Policing Along Can’t Fix Baltimore Says Former Police Chief
BY Herschel Smith
6 years ago
We listened to people talk about the longstanding disproportionate struggles they continue to face. Much of it I agreed with. And in “Any City, USA,” we should focus on our most impoverished communities and work to transform them. But we can’t transform them by simply flooding money and programs in with no oversight or accountability. The investment should include a significant focus on schools and education, community beautification projects, the demolition of dilapidated housing, reinvestment in affordable housing with first right of refusal to those who currently reside in the community and in good standing, green space, accessibility to public transportation and accessibility to fresh foods.
While capitalism is the American way, we must limit the number of unhealthy options in impoverished communities. Imagine a community that has better access to a library, fitness center, community center, grocery store and good schools compared to one in which every other home is boarded up, trash lines the streets and the four corners of the intersection consist of a phone store, carry-out, liquor store and a mini-mart that also sells drug baggies and acts as a safe haven for drug dealers. It’s not impossible to fix, but it requires a focused investment, courage, oversight and follow-up.
We can’t expect a law enforcement solution alone to solve these catastrophic, systematic socioeconomic failures. Flooding an underserved community with law enforcement only serves to further exacerbate the already strained police and community relationships. The only way we can effectively “pull back” from the law-enforcement-only approach is to transform the communities from the historic failures that put them in that situation in the first place.
I agree that policing along can’t fix their problems since I don’t believe that policing fixes anything at all. But make sure you hear his solutions.
Capitalism is the American way, says he. Instead of saying “but,” he says “while,” which is a difference without a distinction. We must rectify the problems that put them where they are to begin with.
Meaning, distribute more money, goods and services to them. Never mind the destruction of the family unit this approach has wrought, bring it on. We need more of the same thing.
This all says absolutely nothing about Baltimore or poverty and crime, but everything about the world and life view of those in positions of power and authority and their lack of understanding of the destruction of the moral foundations of the country.
On October 23, 2018 at 8:08 am, Fred said:
What’s the analogy? (is this an analogy?)
If you take all of a rich man’s money and give it to a poor man, in two years the rich man will be rich again and the poor man will be poor again.
I suggest that they first try to sell the people in these neighborhoods on the idea of delayed gratification, for this is the way to prosperity. They will decline and smoke a joint on their way to the pay day lender. And then why would you give them free stuff? Charity for charity’s sake, given to a man who won’t learn to fish is ruinous for the giver and the receiver.
It’s also important to note that these neighborhoods weren’t always third world dumpsters. I’ve been all over Baltimore. It used to be a working class industrial/light industrial port city. Who made these areas awful and why would you try to make them into cute little gentrified looking neighborhoods? If they wanted cute little gentrified looking neighborhoods they would have made them that way already. Oh, they simply don’t know how and just need a little help? To which I would say; why don’t they know how?
And just as a practical matter, I would buy any man a King James Holy Bible or The Total Money Makeover book, but for what on earth would I build a library for people who can’t read and don’t want to read, have their face in a cell phone, and are high? Why?
I guess I’m simply not getting the concept of Government as Charity. Perhaps a re-education camp would help me.
You know what? I’m sick of this manure. I’m just going to skip the talking around it and euphemisms about “good school districts” and “better shopping areas” and get to the point. The people of Baltimore will never have a 130 IQ. They will never adjust to the information economy. They can’t. But they can lead meaningful and productive lives that ‘lifts’ their own boats and the country’s as a whole. Do you really want to fix this? Do you? Here’s how; legalize God, and block all imports and build things in our own third world dumpsters instead. Solved. You’re welcome.
On October 25, 2018 at 6:30 am, Talktome said:
self reliance, responsibility, morality, giving a f*&k about yourself, family and neighbors -used to be ingrained in the culture of America. That culture has been replaced with obvious bs in many parts of the country. Politicos seem to want to,8mport ever increasing numbers of people who,don’t share our cultural values -so yeah, it’s only going to get worse. The “victims” (ha) need to pull their collective heads out of their collective asses and get their collective shit together. Stop breeding like rabbits, get off the welfare train, and grow up to become responsible adults. Our governments, local, state and federal, have created a dependent classs that has no initiative to improve their lot in life. A permanent underclass that will vote for more of the same. Pathetic actors all the way around. The people have to desire to change themselves, no one can do it for them, and no amount of money you throw at this particular problem will make a difference.