Baltimore, MD Residents Blame 2017 Record-High Murder Rate On Lower Police Presence

DON’T ASK FOR THINGS THEY JUST MIGHT COME TRUE …

2017 was yet another record for murders in Baltimore, Maryland.  For the third year in a row Baltimore had more than 300 murders. Many point to the lack of police presence following the riots. But wait, wasn’t it those from Baltimore that were complaining about the police and their actions? Now they want a greater police presence to curtail crime? Sorry Charlie, you can’t have it both ways.

For the third year in a row, Baltimore, Md., has had more than 300 murders, reaching a new record of murders per number of residents in 2017.

Some residents attribute the high murder rate to relaxed police patrols in the city following high-profile cases of police brutality. Officers have backed off in neighborhoods, like the one where Freddie Gray was arrested.

The Rev. Kinji Scott, a pastor in Baltimore who’s held positions in local city government, says the opposite needs to happen.

“We wanted the police there,” Scott says. “We wanted them engaged in the community. We didn’t want them beating the hell out of us, we didn’t want that.”

He’s among activists who are calling for police reform to reduce the violence in Baltimore and several other high-crime cities across the U.S. that he says haven’t seen change. That change begins with a conversation between the communities directly involved, Scott says.