This Much is True

Justin Fenton isn't prettytalking to please anyone: violent crime went up this year in Baltimore while in almost every other major city it went down.* More murders, more nonfatal shootings, and (now it's me talking) a return to stop-and-frisk strategies that are not only not legal but do not work and a commissioner who seems clueless about what the law actually is.* All of the hard-won and tremendous-but-tenuous gains the city made under Dixon/Bealefeld are rapidly slip-sliding away due to poor management, disorganization, a lack of transparency, and an apparent reluctance to take an evidence-based approach to anything.

Robert Wimbley

In other awful news, Andrea Williams, 45, was allegedly stabbed to death by her boyfriend Robert Wimbley early yesterday morning.

A 23-year-old man was shot to death in the 2700 block of E. Monument,* victim #234.

The Sun's Carrie Wells has picked up the story of the Slumlord v. Ott lawsuit.* [Rochkind] "alleges that I vandalized his property — it's just simply not true," Ott said. Which is technically correct, in the way it's technically correct that Stanley Rochkind doesn't own the property because his real estate trust/LLC does. Court date is in March, and it will be well worth the price of parking.

231

Darnell Edmonds, 31, was stabbed on Monday in the 900 block of Bethune Court and died yesterday. Three other people were injured Monday night: a guy shot in the leg in Better Waverly, a 54-year-old man was shot in the torso in Sandtown-Winchester, a 38-year-old man was shot in the 1700 block of Ashburton St. in Coppin Heights.*

Eli Barber-El was killed in the 300 block of Park Avenue downtown on Sunday, one of six people shot in a two-hour period around town. Fenton notes he was featured in a 2003 Sun story,* "Circle of Grief."

A 36-year-old man was shot in the 3800 block of W. Belvedere Ave on Xmas eve.*

Sedan driver fatally shot over the weekend identified as 56 yr old John Achiampong. Any outrage, #Baltimore?
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 23, 2013

Antwane Knight

Come for the murder, stay for the dogfighting ring: ISO a suspect, police stumbled on one Antwane Knight with six effed-up pit bulls; Knight was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

Also on Christmas eve, an evil genius robbed the Towson Target.*

City officials are officially mum on why the speed camera company Brekford was dumped, but Scott Calvert and Luke Broadwater dug up the documents that revealed errors copious and shiteous enough* for the city to walk away from $50 million in revenue.

WMAR's got your Carol Ott lawsuit details and documents, including one that connects Stanley Rochkind with the properties, way down at the bottom in teeny tiny letters.

Samesamebutdifferent

The weekend has been marked by a "rash in shootings" with a total of four people shot Saturday night, one fatally on Park Avenue,* and a cab driver was fatally shot on Maisel Ct. in south Baltimore* and his passenger was shot in the hip.

A 36-year-old man was shot and killed in East Baltimore on Friday afternoon* in the 1200 block of Luzerne Avenue.

A "gun-toting grinch" robbed a UPS driver of packages on Roland Avenue*

Two men, Charles Williams and Travone West, were convicted of fatally shooting Chantera Cook* in 2011 after they got into an argument with her boyfriend.

King

Smith

Remember the armed robbery in the men's room of Towson Town center? Two guys, Malik Smith and Damon King, were arrested because Smith dropped his own cell phone while making his escape.

Three more Silk Road moderators were arrested, Andrew "Inigo" Jones, Gary "Libertas" Davis and Peter Phillip "Samesamebutdifferent" Nash.

Local rabble-rouser Carol Ott is being sued by slumlord Stanley Rotchkind for $5,000 to repaint murals painted on his properties by the Wall Hunters project.

Sherman "Goose" Kemp of Stop Fucking Snitching fame just got more time tacked on to his sentence for selling hairron in prison. Van Smith reports that Kemp was aligned with the Phillips Cocaine Organization.

Let police know if you see Paris Jones, 65, missing since Dec. 19 and suffering from memory loss.

What?? The BPD, apparently also suffering memory loss dating to the early 80's, reports that this is the new "A Safer Baltimore" logo/font/something.

