Here are pictures from the Eastern District today.
I keep thinking that the Eastern hasn’t changed since I left. But of course it has. On one hand, Hopkins took over a bunch of it. On the other, I’m sure it’s even more abandoned than ever. The population dropped 30% between 1990 and 2000. There’s no reason to think that trend hasn’t continued up to 2008. That’s a lot of empty buildings and vacant lots.
2008:
I just got this pic of the corner from Durham and Eager in the Eastern. I love the new PR campaign: “My New East Side is Stylish.” “Clean.” “Innovative.” “United.” “Exciting.” “The Future.” “Family.” I hope it works. It looked nothing like this when I was there. In 2000 the corner looked like the picture below, which is of Eager and Chapel, 2 very short blocks away. Basically, both pictures were taken from the same spot, looking in opposite directions.
Google Earth still has an imagine from before the demolition. It’s interesting because the block of Durham south of Eager was still filled with homes. But you can see other blocks entirely vacant. Eager is the east/west street in the middle. The house above with the feather duster on the door is still visible center right. The last home before an otherwise empty city block.
In all fairness, I should show a similar shot of a nicer part of the Eastern. Below is part of Sector 3. The Eastern District police station is at the top right. Homes below are owner occupied and well kept up. It even looks neat. Street violence is rare. Of course… I didn’t work in Sector 3.
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.
I written about this building before.
Today the Sunhas this story.
Oops. Sorry.
Not really.
The story from the Baltimore Sun is here.
This is Sector One in the Eastern, for those who care.
During any given year, a 15- to 34-year-old man in the Eastern District has about the same chance of being killed as a U.S. soldier stationed in Iraq.
That’s just wrong.
The Eastern stats are from page 203 of my book. The Iraq stats are taken from DonHodges.com.
I bring this up because of an interesting comment from a good reader of this blog. There are a lot of people out there who are willing to say, “fuck ’em. That’s their problem.”
As a police officer who’s worked the Eastern, I kind of understand this. You try and help. You put your life on the line day in and day out. And nothing ever changes. Plus, for your efforts, you’ll get called a racist.
Once I half-jokingly accused my partner of simply not liking black people, he responded passionately, “I got nothing against black people. I just don’t like theseblack people” (that’s in chapter 3 of my book, by the way).
On the Leonard Lopate Show the other day, the host asked me, was it not true that most people I policed were “decent, hard working people.” I could not take the easy (and politically correct) path and just say “yes.”
Here’s what I said:
“I don’t want to be too insulting, but I do have a tough time, having policed the area, calling the people I dealt with decent people, by and large. We didn’t get along well.”
[“But they saw you as the enemy almost immediately. Didn’t they?”]
“Yeah, I mean, but I was. My job was to lock them up. If I were them, I wouldn’t have liked me either.” (listen to the whole interview here.)
I don’t feel that most of the people I policed were decent people. Most people in the Eastern District may be decent, but as a police officer, you don’t police most people. You police the problem-people.
But decent or not, we’re all human beings. And this country is founded on the idea that we’re endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Life is one of the those rights.
Even though I’m not “at risk,” I’ll keep bringing up the issue of violence, black-on-black murder in particular. I think it’s a moral issue. (I also think it’s an economic issue, but that’s another story.) I think it’s wrong to ignore this level of poverty and violence, no matter whose fault it is (and personally, I doblame the victim a lot of the time). We can do better.
We’re a rich country. Supposedly we’re a caring country. And if you’re the type of person to ask “what would Jesus do?” go ahead and ask. I don’t know what He’d say, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be “fuck ’em.”
My friend emailed me this:
I think we were able to pull that surveillance off not only because it was quiet from the rain but also because it was 1 month and 3 days after 9/11. We were rolling 3 – 4 deep and had every spare car on the road.
Here’s a nice action video of a drug corner shot by a police officer friend of mine back in October 2001.
Basically this corner is a three-man (or boy) shop. The guy in the green shirt is the money man and the biggest man of this not-so-impressive. The kid in the white t-shirt (let’s call him “Little Man”) is kind of a go-between man and utility boy. An apprentice. A thug in the making. By the way, I’m guessing he’s about 13. I’m also guessing that if you had to live in what probably passes as his “home,” you might be on the corner, too.
The third guy (white do-rag ) may be around the corner hitting people off or may be out and about, drumming up business. He’s not around in the beginning and appears to not be in cuffs at the end.
The drug stash is in the rubble by the steps.
I describe an efficient drug shop in a lot more detail in my book, Cop in the Hood. Here, I’m not impressed. Things are sloppy. They’re all doing a little of everything. Too often the drugs and money are too often in the same hands. It takes way too long to complete the drug deal with white girl. And I think Mr. Green Shirt is drinking on the job. Plus they get arrested.
It is good police work. Usually patrol doesn’t have the time to this kind of surveillance. Maybe the rain kept the radio quiet.
3 min., 15 sec. No audio.
Here’s a timeline:
6:35:00 Kids standing in the rain.
6:35:18 White addict comes up. Just strolling through the hood in the rain, minding her own business. How did I know she’s addict? Sometimes being a cop is very easy.
6:35:45 Reach in stash.
6:36:47 Go around corner to hit off.
6:37:31 Reach in stash again, pass to young kid.
6:37:50 Positively skips with delight because he’s about to make four sales!
6:37:55 Cluster fuck of junkies on corner. Crowd control skills come into play.
6:38:12 What the hell is that guy carrying?
6:38:45 Junkies heading back after hit off.
6:39:30 Counting money.
6:41:45 Running away. Po-po must be near. (Is that a bottle or the stash in his hand? I think a bottle).
6:42:47 Back at stash. He thinks he’s safe.
6:44:29 Two of the three in cuffs.
6:45:45 Police officer recovers stash.
If you have police video I can have, let me know. Especially if you’re police. I promise to keep you anonymous and edit out anything that needs to be edited out.
This video isn’t exactly action packed. In fact, nothing happens. Really. It’s just a one minute drive through the streets of East Baltimore. But that’s one minute more than you’ve probably seen. And notice the sleepy-voiced dispatcher over the police radio. If he didn’t sound sleepy, It would get your attention. He was skilled. The last thing you want as a cop is a dispatcher who can’t handle the pressure. When things are going crazy, you want confidence that the dispatcher at least has things under control. This guy was always on the ball. Plus I loved his smooth DJ voice.
A bad dispatcher is dangerous. And even if nobody gets hurt, a bad dispatcher just makes work unpleasant. Dispatching is not an easy skill. And they don’t get paid much. So quality is too often low. This dispatcher was the best. From police headquarters downtown, if need be he could direct you in or of Iron Alley. He knew the streets of East Baltimore. That’s a safety thing. Too bad he didn’t work midnights.
I just got an email from an academy classmate of mine. One of the nicest things about writing Cop in the Hoodis that I hear from people I miss, but with whom I had lost touch.
So you know, I never left the Eastern District. I love patrol. I don’t know why, but I do. My beat is [***] post (the projects) and I seem to be the only officer who loves to walk foot in every project alleyway. Anyways, being a city police officer changed me… changed me ALOT! I even changed my hair cut style. Also, I am no longer shy or timid. I guess that’s what working the ghetto does to one person. It is like “adapt or die.” […] Anyways, I am working at this moment, but wanted to congrat you on your book and teaching. Oh, and a lot of our classmates were either fired or left to other agencies. Anyways, have a good one!