Baltimore Police, Major Shake Up Coming? Could Bealefeld Eventually Be Implicated?

Claims Of Crime And Malfeasance In The Department

In the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of accusations hurled towards the Baltimore Police Department the woman who's job it was to discipline officers speaks out. In Baltimore's daily paper, we learn JoAnne C. Woodson-Branche is "prepared to pull back the curtain on the cesspool that exists within the Police Department's disciplinary oversight unit."

The statement was released through ace defense attorney Warren A. Brown. It went further to say; "the truth will not only vindicate attorney Branch [sic], but should lead to a major shake-up of the Baltimore City Police Department and those ultimately responsible for its operation."

It should be noted this statement comes right on the heels of the department settling a federal racial discrimination lawsuit for $2.4 million dollars.

An exclusive Investigative Voice interview of one of the officers victorious in the law suit reveals further the level of criminal activity that many local critics know to be all too common and routine within the Baltimore Police Department, there we read;

For Antoine Travers, an officer who joined the force in 1982 and was fired in 1997 for insubordination. the victory marks the start of a healing process of wounds that began when a white supervisor threw a trash can at him during roll call in the Northwest District in 1994.

“He knew I was documenting what was going on, they were violating people’s rights.”

One day, Travers said, the same lieutenant pulled up on the corner of West Belvedere and Beaufort avenues.

“There were twenty people standing on the corner and he started frisking one guy, asking him if he had any drugs,” Travers recalls.

“When they didn’t find any, a white sergeant went into an alley and found some drugs and they were going to arrest him,” he said. “But the guy broke away, and ran into a house; they chased him and shot him in the back.”

“I said to the lieutenant, 'Why did you do that? He didn’t do anything wrong.' ”

Because Travers was taking notes on what he believed was the racist behavior of the white officers, he soon found himself facing termination for insubordination after speaking out that day. In 1997, he was fired after three years of fighting for his job.

“I just felt like I had to fight. If they could shoot Joe Citizen for no reason, what could they do to a police officer?”

Baltimore Police -- A Racist Institution? -- Tonight's Radio Show -- LIVE 9:00PM

Join us on the radio show What's Up Baltimore, tonight at 9:00PM

The Baltimore Police Department is settling a federal racial discrimination lawsuit for $2.5 million. The police officers are suing. If the departments own officers feel discriminated, how do the regular people of Baltimore feel?

LISTEN LIVE!

Baltimore Police Racism To Cost City $2.5 Million

Federal lawsuit alledging Baltimore Police Department discriminates against black officers to be settled.

Related:

TALK ABOUT IT! Baltimore Police -- A Racist Institution? -- Tonight's Radio Show -- LIVE 9:00PM

Nonsense Numbers -- Reported Crime Decline A Fraud!

With Thousands Of Found Bodies Still Unclassified, Accurate Crime Stats Unavailable

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

It's been said that numbers don't lie. I'm inclined to believe that. But conversely,, people lie all the time, and they use numbers to do so. Just look at any of the Fortune 500 companies that overstated their profits. Can you say Enron?

Investigative Voice reports the city has thousands of deaths, with some being possible murders, but they remain unclassified, therefore off the books. How interesting, you guys found a clever way to artificially keep the numbers down. This year, besides the known murders, nearly 200 bodies were found already. Think maybe our actual count could be higher? Have we collectively become that naive to not know the smell of a rat when we smell one? Especially one that's been chewing through a rotting corpse?

Come on people! Everyone is under pressure to produce lower numbers, by any means necessary. If you can't solve murders, can't prevent and reduce them, how about simply not report them? Make them go away, as if nothing ever happened.

The sad state of journalism in this one newspaper town could not have been put on better display than today's Baltimore Sun. Right there in a big bold headline, we're told that crime is down. Seriously folks, are we really expected to buy into this crap? It should have said, CITIZEN REPORTING OF CRIME DECREASED.

When is the Sun going to do a story on how much crime in the city is never reported to the police? Will they do a follow up piece, on how much crime is told to police, who then refuse to actually file a report? If these lies were not involving life and death, maybe I wouldn't be so passionate. But damn it, quit lying to us already.

Baltimore is as violent as it's ever been. We have street gangs growing exponentially in power and strength, and our teeny little under manned, under funded gang unit has very little intelligence on the situation. The fact that the gangs work the entire geographic area without respect for jurisdictions is another story. Local police departments don't even talk to each other about criminals who make the rounds crossing jurisdictional borders.

If crime is truly in such a steep decline, tell me why the jails and prisons remain overcrowded? Enough already, tell us the truth Bealefeld, we can handle it. Mayor Dixon, you know better. We all want to see Baltimore improve and become more desirable to outside investors, tourism and potential new residents. Being dishonest and playing games with the numbers is not the way to Achieve this, or maybe it is....

