In response to Wednesday’s editorial, “Baltimore’s consent decree is hurting police officer morale. It’s also the solution” (Aug. 21), I have to wonder why so little is ever said about fixing the real problem in Baltimore. The city has been overwhelmed with violent crime for many years, yet it waits until it is on the brink of total disaster to ask for help. Gov. Larry Hogan brought in the Maryland National Guard to prevent the city from being burned to the ground by Freddie Gray rioters. It was swift and decisive action that made a difference in preventing anarchy.
It seems that it would be far more productive to ask Governor Hogan and President Donald Trump to help control crime in Baltimore while the police department is brought up to strength and able to turn itself around. As any sailor knows, it is difficult to fix critical problems while the ship is taking on water and struggling to stay afloat in a storm. Baltimore is in a similar storm with rising crime, extreme poverty, and dangerous neighborhoods that are beyond the city’s resources to stem the dark cloud of fear that grows and consumes the lifeblood of a great city. The call for help is long overdue, it needs to be done today.
Dan Crumpler
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