon be published; chronicling how the city and it's police department has largely abandoned and systematically ignored all hope of improving this area.

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COURTROOM SPECTATOR! – The Baltimore Spectator Ordered To Jury Duty

Part 1 – Bitter Reluctance  – Why I Wasn't Enthused About Serving

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED TO APPEAR IN ROOM 240 COURTHOUSE WEST, ST. PAUL AND LEXINGTON STS… FAILURE TO REPORT FOR JURY SERVICE MAY RESULT IN PENALTIES UP TO $1,000 FINE, OR UP TO 60 DAYS IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH.

When I first opened the official notice, I was a bit troubled.  Not that I have any problem with doing my civic duty, but to me the whole situation was filled with irony.  Not to mention the potential of severe economic loss caused by a day, or many days of no real income.

You see, one of the last times I was in that very building, for what was to be a routine preliminary appearance for a hearing, I was taken into custody upon entering.  I was held without a charge for 40 days!  Yup, 40 days of no income, 40 days of my house left unattended (broken into several times), 40 days of mental anguish being held and having not committed a crime. This is a place I’d sooner never re-enter unless I was some sort of plaintiff suing the pants of this city for all that it put me through. 

If you’re not familiar with the story of the abuse and harassment I’ve suffered at the hands of Baltimore City Police, I’ll have to save it for another time.

Read more...

URBAN WARFARE -- Marines Patrol Crime Ridden Gang Territory -- LOS ANGELES!

Police Patrolling American City Have Lessons Useful For Combat

In a secret training exercise lasting about a week, police officers and members of the military worked the streets of LA together. Members of the United States Marine Corps went on patrol with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Covering some of the roughest, toughest neighborhoods, the idea was to give the combat trained troops skills in dealing with individuals that are more criminal than military combatant.

During the exercise, the Marines wore civilian clothes and were never ID'd as being members of the military.

While the idea of police training the military is interesting, it also has some disturbing connotations. This time the Marines were merely unarmed observers, but what's next?

Read More: Cops Show Marines How to Take on the Taliban | NBC Los Angeles

KILL ZONE: 58,000 Dogs Killed In Last Three Months In Iraqi Capital

With Security Issues Stabilized, Hussein Era Animal Atrocities Resume

NOTE: Despite numerous rumors and murmurings to the contrary, managing editor A.F. James MacArthur is still covering and producing local Baltimore news, commentary and editorials.  Stay tuned for a series of installments via InvestigativeVoice.com and right here at The Baltimore Spectator.

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

UPDATE 1408 hrs est: The AP published a story AFTER this report giving more details than were available when we published originally.  It states there are 1.25 million stray dogs in Baghdad.  The Drudge Report has also just picked up the story.

Claiming a rise in fatal dog attacks on humans, officials in Baghdad say 20 teams made up of shooters and veterinarians roam the streets daily, shooting and poisoning the many strays in the city.  Of course, no one has given the hard stats and figures on this supposed rise in fatal attacks on humans, but no worries, this is Iraq after all, so it's certain everything is above board and on the up and up.

Iraq once well known for numerous human rights violations (sorry Bush haters, it's true), seems to have reverted back to an old Saddam Hussein policy of shooting strays on sight.  You wonder how many escaped or missing pets get caught up in the dragnet? In Iraq, if your pet accidentally got out, chances are, you'd never see it again.  Oops, sorry little girl, we didn't mean to shoot Barney.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”-- Mahatma Gandhi 

After the the United States invaded in 2003, the wanton dog killing slowed down while more pressing issues were tended too.  However, since 2008, the doggy death program has silently been revived. The last three months were particularly deadly for the desert dogs.

Having spent several years working full time in animal control as an officer, cruelty investigator, and even once acting in the role of game warden, this story is very disturbing.  Any animal lover or pet owner should be deeply saddened by this approach.
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FULL  DISCLOSURE: A life long swashbuckler, the author was once  part of a team that hunted down, and eventually shot and killed a rabid fox, that threateningly approached, then Vice President, Dick Cheney and his family (TRUE STORY!).




