By Joan Kaufman, The Baltimore Sun, January 10, 2020
I was driving down East Biddle Street on my way to a Kennedy Krieger Institute satellite office several months ago when I saw two young men fighting in the street. One was repeatedly slamming the other’s head into the pavement. Crowds of onlookers lined both sides of the street and a string of drivers passed by. Fearing for the young man’s safety, I called 911.
Late that evening I received a phone call from the police officer who responded to my report. She had been with the young man since early afternoon. He had undergone surgery and was not expected to make it through the night. He had no ID on him and she wondered if I had any information that would help to locate his next-of-kin. Unfortunately I did not, and I was the only person to call the police to report the incident.
The year 2019 closed in Baltimore with 348 homicides — the highest per capita murder rate in the city’s history. The year also ended with a 32% homicide clearance rate, the lowest rate of solved murders in three decades. The police commissioner and mayor have outlined comprehensive anti-violence plans that will be strengthened by building on existing successful initiatives that address the profound distrust residents feel toward the police and the endemic racism that has historically plagued the city.
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