Whodunnit:
Baltimore’s Murder Rate
Quill Wordsmith
wordsmith@excapethematrix.com
It had to be sometime in late June. A young gentleman was walking down the street, nearing his apartment when four to five loud, quick cracks filled the quiet neighborhood. Quickly, he took cover and sat between two parked cars on the curb whispering to himself, “I’m right here – I’m literally right here and it could’ve been me!” Was anyone shot? Was anyone hurt? Thankfully not – however in the city of Baltimore, this is quite an ongoing scenario in which the victims are usually fatalities.
Baltimore, labeled on many
of the city’s benches as ‘The Greatest City in America,’ was also labeled the
second most violent city in the U.S. during the summer of 2007. Though officials
say that the number m
ay
very well reach 300 before the end of the year, the city has dropped in rank as
of November 2007 to number twelve. Detroit stormed past St. Louis to the number
one mark with 400 plus murders this year alone. What’s the cause of the murders?
If you research many of the news resources, they don’t give details. However,
many of the murders occur as people are simply walking out of their residences,
down the street, out of sheltered areas; some robberies are out of retaliation.
One former resident photographer refers to one of the heavily hit areas as
“Middle East Baltimore.”
However, until its people wake up – it’s doubtful that Baltimore could be considered “the greatest city in America.”
According to Baltimore’s City Paper, “If you stuck a pin in a city map for each murder victim, the east side would be so thoroughly covered you would barely be able to see it. Fifty-two of the 207 people killed [in September 2004] have been killed in East Baltimore between 25th and Fayette Streets.” Ironically, this all takes place in the vicinity of the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Medical campus. So with this ongoing issue going on and the city getting close to its 300th murder for the first time this decade, how does such an issue get resolved?
There are several different organizations and city advocacies in place to take a stand as well as partner with family members and friends of these murder victims. A momentous occasion, sponsored by Justice Maryland, took place October 28th of this year in front Baltimore’s City Hall. The non-profit organization strives to live out this mission: “Every day, Justice Maryland organizes around and explores legislative, administrative and systemic solutions to both age-old and contemporary injustices in order to bring about statewide and lasting reform. Many of the individuals and organizations who work with us have advocated for individuals and families that are ensnared in the criminal justice system.”
Officials say that the number may very well reach 300 before the end of the year
As
a 240 person lie-in demonstration, the list of Baltimore’s 2007 murder victims
were read off as the crowd of over a hundred demonstrators stood in silence,
each holding a number representing the murder and how it took place. Sadly,
while each name was read in alphabetical order, there was an addendum, as a
homicide/suicide took place the night prior to the demonstration. The Baltimore
Sun, along with other cities, has developed a
database in which inquiring minds can view all of the various murders around
the city based on age, race, neighborhood and cause of death. Some of the facts
that you find are amazing. The majority of the murders were men under the age
of 25 years of age; a large number of them were African American; of the two
Hispanics, one was only sixteen years old, the other a John Doe.
Many of the structured community organizations around the city, however, are starting to take a stand; a stand not only against the outstanding murder rate, but also in the condition of each neighborhood. Though gentrification plays a huge part in many of Baltimore’s poor quality areas, there’s a great deal of revitalization also taking place. With new movie theaters, hotel districts, and shopping developments, Baltimore still strives to be a very welcoming city in the mid Atlantic region of the U.S.
However, until its people wake up, it’s doubtful that Baltimore could be considered “the greatest city in America.”
For more information check out:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/