CourtWatch Endorses Mizeur

From Steve J. Gewirtz of Charles Village Court Watch:

While I was actively doing a court watch, the one thing that I consistently noticed was that most violent crime had an addiction to illegal drugs at its root.  For example, when John Wagner murdered Stephen Pitcairn, Wagner and most of his apartment mates including Lavelva Merritt had spent the morning high on drugs and alcohol, and the robbery that led to the murder clearly was an effort to get money for drugs.  Police Commissioner Batts, having worked previously in California where a lot of gangs started, has made the point that gangs are at the root of our increase in murders this year, and those gangs exist largely to run drug operations.

When the 18th amendment to the U.S. constitution instituted prohibition of alcohol in the roaring 20s, it provided for concurrent enforcement by the states and the federal government. All but one of the then 48 states adopted prohibition.  The one that did not is our state -- Maryland.  Thus, enforcement of prohibition in Maryland came only from the federal government, and the Baltimore Sun named Maryland "the free state."  As we know, prohibition was a colossal failure that led to a lot of violence (think of Al Capone) and was repealed by the 21st amendment.  We should have learned something from prohibition, namely that trying to ban something that a lot of people want is not possible and that resulting black markets are accompanied by fights over territory in which to sell the something.  When prohibition was repealed, the violent crime subsided.

Today, our country jails more than 2 million people, many for violations of the prohibition of drugs.  We incarcerate people at the highest per capita rate in the world.  Yet people who want drugs still can get them.  In addition, every study shows that the rate of use of illegal drugs is the same for whites as for blacks, but blacks are charged with and jailed for drug crimes far more than whites.

At the same time, far more people die from legal drugs, namely tobacco and alcohol, than from all illegal drugs combined.

For these reasons, it has long been my view that most recreational drugs should be decriminalized.  Get rid of the black markets and we can get rid of much of the violence.  The war on drugs has been a colossal failure.  At the same time, I do believe in cracking down on violent criminals, especially multiple offenders, but if drugs were legal under appropriate safeguards,  there would be a lot less violent crime.  We would save much of the money now spent on prisons.  We also would be able to make drug treatment truly available on demand for anyone who needs it.  Many addicts would need to try more than one program to find one that works for them.

A good place to start is to end the prohibition of marijuana.  Two states so far, Colorado and Washington, have legalized the possession of small amounts, and both states plan to raise money by taxing the sale of marijuana.  There are problems to work through, especially since marijuana is still illegal under federal law.  For example, I understand that banks in Colorado will not accept deposits from marijuana dealers, and I suspect that this is because under federal law, knowingly accepting a deposit from a marijuana dealer constitutes the federal crime of money laundering.  Also, we need to plan for vigorous enforcement of laws against driving under the influence of marijuana -- think of the horrendous accident some years ago in Chase, Maryland because a train operator who was high on pot failed to begin to stop for a signal until it was too late. The first time I tried marijuana, I bicycled afterwards from one dorm to another, and I found myself coming up suddenly on stop signs.  Therefore, when the accident in Chase occurred, I knew exactly how it had come about.

Fortunately, marijuana is generally not an addictive drug. Addiction can be hard to break.  For years, I consumed huge amounts of caffeine, and it took numerous tries to break my addiction.  But I never had to worry about getting busted for buying a fix, and my addiction did not interfere with a career.

While we think about reducing crime, let me mention another issue. I have tutored a few students at the Waverly Library (before it was closed for renovation).  I can recall tutoring a fifth and a sixth grader in math and noticing that they would add two one digit numbers by counting on their fingers.  As far as I can tell, nothing is done for such students by the school system, and the ones I encountered at least were going for tutoring.  My guess is that when students get too far behind and see no future for themselves, that becomes the signal to join a gang and to get involved with drugs. We need to break this cycle.
In the gubernatorial race, one candidate so far has come out for legalization of marijuana, namely Delegate Heather Mizeur.  She would create a legal market for marijuana, would tax it, and would use the money to fund prekindergarten education.  This would be an excellent first step in reducing crime centered around the drug trade and in giving our children a jump on getting the education they need to feel that they have a future.  Kids from middle and upper class homes reach kindergarten already knowing the letters of the alphabet, but too many kids from poverty begin learning the letters in kindergarten.  She has also spoken of the need to end the system that sends too many kids into the court system rather than into college and careers.  I expect that we will see more details on what she plans to do, and I hope that other candidates will also discuss the issue.

