How Political Polarization Has Failed the City of Baltimore, Maryland
Race: 30.4% White, 62.5% Black, 0.3% American Indian or Alaskan Native
Median Income Per Capita: $29,700
Poverty Rate: 21.8%
Education: Rated Below Average
Source: Census.gov
“Very dangerous and filthy place”, is what President Trump had to say about Baltimore in a tweet last July. Baltimore is yet another urban city struggling to curb crime and violence. Much like St. Louis and Detroit, the issue lies much deeper than many think. Citizens of Baltimore are calling for reform. Baltimore has been home to numerous uprisings and protests in recent years. There seems to be a great deal of confusion and disagreement surrounding the city’s high crime rate and civil unrest. Right-wing media tends to focus their discussion on the unrest and ignore the issues and forces that have created such unrest. While left-wing media tends to name over-policing as the main force and root of Baltimore’s crime and unrest. “As a result, Baltimore has been left mostly on its own to contend with what has been happening, which has amounted to nothing less than a failure of order and governance the likes of which few American cities have seen in years” (Magnum). This is a story of how poor leadership and political polarization led to Baltimore’s current situation.
High Crime in Baltimore has a history. In the 1980s and 1990s, Baltimore was spiking. After Martin O’Malley was elected mayor he built his platform on Anti-crime policy and legislation. Crime as a result of zero-tolerance drug policies increased police funding, and discipline eventually fell. The policies implemented seemed to be working, but at a cost. “Arrests had jumped to 101,000 in 2005 from 81,000 in 1999” (Magnum). With prisons packed full of men and women who had their futures taken away over petty and non-violent crimes, the system would eventually fail. These people were being punished, rather than being rehabilitated. Innocent lives were being destroyed.
In 2012 the U.S. Department of Justice intervened. Baltimore was one of the recipients of the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Grant. This new program aimed to understand the issues that allowed such high crime to exist and worsen. “The most common problems identified by residents were 1) physical disorder, 2) lack of employment opportunities, 3) lack of youth programs and 4) crime and law enforcement response” (Cantora et al.). By working with residents and community leaders the program was able to highlight some major social factors that led to increased crime. These same social issues seem to be present in all high crime areas.
Citizens attributed physical disorder as one of the major issues contributing to crime. This comes down to something as simple as the appearance of a neighborhood. Citizens attribute a lack of owner accountability and involvement of the deteriorating image of the city. Simply keeping up with infrastructure, lawns, and keeping the city clean could incite other citizens to help and may even bring the community together. It gives citizens an incentive and it gives them hope. But the citizens do recognize it is a lack of resources that has prevented these neighborhoods from holding themselves up.
Lack of employment was the second issue listed. There simply isn’t enough jobs and opportunity and jobs in the area. To reverse this, businesses must invest in the area, and jobs must be created for those who may have a criminal record. It is incredibly hard for those with a record to land a stable job, especially those with felonies. This discourages people from attempting to find legal work.
Lack of youth opportunities and mentorship is another barrier. Children are the future so we must invest in them. ‘“They feel like they can’t get a job, once they get those charges they don’t hire them, I have talked to these guys and then they sell the drugs because they can’t find a job…” (African American female resident — focus group 1)’ )(Cantora et al.). The cycle of poverty and crime must end with this generation. These people are denied access to proper education and resources. They no longer trust the community or the city.
Another issue that has recently received national attention lately is not only destroying the futures of many residents but also taking their lives from them in an instant. These people of Baltimore have a stale perception of the police. They feel as if law enforcement does not care about their area. “Overall, residents struggle to trust law enforcement as illustrated though hesitancy to call and report problems have experienced slow response time or lack of response to calls for service, or over-response to minor problems” (Cantora et al.). Over-response to minor issues has gotten national coverage. Much like the death of Freddie Gray who was pinned down by two police officers who accused him of carrying an illegal switchblade. He was falsely accused. He arrived in custody in critical condition due to injuries and trauma sustained during his arrest and transportation. He later died. Baltimore police are known for using excessive force (BBC News). Police brutality is a national issue but is prominent in urban communities. Cities like Baltimore need to be able to trust law enforcement as their protectors regardless of the color of their skin or their income.
There is hope for Baltimore. With issues of injustice and the critique of law enforcement being cover page news, people are angry and they are demanding change immediately. We see this in protests in cities around the country. Including Baltimore. We see new programs popping up to rehabilitate. Baltimore is not alone in this fight. Regardless of political standing, we must come together as a nation to help these communities. Social change and progress are vital to the healing of these cities. Programs like Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation are important because they sought the opinions of the citizens.