You guys may be onto something. Just look at Chicago and New Orleans. Two of the most known corrupt cities in the country, and both get 10 times more tourism than Baltimore. I think I get it now. Ingenious! Let's sink deeper into the foul putrefaction of collective dissolution, it just may bring us great dividends in return.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Baltimore Spectator On Twitter

Join the Office of The British Prime minister, The Baltimore Sun, and many of Charm City's top journalists. Become one of our followers. Get updates and random musings from the mad mind of A.F. James MacArthur. Baltimore crime, grime and politics with a sprinkling of nonsense thrown in for good measure. twitter.com/baltospectator
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BREAKING! SWINE FLU CONFIRMED IN BALTIMORE!

First Baltimore City Cases Confirmed

Official announcement coming this evening according to Mayor Sheila Dixon spokesman, Scott Peterson. Investigative Voice has the news flash.

If we learn the cases are at University of Maryland Medical Center, I will not be surprised. Several weeks ago some of my sources in the Dept. Of Health AND University of Maryland Medical center revealed to me there were indeed several cases they were almost 100% certain, was the H1N1 influenza virus, right here in Baltimore. I am eagerly awaiting the announcement to hear the details, but I suspect much of what they shared with me back then is what we'll here.

BALTIMORONS! Secret Service Vehicle Towed By Baltimore City

Jenna Bush's Secret Service Limo Ticketed, Booted, & Towed

So just how dumb, stupid and misguided is Baltimore's whole entire parking enforcement system? If you didn't think the system needed top down, house cleaning, wall to wall reform, this should change your mind. What a bunch of morons, Baltimorons.

Mayor Dixon, please, please, please fix this. We're about to be the laughing stock of the country once again. InvestigativeVoice.com reports.

BGE Complaints Double, PSC Swamped

Busy Gouging Everyone

“Our calls are up 100% from this time last year. We have 10 people in the OER [Office of External Affairs] dept. and are hiring two more on a contractual basis. We are State Government and have a lean staff,” Gatzke wrote in an e-mail to investigative reporter Stephen Janis.

On my show last night, SPEAK UP!, we dedicated nearly the whole hour to BGE. It was probably one of the most informative and interesting shows I've ever done. Give it a listen.

The color green you see in the official BGE logo has nothing to do with the environment. From what we see, it has everything to do with GREED. Greed and gouging. Today we learn from InvestigativeVoice.com the supposed regulators, Maryland Public Service Commission, have received twice as many complaints disputing jacked up bills than the same time last year. Hmmmmm....

RIPOFF! BGE Lies Exposed

Also: -- Tell Us Your BGE Horror Story

BREAKING NEWS: City Facing $1 Billion Dollar Gap

On the first day of launching, brand new Baltimore news site, Investigative Voice, breaks a major story. -- Raising alarm bells over a $1 billion gap between benefits owed to retired police and firefighters and the money to pay for it, an actuary representing the fire and police unions said the city must contribute more money now to close a precipitous funding gap caused by the market meltdown -- or face dire consequences.

It's Official: Baltimore Sun Blasted In Launch Of New Voice

0908 EST -- Baltimore, MD

Nearly four hours after The Baltimore Spectator broke the story in an exclusive report, Investigative Voice, the first Baltimore website exclusively dedicated to hard hitting investigative journalism was officially launched this morning on The Ed Norris Show. Co-founder Stephen Janis spoke about the importance of having an alternative voice in media asking questions and looking at issues often ignored.

Norris spoke of a slanted and agenda driven local stalwart, The Baltimore Sun. Lamenting that in just one week since the demise of The Baltimore Examiner, the Sun has already taken off on a clearly biased path. As Baltimore's only remaining daily paper, the Sun has no counterpart in the market to aid in maintaining integrity.

Janis added that in this, the digital age allowing free access and choice, there is now a second voice back in town. Citing the lack of overhead from having to print physical newpapers, Janis said "in the long term, this is gonna work."



Also see:

BREAKING NEWS: Baltimore Examiners Launch 'Investigative Voice"-- **EXCLUSIVE**

BREAKING NEWS: Baltimore Examiners Launch 'Investigative Voice"-- **EXCLUSIVE**

Updated 0530

Baltimore Examiner investigative reporters launch independent site, web address no longer a mystery

The Baltimore Spectator has learned that the rumored and much anticipated return of former Baltimore Examiner reporters has arrived. The site, now live, is a joint collaborative effort headed by Stephen Janis, former senior investigative reporter for the Examiner. Beat writer Luke Broadwater and editor Regina Holmes round out the trio.

Initially contacted to confirm early rumors, Janis stated the three felt their work was a sincere benefit and service to the community and therefore should continue despite the shutting down of their former employer.

Janis and Broadwater have both won numerous awards for their hard hitting, in depth coverage of a side of Baltimore many would rather conceal.

The Baltimore Spectator has obtained, in advance, the heavily guarded web address and now reveals it (BEFORE the official announcement), as an exclusive to our readers. The site has a neat, clean, modern layout with several stories and photos posted.

Official announcement and launch is scheduled to take place this morning on The Ed Norris Show, heard on Baltimore's 105.7 The Fan.


BUT YOU HEARD IT HEAR FIRST!

Visit The New Investigative Voice




developing . . .