As you may guess from what I have written above, I am supporting Heather Mazeur and her running mate Delman Coates for governor and lieutenant governor.  Heather will be speaking at a meeting at 7:30 p.m. next Monday, December 16 of the Old Goucher Community Association at Lovely Lane Methodist Church at 2200 St. Paul St. in Baltimore.  I hope that people will attend and will hear a really dynamic and inspirational speaker.  One of the things I most like about her and her running mate is that I expect them to do more than any recent governor to inspire all of us to do more to make our communities and our city and state a much better place.  They believe in government, as do I, but government cannot do everything.  We all need to contribute our time.
To learn more about Heather, go to her web site: http://www.heathermizeur.com/ If you are interested in meeting two members of the cast of The Wire, she has a fundraiser next Tuesday, December 17, and you can click on EVENTS to get details.

Steve

Would You Stop?

Tevin, Traqwan

Sometimes ye olde Stop n' Frisk is used correctly: two 19-year-olds, Tevin Graham and Traqwan Pipkins, were apprehended avec handgun following a robbery* in Belair-Edison.
Prior to these two, the police have only communicated one other arrest since last Thursday. Have they not arrested anyone since last Thursday, or are these guys being singled out?

And while the Tavon White impregnations were something, there is the hint of even worse jail scandals in the wind: O'Malley has announced that most highly esteemed bwana and jefe of the jails, Gary "I will be hitting the ball with great intensity" Maynard, has "stepped down." Entirely voluntarily, we're sure. To spend time with his family. Coincidentally, the legislature is to issue recommendations for reform of the Detention Center tomorrow,* and the WaPo has gotten its paws on said recommendations. To make a long story short, they involve reducing the entire jail to rubble.
   TIL the jail in Baltimore is the only jail run by the state, which I vaguely remember is due to some sort of federal do-it-yourself-or-I-will-do-it-for-you-and-cut-off-your-allowance order based on a previous series of fuckups, but I am too tired to Google that right now.

Maynard joining non-profit Criminal Justice Institute; Gregg Hershberger, deputy sec for operations for DPSCS, will take over...
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 10, 2013

Tyrone West

Prosecutors claim that Tyrone West's death in custody on July 18 was due to “cardiac arrhythmia due to cardiac conduction system abnormality complicated by dehydration during police restraint.”* A related protest is scheduled for tomorrow at 5* at City Hall.

And surely totally completely unrelated to the in-custody deaths of Anthony Anderson and Tyrone West, which were most assuredly handled in superlatively lawful and appropriate ways, the BPD has announced it will change the way it deals with in-custody deaths. “Our focus and our goal is to be transparent, whether we do things well or whether we don’t do things well,” said Commissioner Anthony Batts.  So starting tomorrow requests for public information will no longer delayed for years and cost a thousand million dollars, right?  Even the FOP is calling BS on this unrestrained fart-in-your-face of a claim:

1. Baltimore City FOP ‏@FOP36h

   @BaltimorePolice You claim to be open & transparent. So why a secret commission? And who was even interviewed? Glad you have faith in us.

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2. Baltimore City FOP ‏@FOP37h

   @BaltimorePolice Your own detectives completed their criminal investigation. The SAO and OCME completed theirs as well. Why a commission?

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3. Baltimore City FOP ‏@FOP37h

   @BalimorePolice So how much death investigation experience do your so called "experts" on the Anderson commission have? @MayorSRB

... and let's not let the quick and painful deaths of a few distract us from the slow, painful deaths of many: the owner of the delicious and expensive Black Olive restaurant is skeptical of the Harbor Point developers' assurances of safety. "If there is a need to stop the project because [chromium] levels are so high they are dangerous, would you stop?"

