Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young is calling for Baltimore’s police union to “stand down” with its “combative media posts.” How interesting (“Baltimore Mayor Young calls recent police union tweets a ‘distraction,’ plans to meet with FOP leadership,” Aug. 28).
It is laudable that the mayor wants “all partners” to participate in solving Baltimore’s crime problem, including the Fraternal Order of Police. It is critically important that each member of the mayor’s “sit down” be given equal respect and that their opinions have equal weight. In other words, there should be no “stepchildren” at this meeting who will be expected to essentially remain silent and simply observe, creating the illusion of full participation.
For far too long, the Baltimore City Police Department has been treated like a stepchild, having no real say in the process of policing the mean streets of Baltimore. Politicians (and others) who have spent not one day policing the city are deciding how that is to be done. They are the ones who support the "hands off” theory of policing, which essentially means that they acknowledge that they need police. They just don’t want them bothering anyone. That is strictly a political decision and the police become the pawns in a dangerous and costly political game of chess.
Sgt. Mike Mancuso, the head of the police union, is correct when he says that the city does not have the police resources that are necessary to implement any aggressive anti-crime program, including that of the new police commissioner. This is a basic reality. It takes two elements to facilitate the successful commission of a crime and both must exist for success. They are opportunity and inclination. There is a term used in law enforcement called “omnipresence.” What that means is that generally criminals won’t commit a crime in the presence of a police officer. If there are so many police visible on the streets there will be less opportunity, and it follows that there would also be less crime. Most police departments do not have enough officers to literally accomplish that. However, through creative “force multiplier” technique, they can create the illusion that they do.
Baltimore does not have enough officers to implement such a program, diverting officers to designated “problem areas” will only ensure that the crime will move. Police can affect opportunity, but not so much inclination. If a criminal who is intent on his criminality sees police, he will simply commit his crime in an area where there are not so many officers. The union must insist that it participate as an equal member and that it will be able to voice its concerns and ideas to the group. It is also important that the mayor and the police commissioner commit to abandoning this “stand down” attitude when the city and its police are attacked, injured or assaulted in any manner. An order for the police to stand down in the face of crime being obviously and viciously committed is nothing short of ordering them to vacate the solemn oath that each of them took upon putting on their badge.
I would like to see the current standards for hiring of police in Baltimore published, as well as the results of the background investigations on the officers who were recently indicted and imprisoned. Finally, the tendency for the administration, media and others to treat the police as if they were an enemy must stop. And a hint for the mayor, if he really cares: The consent decree is more harmful than helpful so scrap it!
Bob Di Stefano, Abingdon
The writer is a retired major with the Baltimore City Police Department.
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