Monday, December 26, 2005

December 26

Howard County Dead Body

The main suspect in the homicides of officers Leslie Holliday and Adam Vazquez, Eugene Victor Perry Jr., had tried to apply to both the city and county police forces.

Annapolis police: crimes against Hispanic immigrants are rising.

Rodricks on the MD criminal justice system:
"[Ehrlich] has made a fix a priority." Read your own paper much?
Like the thing about the City having to sue our own State for witholding a public report about Central Booking... that tax dollars paid for? The one about when Ehrlich announced they'd closed down the Hickey school, leaving nowhere to send juvenile offenders but adult jail or shady group homes? Hey did we ever get those 9,800 treatment slots announced two years ago?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

A fix a priority? In my neighborhood, a fix has been the priority for thirty years.

Anonymous said...

And since the lights went out on my street on Xmas, there are plenty of people here from whom to get that fix.

Anonymous said...

On the subject of Rodricks' advocacy of treatment in lieu of enforcement, his article on the case of the Commissioner's step-daughter, Nicole, is instructive.

see:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-rodricks082505,1,5394829.column

The one problem with offering her a treatment slot is, she's on record as not wanting one. She CHOOSES to be an addict. Her words, not mine. And she's not alone. For those who want O-U-T of the lifestyle for good and are realistic about what it takes to succeed in a program, I am their greatest advocate.

For the many in Charm City who CHOOSE to be addicts, including those incapable at this time of sustaining the perseverence needed in rehab, do not waste precious treatment slots or probationary consideration on them. Lock 'em up. For these are not an epidemic, but a pestilence, and decent citizens are entitled to be free of them. Altruism should never shelter malfeasance.

Maurice Bradbury said...

I don't get why anyone would even dabble in the white drugs. What do you think is going to happen? Does that story ever end well (William Burroughs aside)? And all of that mixing and burning and cotton balls and whatnot involved with the heroin... it takes some effort to learn, it's not like it's something that just happens. I don't get it. But I do know more than one recovered addict who has said to me that going to jail and detoxing the hard way literally saved their lives.

Anonymous said...

Yes, and I support ONE publicly-paid treatment slot per offender. Most of the people in treatment however, have used up scarce slots several times in the past and keep going back to using when released from supervision.

InsiderOut said...

I concur with Jay. Ehrlich is not responsible for Baltimore's mess. The Sun's critique seems out of place here.

Anonymous said...

I slam Jablow's boss for reporting false/misleading crime statistics and I slam the Guv for not protecting the law-abiding from the refusal of the City government to enforce basic criminal laws passed by the State and delegated to the counties (including the charter county of the City of Baltimore). The City should be subject to State takeover, as least as to nondiscretionary services such as policing and public education. And they don't come any Right-er, Jay.

Maurice Bradbury said...

To clarify: The city didn't become an internationally notorious crime-ridden heck-hole overnight or through the action or inaction of one individual or party, and neither of them seem to care about the crime problem enough to offer more than lip service.

Ehrlich and O'Malley's administrations have both done a remarkably crappy job of protecting the city from crime and taking the most feeble, basic steps towards public safety (enough cops on the streets, a central booking systems that works, a place for juvenile offenders).

And what really bugs me is it seems like the perfect time for a third candidate to start getting aggressive and provoking an actual discussion of public safety issues, but no one's stepping up to the plate there, either.

Maurice Bradbury said...

And Jay, "You have a chance to make something much bigger of your blog..." you sound like a total douche. Please stop reading now.

Crying conservatives... what's this world coming to?

Anonymous said...

Hey, I resemble that remark.

Anywho, for someone stepping up to the plate, I'd keep my eye on Ken Harris. He's pretty tuned in to public safety and if O'M vacates Hizzoner's chair, Ken might make for a compelling candidate. More so than the Council Pres., who'd more likely win the vote.