Nascent socialist David Simon will be hosting a $50-a-head signing of his cookbook TREME: Stores and Recipes from The Heart of New Orleans at Johnny's restaurant in Roland Park this Sunday at 2. 

Fred and George, Jill and Jose

Life in prison for Jose Morales.*

A man with a gun tried to rape a 13-year-old in the 2700 block of East Madison Street after midnight.*

Jill Carter plans to introduce legislation to overhaul the laws that govern police internal investigations.

We know the cause and manner of death for all 218 homicides this year, many of which are still under investigation...
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 9, 2013

But in the West case the response is that it's not appropriate to release it until the investigation is "complete"..
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 9, 2013

No indication that West's case will be ruled a homicide; in fact I've heard it was ruled otherwise. But it's def being handled differently
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 9, 2013

The WaPo reported on the sneaky "malware" means the Feds use to spy on people, such as embedding a virus-like program in somebody's email that allows spying through a laptop camera without making the 'record' light come on.

Fred and George

A 7-11 clerk was shot in the County, in the 8600 block of Pleasant Plains Road.

A man was robbed and stabbed in Dundalk.

In AAC, Fred and George were arrested for selling drugs to an undercover officer.

Felicia "Snoop" Pearson is all alone eating a rack of ribs and drinking a Mai Tai, so I guess she's not in jail any more.

Your bangs are curled, your lashes whirled, but still the world is cruel.

After the city's 218th murder on Virginia Ave. of 26-year-old Rodney Smith, the city has officially surpassed last year's homicide total.* And three officers working cold cases have been moved to performing background checks* on new recruits, presumably because no entry-level administrative assistants are available to perform menial data entry.
Soooo.... when you guys think Batts will be out?

"Federal Prosecutors Coerce Pleas Using Strict-Sentencing Threats.*" Well, yah, and it's no empty threat if  95 percent of Maryland drug trafficking cases end in a conviction. Wonder what the corresponding conviction rate stat is for murder cases in the city?

TDR's Danny Jacobs found a lawsuit filed by one Calvin Hemphill in July 2012, alleging that corrections officers conspired with BGF gang members to put the hurt on him for threatening to snitch about all the babymaking going on.

Maryland Counties held a secret meeting about speed cameras.

Nick Mosby wants to make it illegal in the city for employers to ask job candidates about their criminal records.

Baltimore: bitches, we invented the knockout game.

Police confirm stabbing of woman at Russell and Bush Sts occurred on a Greyhound bus.. The terminal is near there
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 6, 2013

Their story sad to tell,
Three teenage ne'er do wells,
Most mixed up non-delinquents on the block!
Your future's so unclear now,
What's left of your career now?
Can't even get a trade in on your smile!
(La lalala lalala lalala...)
Beauty store robbers, beauty store robbers, no graduation day for you...

Related: prescient bank robber worked a niqab in Radiant Orchid even before Pantone named it color of the year

Some special needs kid was/is being tormented at Dundalk High School, and Ray Rice is not pleased.

Help us ID a suspect wanted for an aggravated assault on the Charm City Circulator bus last week.1-866-7LOCKUP w/info pic.twitter.com/joAPcqxWnR
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) December 3, 2013

Phrase You Never Thought You'd Read Dept: "Those Talmudic scholars over at the Baltimore city Liquor Board"

No baby no

Oh noooo... DPW and police are reportedly searching the trash at N. Carrolton and Harlem for a baby, Fenton confirms that police got a call about a baby in a bloody basket. Please, Lord, make it be a food baby. UPDATE: no baby.

