Solutions to the problems of the inner city must come from and through the inner city. They must be linked with the institutions that make places like West Baltimore their home — institutions like Coppin State University, Baltimore City Community College and Bon Secours Hospital. These three anchor institutions lie within blocks of North Avenue, the epicenter of rioting and looting in late April. Coppin, which is located on North Avenue, sits across the street from Mondawmin Mall and was surrounded by the turbulence.
The problems of West Baltimore run deep and touch every aspect of the human condition. Solutions to these problems will not come about in a day, or a year or a decade for that matter. It will take generations of forward thinking committed citizens to create programs and activities that can correct the economic and social conditions of the community of West Baltimore.
The education, health care and employment disparities are seen as the root causes of the sense of hopelessness that exists.
Is there hope? Yes, emphatically so, but we must use the institutions that currently exist within the community to engender a sense of hope. One such institution lies within Coppin State University: The Bishop L. Robinson, Sr. Justice Institute. Named for Baltimore's first African American police commissioner, the institute was founded in 2011 to provide training, certification and research opportunities in public safety and corrections to students and justice practitioners.
An effective police force that is connected to the community can forestall problems like what occurred in late April. In order to have a positive relationship with the community, our police force — and I emphasize the word "our" because they are part of us and give of themselves to protect us— must feel part of the community they protect. Community policing must therefore be the operative term.
Bishop Robinson believed in an educated and well trained police force. He also believed in creating strong partnerships with the community. The Robinson Justice Institute was founded to create innovation and improvement in the fields of law enforcement, corrections and juvenile services. The institute provides a prototype for customized cross-disciplinary training programs that link cutting edge research to field practice.
The opportunity to bring the Baltimore City Police Academy to the campus of Coppin State University under the auspices of the Bishop L. Robinson Sr. Justice Institute is one that should be embraced by the citizens of Baltimore. The advantage of training in the most challenging of environments gives opportunities for observing and understanding the challenges that would not be visible from outside the community. Now is the time to make this happen.
Coppin is uniquely situated to play a major role in the transformation of the community around it. Two of the university's largest programs, Criminal Justice and Social Work, are connected to the Institute. Coppin graduates are interspersed throughout the human service areas of Baltimore. With over 3,000 students, most of whom live and work in Baltimore, Coppin, along with Baltimore City Community College and Bon Secours can be one of the true anchors of West Baltimore.
My question is: Can we afford not to have the Baltimore City Police Academy relocated to North Avenue and connected to one of West Baltimore's anchors? I don't think so, not if we want to find the solutions that can turn our community around.
Mortimer H. Neufville is president of Coppin State University.