City On Fire - Blue Apathy

Well, the Baltimore riots have taken a rest (for now), but the gunfire sure hasn't. Since the "peaceful" protests ended a couple of weeks ago, the shootings in Baltimore have went up quicker than the gas prices on Memorial Day weekend. In that short time frame, there have been roughly 40 reported shootings. There were ten of them this past Sunday, six more shot yesterday and just this afternoon, four people were shot near Johns Hopkins!

Many of the anti-police protesters like to remind us that "black lives matter" (at least when the police are involved). But they seem to be alarmingly silent during this latest period of bloodshed where the overwhelming majority of the victims are young black men. Just curious if their lives matter too?

Maybe surprising to some, arrests are actually down during this period of escalating violence. But it's not surprising at all to me. The city cops have been portrayed by the media and local "leaders' as the bad guys. This, in turn, has emboldened the real bad guys (you know, the ones slinging drugs and bustin' caps in each others' ass). Now, with absolutely no fear nor respect for the police, the "disenfranchised youth" callously takes to the streets and fires at will.

The morale of the BCPD has been absolutely demolished. With virtually no support from the communities they patrol, cops are now left to fend for themselves. As a result, many now have the attitude of "f*ck 'em, let 'em kill one another". I heard a city cop on a local radio show yesterday explaining that the chances of proactive policing are very slim. Cops are now afraid to intervene in volatile situations for fear of having to defend themselves. If the situation goes south and the cop is forced to pull out his gun, he now has to potentially decide whether he wants to go to jail or go to the graveyard.

And I've heard more than one cop say that they will now assume the role of "report takers". After the shooting takes place, the cops will come out and write things up. Nothing more, nothing less. On the surface, this might sound like a pretty shitty attitude. But can you really blame these guys? Why would they would to protect a community that hurls bricks at their heads? And no, not everyone was throwing bricks. But there were a hell of lot of "non-throwers" who stood on the sidelines and cheered.

Today, when city cops respond to calls, they're greeted by a mob of aggressive "bystanders" who shove cell phone cameras in their faces. How would you like to work around these obstacles?

The leadership of Baltimore drew a line in the sand when they decided to lock arms with the police-hating protesters. And now, those inner city communities are paying for it with spontaneous bursts of gunfire on any given day. Baltimore has been a violent city for years, But I believe things are about to get a helluva lot worse. Traditionally, the warm summer nights usher in Baltimore's mass shooting season. If things are this bad now, what do you think will happen in July and August?

It must really suck having to go into a work environment where you're asked to put your life on the line for a community that hates you. It must suck even more to know that when your life is in danger, you have to make a split-second decision whether you have the right to defend yourself.

The incompetent leadership in Baltimore City has created an inevitable powder keg. When it eventually ignites is anyone's guess. But until that time, expect the escalating violence to continue. It's pretty sad when the daily shootings are actually the calm before the storm.....

kw