The Department of Justice report on policing in Baltimore has demonstrated a determination to bring to light the failings of the city police department as well as put the problems facing it out of sight ("Baltimore Police fail to police themselves, Justice Department finds," Aug. 10).
The investigators had an agenda — one that called for compiling data to support their preconceived mentality on police brutality. I had several phone conversations with Billy Coleman, program manager policy analyst with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Service for the Department of Justice, during the course of the study.
I asked her to address two issues — the severe shortage of police officers who are so necessary to make the streets safe for Baltimore City citizens and the problem of black-on-black crime committed in the city. Ms. Coleman's response was a sophisticated brush off to these subjects.
As former acting police commissioner Anthony Barksdale stated, "Community policing works once you get control of the crime. ... We have no control in Baltimore."
During my conversations with Ms. Coleman, it became obvious they were not going to talk about the major sources of the crime problem in Baltimore City. These sources are the inferior quality of education offered to students who attend Baltimore City public schools and the breakdown of family values.
All of the social engineering recommendations put forth by the Justice Department for reform will amount to little or nothing unless the city's career politicians and the police commissioner start to tell the truth about the real solutions for the crime problem. What is needed are at least 300 more police officers and a better public educational system in Baltimore. That is the truth and it hurts.
Ralph Jaffe, Baltimore