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WORLD EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: Mel Gibson's Explosive Racist Rant

"If you get raped by a pack of niggers, it will be your fault." -- Mel Gibson

Calling Oksana Grigorieva, the mother of his eight month old child, a "fu*cking whore", actor Mel Gibson also told her he doesn't want her, nor does he love her telling her she was "an embarrassment."  Gibson's bitter racist rambling was all caught on tape when his girlfriend secretly recorded him.

My bet is for Mel, it really was all about the sex, but poor Oksana probably thought it was love.  Oh, did you hear he also punched her in the mouth knocking out her front teeth?

Good one Mel, the real LETHAL WEAPON is that dirty mouth of yours.  I hope a bunch of misguided Christians continue to watch your movies and praise you for your inaccurate, propagandist movie Passion Of The Christ.  By the sounds of you on this tape, it sure sounds like you have a heaping helping of "the spirit" in you.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: Mel Gibson's Explosive Racist Rant 

Mexican Clown Busted In Sex Attack

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VIDEO: Lindsay Lohan Court Room Meltdown

In what could have been the setting of a Hollywood courtroom drama, Lindsay Lohan found herself being sentenced to jail after repeatedly violating the terms of her probation.
After giving a somewhat lengthy and award worthy soliloquy before the judge, actress Lindsay Lohan totally looses it the court.  While being sentenced to 90 days in jail, and an additional 90 days inpatient drug rehab, to commence within two days of her release, Lohan finds the shoulder of her attorney a suitable pillow to cry on.

I know this is not a celebrity news blog, but some train wrecks are hard to ignore.  Take a close look at the collagen injected, trout pout lips on the Freaky Friday star.

BARE NECESSITIES: Welfare Recipients Get Cash At Strip Club ATM's

Widespread Welfare Fraud Easily Committed Despite Cash Strapped State Govt.

It's well understood that welfare cash is meant to pay for essential necessities, but a lap dance at a strip club?  While it can be argued that for some, this is a much needed service, this story shows the problem when welfare is doled out and not properly accounted for.  

Several weeks ago, The Baltimore Spectator reported on welfare cash being withdrawn at casino ATM's.

Reminds me of stories you hear about women using child support to pay for hair and nails and other things having nothing to do with the kids, but that's another story.

While the story is set in California, it's should serve as a cautionary tale to fiscally constrained governments across the land.  YES, this can happen where you live.  Chances are, it's already happening in one shape or form.

Besides the $12,000 recently discovered being withdrawn at the strip clubs, the casinos saw millions in welfare money come out of their cash machines.  And this is just what is currently known about.  Keep in mind these figures were produced by government accountants.  The actual figure could be fare worse.

Nearly $4.8 million has been withdrawn from ATMs at casinos and poker rooms with welfare benefits cards from 2007 through June, according to state officials. The vast majority of that, $4.4 million, was withdrawn at tribal casinos.

Rare 1970s BP board game promises oil 'thrills' comes back to haunt them | Metro.co.uk

Rare 1970s BP board game promises oil 'thrills' comes back to haunt them | Metro.co.uk

America's Greatest Governor

National Education Association Gives Award To MD Governor Martin O'Malley

Is this the same O'Malley who was Mayor of Baltimore for eight years?  Within those same eight years Baltimore saw it's public schools finish nearly dead last in every category that counts.  With more kids dropping out than graduating, it's hardly what I would call a success or glowing accomplishment in the O'Malley legacy.

It's not that I have anything personal against the NEA or Governor O'Malley, despite the fact that he's had it out for me for some time.  Some of the facts of his record are simply disturbing.  To be crowned the "Greatest Governor" by a group whose stated goals are supposed to involve the advancement of education is honestly quite puzzling.  It seems these so called educators haven't done their homework.

Were I a dues paying member of the nations largest teachers union, I'd demand my money back.

Retired school teacher Quinton D. Thompson; wrote an open letter to O'Malley.  It was sent as a letter to the editor of The Baltimore Sun.  Concerning the NEA, Thompson said: "Sadly, instead of striving to fulfill this mission, it has become obvious the NEA’s questionable priorities have been the promotion of their political influence, job security and the protection of their mediocrity which, I believe, should be termination of employment instead." The Sun refused to print his letter.

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Baltimore corruption: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has vowed to clean up corruption, but crime still pays - baltimoresun.com

Baltimore corruption: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has vowed to clean up corruption, but crime still pays - baltimoresun.com