The Harbor After Dark

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor can be a really nice place to spend the day. There are many sites to see and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. It’s a short walk to a concert at Pier Six or a ballgame at Camden Yards. However, these days, when the lights go down, it can also be a dangerous place.

The other night after leaving a concert at the Inner Harbor’s Pier Six, we were treated to some of the nocturnal activities of the city. After having a bit of a chicken wings jones, I talked everyone into walking over to nearby Hooters (yep, I go there for the wings.). As we crossed the small footbridge near the Hard Rock Café, we noticed a group of young thugs hanging in the near the passageway under the World Trade Center. We wisely decided to avoid this route and walk around the Pratt Street side of the building.

As we approached the end the Light Street Pavilion of Harborplace, we noticed a group of what appeared to be young gang members. They were obviously up to no good. Fortunately, a couple of Baltimore cops were nearby and we were potentially spared of becoming Baltimore’s latest crime statistic.

After this, we decided to just go back to the car and get out of the city. There is no chicken wing good enough to risk your life! As we neared the parking garage on the other side of the harbor, we decided to stop off at a Subway to use the restroom. As we approached, once again, we noticed a group of unproductive youngsters hanging out in front. A few seconds later, a guy walks out of the front door and he's immediately decked by one of the punks standing out front.

If this wasn’t bad enough, another guy comes walking out of the 7-11 next door. From the looks of the towel he was holding up on his face, I assumed that he must have been on the receiving end of a punch as well.

Not surprising, we decided to head right over to the garage. We figured it was only a matter of time before someone started bustin’ caps.

Since we had to pay for the parking at an automated machine, we were relieved to see a city cop standing out in front of the lobby. We told him that everyone was Kung-Fu fighting around the corner. He said it was typical of a Saturday night down here. Later, someone explained to us that they sometimes had to temporarily close the 7-11 and Subway to clean up the blood from the fights. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for an eating establishment!

We had a great conversation with the officer but it was quite obvious that he couldn’t care less about what was going on around the corner. I guess it was someone else’s responsibility. Just reading between the lines, my thought was that fighting crime in the city is viewed as a hopeless situation. The cops feel like they’re being looked at under a microscope while the thugs get all the protection. If the cops pursue them, they’re accused of harassment. (Just look at what recently happened to the 19-year veteran who was fired for “harassing” a disrespectful kid on a skateboard).

I’m sure there’s plenty of blame to go around, but I think it starts at the top. The guys who go out and put their lives on the line everyday need to have respect for their leadership. And from what I’ve seen and heard. it just isn’t there. The guys on the street have little respect for the mayor, city council nor their own commishioner. Politics have taken prescient over doing the right thing. The "leaders" seem to be more sympathetic the criminal element than protecting the actual cops who fight the crime. And as a result, morale is in the toilet.

It really is a shame to see to what’s going on at the Harbor. Aside from being a frequent stop for locals, it’s also a major tourist attraction for out-of-towners. If I were in charge, I would do everything I could to keep it safe. I would beef up the police presence in the entire area and have a very low tolerance for any shenanigans. If it means that a few thugs get “harassed” along the way, so be it. Are we forgetting who the bad guys are here???

KW