Anthony Batts
Commissioner
Baltimore Police Department
Dear Commissioner Batts,
Although I have very low hopes of your paying any attention to this, nor do I expect much to happen. I am a desperate man, with a desperate plea.
For far too long, I have been the subject of continued harassment, threats, intimidation, and even trumped up, false arrests (many of them thrown out) by members of the Baltimore Police Department.
As a long time, well known, independent voice in media, not to mention a taxpaying citizen of Baltimore, I'm utterly disgusted by officers on your force treating me like a second class citizen, and a criminal suspect. All because I have strong opinions and I'm not afraid to express them.
Perhaps they need to be reminded of what the First Amendment of the Constitution means for the citizens they serve.
Truth is, remedial training on the rights of citizens in general would probably go a long way towards achieving that whole, citizen-and-community-cooperation thing you and the Mayor so often speak off.
As a journalist, I would like to perform my duties of informing the public without being hampered or harassed by the police. I don't see mainstream media treated this way. Last I checked, the police do not have the right to decide who is media and who isn't.
In a city filled with violence and residents who are sick and tired of seeing what appears to be no hope or solution in sight, we all want to see our police officers focused on crime and keeping us safe. Time and effort spent harassing me does nothing to further those ends.
We should be working together to serve the citizens of this city in our respective roles. Thus far, this simply hasn't happened. The Baltimore Police have decided to wage war on me. It is not my intention to sit in silence and take it.
It would be nice to see this stop.
Truth To The Masses
A.F. James MacArthur
Director
MacArthur International Media
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Researcher, independent investigative journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur has been a member of the underground news network for over 20 years. During this time, he's been a frequent subject of attack by government officials under the guise of law enforcement. He's often boycotted from being given any credit for his work by mainstream media.
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