Baltimore pastor wonders about lack of civil unrest over crime in the city

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore City’s crime problem remains a crisis, but community activists say they’re left wondering why there hasn’t been extreme uproar from many in the community.

"People feel, I believe, that there's nothing they can do,” Rev. Al Hathaway told FOX45. “I think it's important that we as community know there is something to do."

While Hathaway says some will try to draw parallels between the civil unrest currently being seen in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd and calls for action over Baltimore’s crime, he believes they have two different root causes.

He says the difference is seeing an alleged crime being committed by an authority figure might not spark the same outrage as one committed by your neighbor.

“Seeing someone killed in police custody, that's a trigger,” Hathaway said “Because it seems as if you are a victim of being oppressed and everyone wants to resist oppression.”

Over the years Baltimore has seen some protests to crime. There have been community organized marches and even events that promote safer streets like Cease Fire Weekend.

"We have to say as a community that we will not tolerate senseless murders,” Hathaway said. “In a sense, everyone can respond to that.”

Hathaway believes there needs to be more grassroots efforts to show the amount of crime our city is seeing won’t be tolerate but that violent uprising aren’t the answer either.

"We have to empower residents so they can be a part of the solution of solving crime in our communities,” Hathaway said.