After reading Kevin Rector and Ian Duncan’s article on the mayor’s choice of Michael Harrison as the new top cop (“A cop’s cop,” Jan. 14), my first reaction was: Why am I even living in Baltimore? The statement that ”Baltimore is the most murderous big city in the United States” followed by “the Police Department has been exposed as a hot bed of corruption” really makes Baltimore sound like the cesspool of the East Coast to live in. And if Baltimore is a cesspool, you know what that makes us!
By the way way, I actually had to look up the word murderous and, according to the dictionary, it means dangerously violent. That must make Mayor Catherine Pugh feel good that her crime strategy has failed and The Sun has declared Baltimore the most “murderous big city” in the United States. Wonder if there is an award for that honor? Also mentioned was that the police department has been exposed “as a hot bed of corruption.” Wow.
As always, the overtime problem in the police department is brought up and considering the crime rate and lack of police officers in Baltimore, I doubt a new “top cop” will solve that one. Recruitment has been dismal and officer morale is poor. No kidding. Remember the most murderous city concept? The fact that Mr. Harrison is a pastor will not help a lot in Baltimore. Not sure how many of our crime committing element are regular church goers and I seriously doubt an act of God will save Baltimore. He has more important things to worry about.
It’s up to the people of Baltimore to take their city back from the gangs and drug dealers. By the way, one of the definitions for a hotbed is a “bed of earth heated by fermenting manure.“ There has got to be a really deep message in there somewhere.
Stas. Chrzanowski, Baltimore