A man in the 3900 block of Gwynn Oak was shot multiple times but survived.*

Johnny Johnson

The family of Matt Hersl, who was fatally mowed down at 115 MPH by an H'd out Johnny Johnson, is furious that prosecutors plan to offer Johnson a plea deal.*

Two different gunshot victims walked themselves to the hospital yesterday.*

Glad to see the ACLU is speaking out against the Bail Bonds industry. Why does MD have the 4th highest rate of marijuana arrests? Could it be the Bail Bonds lobbyists? ... who happen to be top donors to Del. Joe Vallario, the guy who trapped Kurt Anderson's overwhelmingly supported decriminalization bill in committee.

Sign of the times? Baltimore prosecutors getting "active shooter" training - not for their cases but basic survival pic.twitter.com/iQIfIpTFze
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 4, 2013

The Baltimore Development Commission wants your opinion.

Tis the Season to be Robby

I missed you, blog! Damn you actual work for coming in the way of my lurid rubbernecking!

Last Saturday morning a man with no ID was found dead near Brooklyn, shot in the back.* He's since been identified as Thomas E. Burrell, 36.

So after 137 days Tyrone West's autopsy is complete,* but the results are secret, which is apparently not that rare of a thing when an investigation is ongoing. Still, West's family is megapissed and a City Council hearing is scheduled next Wednesday.

You'd think a dance club by the bus station with a free open bar for the ladies would be replete with ladies and gentlemen of refined social graces, but no, at Voltage NightClub Sunday night/Monday morning during a party hosted by Young Gunner, Dimp and Mo Stacks, an unID'd guy was shot in the back.*

You may recall one of the suspects in the latest round of arrested jail BGFs was a member of the National Guard, recently shipped of to Afghanistan. Now the feds are working on bringing Derrick "homeboy" Jones' azz back.* He's accused of helping to smuggle in cell phones.

"98 Rock, Stash Sued By Couple Injured in Crash." Stash, sure, but the station? Damn you Daily Record paywall!

Batts was on 92Q this morning.

Police are ISO this Cherry Hill robbery suspect. Also, that's a really nice drawing.

A 3rd defendant, Laura Karr, has pleaded guilty to her role in the kidnapping and shooting of a 15-year-old in HoCo. Karr and her boyfriend Donald Peoples Jr. mistook the kid for someone who ripped them off on the purchase of a $200 bag of weed. Another defendant, Chiquita Sketers, pleaded guilty and got 25 years.

Brew: the City may have to pay back $7 million of missing Federal bucks earmarked for the homeless

An assault, robbery and abduction in sleepy old Taneytown.

The Baltimore Guide reports lots of street robberies in the Fell's Point area

Fenton's got yer robbery reTweets. The BPD's Tweeting robberies now? Somebody's going to get carpal tunnel:

1. ROBBERY: Dec. 1, 12 p.m. 3100 Frederick Ave. Pizza place robbed by suspect with handgun; took money and cigarettes

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2. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: Today, 2:30 PM. 2700 Maryland Ave. (Charles Village). Auto parts store employee robbed at gunpoint of bank deposits, money

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3. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: Today, 5:10 a.m. 1900 Greenmount Ave. (Barclay) 39-year-old waiting at bus stop robbed at gunpoint of money

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4. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   HOME INVASION: Dec. 1, 9:40 pm, 4500 block Anntana Ave (Frankford); man, woman robbed of money by suspect with hammer, two others w guns

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5. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: Dec 1, 8:30 PM. 3200 Polar (Lakeland). 27 yr old approached on foot, asked if he had cell phone, wallet; took backpack instead

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6. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: DEC. 1, 5500 Chinquapin Parkway (Woodbourne Heights) Cab driver robbed, assaulted by customers. One suspect taken into custody

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7. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: Dec. 1, 6:30 PM, 1015 Orleans St. Man robbed at gunpoint at BP Gas station; money and property taken

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8. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: Dec. 1, 5:30 PM, Hamburg at Russel (Near M&T Stadium); 3 suspects tried to rob a 49 y/o man

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9. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton16h

   ROBBERY: Dec. 1, 5:10 PM 1200 W. 36th St.(HAMPDEN) 21 y/o victim reported being robbed of a cell phone while making a drug sale