https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Public Safety


Article

Power and poverty clash in Baltimore

Power and poverty clash in Baltimore

Riots break out after Freddy Grey's funeral
  • Written by Derek Prall
  • 29th April 2015

UPDATE: On Sunday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake lifted the city’s 10 p.m. curfew, and the National Guard began to pull out troops, suggesting the city may be returning to a state of normalcy.

Since Tuesday of last week, Baltimore’s residents lived under five consecutive nights of restrictions imposed by the city’s police force and the National Guard due to unrest connected to the death of Freddie Gray, who died from injuries sustained while in police custody, The New York Times reports.

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced Friday the six police officers involved with the arrest and transport of Gray will be charged criminally. Protesters have lauded the decision, while police organizations and supporters have decried the decision as politically charged, according to CNN.

The six officers have a preliminary hearing on May 27.

_____________________________________

Last night thousands of law enforcement officers and National Guard troops worked to maintain order in Baltimore after riots broke out on Monday.

In an effort quell the violence, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake imposed a mandatory curfew last night beginning at 10 p.m. The New York Times reports hundreds of people ignored the order, staying in the streets and intermittently clashing with riot police throughout the night.

However, the violence was not as intense and Monday night, and shortly before midnight Police Commissioner Anthony Batts told reporters,“The curfew is in fact working,” adding that 10 people were arrested after it went into effect. “Citizens are safe. The city is stable,” he said. “We hope to maintain it that way.”

Riots in the city began Monday as protests over the case of Freddie Gray spiraled out of control. Authorities report that ultimately 15 buildings and 144 cars were set ablaze after the funeral service for Gray.

The 25-year-old Gray was arrested April 12 on a weapons charge in a high-crime area of Baltimore known for drug trafficking, CNN reports. He “gave up without the use of force,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said last week. None of the six officers involved in his arrest reported any use of force against Gray.

There is video evidence of an upset but otherwise healthy Gray being led into a police van, CNN reports. However, “when Mr. Gray was taken out of that van, he could not talk, and he could not breathe," according to Rodriguez. Police say Gray was not buckled in with a seat belt during the ride to booking.

Gray died seven days later of a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody. CNN reports it is unclear what caused this injury, and what, if anything happened in the van.

The six officers involved in his arrest have been suspended, which is standard procedure after an “in-custody death” Baltimore Police Department spokesman Eric Kowalczyk told news agencies. He added this doesn’t mean the department feels they did anything wrong – only that they were involved.

In the days following Gray’s death, Batts told reporters “we know our police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner multiple times.” The police and U.S. Justice Department are currently investigating the situation, CNN reports.

The case will be presented to the city’s prosecutor on Friday, who will determine whether to bring up charges against the officers involved, The New York Times reports.

While Gray’s death served as the catalyst for Monday’s riots, some observers believe Baltimore was a powder keg. “It was only a matter of time before Baltimore exploded,” writes Michael Fletcher, a Washington Post reporter and three-decade resident of the city.

In his editorial he describes a city deeply divided on lines of poverty and power. He says the disenfranchised poor are without opportunity, without adequate housing and often without hope. “Now all of the pent up anger and bitterness has boiled over into the kind of rioting Baltimore has not seen since the 1968 uprising that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” he writes.

At least one city official seems to agree with Fletcher. In an on-the-street interview with Fox News Monday night, Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby said the chaos and destruction was the result of the “social economics of poor, urban America.” He said those demonstrating are venting decades of anger and frustration over a system that has failed them.

Watch the full video below.

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on Youtube

Tags: News Public Safety Article

Related


  • Georgia city moves to automated trash collection
    Environmental Solutions Group (ESG), part of Dover, today announced that Columbus, Ga., is in the process of streamlining its refuse collection programs and is looking to ESG’s Heil for new Durapack Python Automated Side Loaders to help increase efficiencies related to the city’s recycling program. Columbus currently services close to 60,000 homes, and Columbus Solid […]
  • A video surveillance camera and sign warning about CCTV being in operation
    All activities monitored: The 10 most surveilled major cities in the U.S.
    Public close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, or public video surveillance camera, hold multiple benefits for cities. They can help reduce crimes around public areas, buildings and roads, and with the increasing deployment of smart sensors and 5G, these cameras will be able to utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) to accomplish much more in the future. […]
  • A street in Denver
    Denver anticipates autonomous vehicles with cross-agency, cross-sector collaborative planning
    Without early planning by regulators, autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to fail on their promises of safer and more convenient travel. Before and even during the pandemic, which has understandably shifted priorities of local and state officials, leaders in AV policy development are nonetheless thinking about and producing plans to deal with hundreds of […]
  • Revenue and zoning evolution prepares Seattle for an autonomous vehicle future
    Although autonomous vehicles (AVs) are not fully ready for deployment, history provides strong incentive to begin planning for its implementation now. In the early 20th century, the growth of the automobile erupted faster than regulators could have imagined with far-reaching consequences. Although cars eventually helped fulfill promises of economic growth, middle-class jobs, and on-demand mobility, […]

One comment

  1. Avatar stevewonder2 29th April 2015 @ 11:19 pm
    Reply

    PREDICTION: Mayor
    PREDICTION: Mayor Rawlings-Blake, the Police Chief, and certain Councilpersons are OUT OF A JOB after the next election!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How local governments can combat the affordable housing crisis
  • How cities are reclaiming street parking spaces for public use
  • Grand Rapids offers free Wi-Fi access to the public in 10 parks
  • Kentucky county invests over $13 million in building innovative public fiber network

White papers


Records Management Rapid Response Checklist

16th April 2021

Overcoming 5 Common Challenges Facing Facility Managers

16th April 2021

How-to Tips to Prepare for Your Summer Construction Projects

5th April 2021
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

An opportunity for infrastructure that cities and industry can achieve dlvr.it/RyDwZj

22nd April 2021
AmerCityCounty

How state and local government HR teams can prioritize the “human” aspect of the job dlvr.it/Ry8m7d

21st April 2021
AmerCityCounty

How Petersburg is raising its standard of living dlvr.it/Ry4QkF

20th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

Reimagining local government: What the pandemic taught us about adaptability, courage and resiliency dlvr.it/Ry12Z6

19th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

📣 Registration is Officially Open for #IWCE2021! 📣 It's been more than two years, but IWCE is finally headed back t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

19th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

EPIC announces incentive program to help small municipalities replace lead pipes dlvr.it/RxqtsL

16th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

Clearing a path to multicloud as the new foundation for digital government dlvr.it/Rxqcgp

16th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

Records Management Rapid Response Checklist dlvr.it/RxqR8L

16th April 2021

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X