The common denominator in the ongoing crisis of killings on the streets of Baltimore is the gun ("Man, woman fatally shot in West Baltimore," July 11). Optics of rallies, marches and prayer vigils are fine but do not materially impact the problem. Spend time in the affected neighborhoods and you can quickly identify persons of interest. Certainly, the local police officers know the bad actors. The missing tactic in controlling street violence is "stop and frisk."
Such a strategy would be viewed by many as profiling, infringement of personal liberty, and Gestapo policing. By any realist, this aggressive approach to a crime crisis would be viewed as an extraordinary remedy for a public safety emergency.
As to the legality of "stop and frisk," recent high court decisions demonstrate that rulings trend toward the whims of jurists with the only constant being political ideology.
Arthur Pierce