Better Police/Community Relations? Jack Young Responds

Potential candidate for vacant Baltimore Police Training 

Academy commander position.

Suspicion and distrust of The Baltimore Police department remains high among city residents. A recent in-custody death of a man hasn't helped. For years city residents have expressed doubt about whose side are police really on.

For the last month, we've seen repeated cries and pleadings from police and city officials for increased "cooperation from the community." They say police desperately need our help in fighting out-of-control crime in Baltimore. To that, our response has been cooperation is indeed needed, but we must see the police extend a hand to the community as well.

Courtesy and professionalism, in our experience, is something sorely lacking among Baltimore Police. 

We asked Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young for input. Originally published on North Baltimore Patch, here's how it went:

Publisher A.F. James MacArthur, a "serious threat to 

public safety." 

(Larry "Celebrity Cab Driver" Wallace/Baltimore Spectator)

Dear President Young; 

With the continued call for increased community cooperation with the police, what is being done by you and your colleagues to ensure people of protection when doing this? 

Also, there's a well known, well deserved reputation in the community, that the police don't really care about us, and view [all] us (black men) as criminal suspects.

When they respond to a scene, they're often rude and condescending to all present, including potential vital witnesses. I've heard no elected official address working with the department to improve community relations from their end. 

It's a two way street sir. If citizens are being called to cooperate, the police must be required to operate at a higher level of professionalism.

Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young's response:

Jack Young gets it.

A F James MacArthur,

I for years have stressed to the leaders of BPD [Baltimore Police Department] the importance of customer service. And my very first conversation with Commissioner Batts centered on the absolute need to incorporate better customer service training into the teaching at the Academy. 

I have also told Commissioner Batts that I'm willing to address recruits personally and implore them to become great communicators. I know that the majority of our officers are hard-working, great individuals. 

But I've also witnessed officers being rude first-hand. I had a personal experience with this during a traffic stop years ago. I get it. It's something I talk about all the time. And whenever I encounter a police officer I make sure to let him/her know that treating people with respect (whether you think they're criminal or not) is a necessary part of their job.

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• Man Dies In Baltimore Police Custody

FLASHBACK: Homicides Up, Police Overtime Down

by;
A.F. James MacArthur, Managing Editor

Despite a strongly delivered denial when this writer asked Mayor Dixon about a possible connection between an increase in homicides and police overtime being drastically cutback (see press conference near end of video), there may be proof to support the assertion of many city critics.

In December 2008, Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton's article looked at the issue, disputing the official denial. "Detectives are being told, you can't finish working a case, you have to go home. We can't put foot men in a certain area, it will cost overtime. And district commanders are being beaten down if they spend over," according to former homicide Detective Robert F. Cherry. "You're lying to the public if you say we're attacking all forms of crime, and you're lying if you say the budget cuts have no effect."

Adding to the controversy is a widely held belief of homicide numbers being artificially low. This assertion has led to heated conflict and tension between City Councilman Bernard C. "Jack" Young, and Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld, even prompting Councilman Young to hold retaliatory hearings, after being kicked out of a police COMSTAT meeting by Bealefeld. Young has called the Commissioner to testify before the council this Thursday (see prior post). Young questions the validity of the highly celebrated sharp reduction in homicides reported late last year. Many others also cast doubt when speaking off the record to this writer.

Although the total homicide count for last year did indeed show a reduction, in November, as Mayor Dixon's directive to greatly reduce police overtime took effect, the tide seemed to be turning. The month saw a record 31 homicides as part of a trend leading the murder rate back on track to it's normally high numbers.

While Commissioner Bealefeld, in an interview with this reporter (see video), has said we need to "stop focusing on numbers." As public perception of safety in Baltimore City continues to erode, it's hard not to think about it. Just yesterday, a reader in Ireland landed on The Baltimore Spectator after googling the search term "is Baltimore safe."

Clearly the national and international perception of Baltimore closely lines up with the onscreen depictions of shows such as The Wire, Homicide and others. No amount of rhetoric and denial will change the reality faced by so many who have lost a friend, relative or co-worker to Baltimore's violence. Ask any 10 people if they've been affected and I guarantee you at least eight out of ten people in Baltimore can tell you about the direct impact a murder has had in their life.

Although I continue you to ask, there's still no answer to the question, "What's Up Baltimore?"

Police Commissioner To Explain Controversial Policy Change

The Baltimore Spectator has learned that city Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld (pictured above) will appear before the City Council for an informational hearing. City Councilman Bernard "Jack" Young is demanding an explanation of the sudden change in a long standing policy of releasing the names of police officers who kill or injure citizens.

The hearing, scheduled for February 12, comes after Councilman Young sent a written request for clarification and explanation to Bealefeld. As of this writing, the Commissioner has yet to respond to the request. Young, an increasingly vocal critic of the Baltimore Police Department, has openly questioned the recently reported low homicide rate, suggesting the true number may be much higher.

In a phone interview with The Spectator, Young said there were many deaths on the books whose cause are officially classified as "pending" and or "undetermined." Young believes this is a clever way of delaying and or hiding the truth about how many murders actually occurred in Baltimore.

At a recent weekly police COMSTAT meeting, Councilman Young was asked why he was there by Commissioner Bealefeld then promptly asked to leave, and escorted out. The move was disturbing to Young, leaving him to wonder what's there to hide. Young is the Chairman of the City Council Committee on Public Safety and Health, handling among other matters, the budget for the police department.


Filed by; A.F. James MacArthur
Guest Editor to The Baltimore Spectator
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See the video that's been creating all the controversy (What's Up Baltimore preview)