Wednesday, November 23, 2005

November 23

Four murders last week brought the total '05 body count to 242.

Kidnapped 26-year-old Anthony Singleterry was found dead after his family paid ransom. Detectives have no suspects or motive.

Three people were shot at the Glen Burnie food distribution company Wagner & Sons, including the gunman.

A fight between two off-duty Baltimore police officers ended with one guy going to shock trauma for stab wounds.

An attempted murder arrest for the Sunday shooting of William Delrio, robberies, shootings and arson in the blotter.

A former Towson police officer, Samuel Chambers, will serve five years for sexually abusing a young girl.

Future voter on the hot-button juvenile civil rights issue of today: "curfews are so gay." Speaking of juvenile rights &tc, there are 15 Marylanders serving life-without-parole sentences who committed their crimes as juveniles. And chilling stat (which I would like a source on because I just don't buy it, but I'm sure the real number is no great comfort either): "reports show that 92 percent of cases filed in adult criminal courts in Baltimore City involve minority juveniles."

A CP story traces the retelling of the Steele Oreo Urban Legend.

Mayor to Councilman Keiffer Mitchell: the help of state troopers would not do much good. Also re: local politics, Councilmania really caputres the feel of the slow grind of government. That would be great if they abolished ground rents ... but you get the feeling it would take a quarter-century for anything that ambitious to happen.

8 comments:

Maurice Bradbury said...

The Steele story is so full of haikus waiting to be written:
It did not happen
Raining Oreos
Falling like locusts

Anonymous said...

Baltimore City Councilman Kieffer Mitchell has proposed that in the wake of our city's being declared the second-worst big city in the nation, the City Council ought to petition the Governor to deploy state troopers within city limits to carry out the policing function which the Mayor appears unable to achieve.

Typically, O'Malley is more interested in 'turf' than in getting his frickin' job done. I endorse the proposal (you've seen it here in my rantings) 100%. Any politician who opposes the idea without a concrete alternative means of accomplishing the same objective is furthering the decline of this city.

Keep in mind, Mister Mayor, that there will be plenty of work for you to carry out in your continuing obligations as Mayor, for the State Police number only about 2,400, of whom about 1,600 are sworn officers. Unless you correct your means of deployment, you will still need to recruit another 1,200 City officers from your payroll, so don't get too attached to that preposterous convention hotel.

Maybe I'll hold off on ordering those barbed-wire Christmas garlands to decorate the outside of my home when I go ouyt of town for Christmas this season.

Kieffer, I could kiss ya.

Anonymous said...

I want a recall election.

Kieffer for Mayor.

Maurice Bradbury said...

I saw that too. I just can't see it ever happening.
That would be a quick and easy way to Ehrlich to win the election without having to even resort to race-baiting... declare a state of emergency in Baltimore and send in the troopers.

Anonymous said...

What they should do, galt, is put cameras on every corner, flood lights on every street, and then bring in the state troops. Why not make it a total police state?

Don't bother with fixing the system. (which O'Malley only hinted at thinking about doing)

Sorry for the sarcasm, it's actually said in fun.

You're right about the lack of a concrete alternative --Kevin

Anonymous said...

You get the cameras & lights, I'll fetch my screwdriver.

For what it's worth, Ehrlich's troopers are fairly... professional. It's O'Malley's guys who've been goosestepping.

Cham said...

I don't care how bad things get. Booby is to keep his greasy paws out of my city. The man can't even pass a simple slots bill, do you honestly think he knows anything about crime control?

Really, folks. The national high crime rate in major cities is not an easy fix.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Booby?!