No shit, sez I. Here’s the Baltimore Sunstory by Julie Bykowicz. People talk about how the criminal justice system is biased against blacks. And it is. If it weren’t, nearly half the people in prison wouldn’t be black. But, dot dot dot, if you are going to be arrested for drugs, it’s far better to be arrested in Baltimore City…
Month: August 2008
Real Police
I just received this email. It’s an interesting take on on the concept of being “real police.” “Real police” is both a concept and a compliment. It’s what in the NYPD they call a “cop’s cop.” Also, when you actually say “real police,” you have to stress “real” and the first syllable of “police.” Otherwise it doesn’t make sense. I…
Drug Dealers vs. Business
A liquor store in Baltimore is being forced to close because a man was killed there and drug dealers congregate. Here’s the story in the Sun. I’m of mixed feelings. Liquor stores in the ghetto are hardly the most sympathetic businesses. But if they were all shut down, it’s not like the neighborhood’s problems would suddenly disappear. It’s a shame…
Life for the American Brewery Building
Last time I was in town I noticed the scaffolding around the building from the train. That had to be good news. I think it might be the most beautiful building in the world. It just happens to be in the Eastern. It was a bad shape when I roamed around it in 2000. Now it’s being fixed and saved.…
Man suspected of selling drugs on bicycle hit by car
Oops. Sorry. Not really. The story from the Baltimore Sun is here. This is Sector One in the Eastern, for those who care.
Teens Cite Ease of Access to Drugs
The Washington Postreports: “A growing number of teenagers say it’s easier to illegally obtain prescription drugs than to buy beer or marijuana.” 19 percent, to be exact (according to the survey from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuseat Columbia University). 25% say marijuana is the easiest, with 43 percent saying they could buy the drug in less than…
I love you, Baltimore!
You know what I love about Baltimore? When I’m there, very often I want to burst out singing, “I love you, Baltimore!” just like Tracy Turnblad from “Hairspray.” Usually, I resist the urge. These past two days in Charm City were no exception. I never felt so welcome moving to a city as I did when I moved to Baltimore.…
Cop’s gun “accidentally” fires
The Daily Newsreports that a cop’s gun “accidentally” fired. No it di’int!If there’s one thing I learned as a cop, it’s that guns don’t fire by themselves. You gotta pull the trigger. Now there is a chance, if your finger is on the trigger, that you could get hit by something and accidentally squeeze the trigger. But if you did,…
Big bust in Australia
Australia police confiscated 15 million pills of ecstasy. That’s a lot of dancing! The ecstasy was hidden in cans from Italy, supposedly of canned tomatoes. What’s amazing about hauls of these huge sizes is just how little they matter. Why, what if all that ecstasy had gotten through?! I mean just think, every shipment before this didget through… and nobody…