BALTIMORE, PHILADELPHIA MOVE TOWARDS MARTIAL LAW

[cyberpj]

This was very hard to find on the net (only the Baltimore Sun article that I could find) but it was big news in Philly all weekend on the local talk shows. I heard it once on local news, but I couldn't find anything about it in the Philly papers.

Please, recommend it up the front page if you also believe it needs attention.


BALTIMORE, PHILADELPHIA MOVE TOWARDS MARTIAL LAW
Saturday, May 19, 2007
JOHN FRITZE, BALTIMORE SUN

Large swaths of Baltimore could be declared emergency areas subject to heightened police enforcement - including a lockdown of streets - under a city councilman's proposal that aims to slow the city's climbing homicide count. The legislation - which met with a lukewarm response from Mayor Sheila Dixon's administration yesterday, and which others likened to martial law - would allow police to close liquor stores and bars, limit the number of people on city sidewalks and halt traffic in areas declared "public safety act zones." It comes as the number of homicides in Baltimore reached 108, up from 98 at the same time last year. . .

In addition to closing businesses in the zones, the bill would permit police to limit the number of people who could gather on sidewalks, in streets or in other outdoor areas. It would prohibit the sale and possession of weapons, though Curran acknowledged that weapons used by criminals are almost always already obtained illegally. Zones could be established solely by the mayor, initially for a two weeks, with the option to renew indefinitely.

Provisions of the bill are identical to a law in Philadelphia that recently gained attention when a mayoral candidate and former city councilman proposed relying more aggressively on the code. That candidate, Michael Nutter, won the Democratic nomination for mayor Tuesday. . .

Philadelphia's law allows the city to impose a curfew in the emergency zones, but Curran said he removed that provision from his bill because it seemed too strict.

The blog:
http://prorev.com/2007/05/baltimore-philadelphia-move-towards.htm


'Desperate' plan to slow crime
Council bill would put areas of city under enforcement some liken to martial law
By John Fritze
Sun reporter
Originally published May 17, 2007

Large swaths of Baltimore could be declared emergency areas subject to heightened police enforcement - including a lockdown of streets - under a city councilman's proposal that aims to slow the city's climbing homicide count.

The legislation - which met with a lukewarm response from Mayor Sheila Dixon's administration yesterday, and which others likened to martial law - would allow police to close liquor stores and bars, limit the number of people on city sidewalks and halt traffic in areas declared "public safety act zones." It comes as the number of homicides in Baltimore reached 108, up from 98 at the same time last year.

"Desperate measures are needed when we're in desperate situations," said City Council Vice President Robert W. Curran, the bill's author. "What I'm trying to do is give the mayor additional tools."

By introducing the legislation, Curran - who is an ally of Dixon - is promoting increased enforcement at a time when City Hall is moving in the opposite direction, shifting away from zero tolerance and toward an approach that focuses more attention on individual criminals. Dixon has sought to ease tension between police and residents who feel the city's past arrest policies were overzealous.

The entire article cont'd:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.md.ci.emergency17may17,0,620067.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[Demeter]

1. What the Hell Is Going ON?

We aren't Anywhere near the summer of 1967!

[cyberpj]

2. I thought it was particularly weird considering the Shadow Gov item topping our Greatest Page. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Little by little, they keep chipping away at the very freedoms on

which this country was founded. If, as Bush claims, the terrorists hate us for our freedoms, then I suppose that taking them away will alleviate that problem.

[loudsue]

6. That statement needs to be on billboards around the country, Granny! So True!

"If, as Bush claims, the terrorists hate us for our freedoms, then I suppose that taking them away will alleviate that problem."

:kick::kick::kick:

[xxqqqzme]

52. true, there will be no reason to fight us here.

[YankeyMCC]

4. And I just finished reading an article on the Globe about rising crime rates in urban areas

Some indications pointing towards the drain of resources and focus on counterterrorism as the reason:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/05/21/crime_rises_as_police_fight_other_threats/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News

(snip)
"What we're seeing over the past 24 months is a new volatility. In some big cities violent crime and murder are up. Some are seeing a reduction. It's a dramatic shift from the past 10 years when it was mostly all decreases," he said.

Criminologists are worried. Federal Bureau of Investigation data shows murders and shootings hitting smaller cities and states with little experience of serious urban violence. The last similar period of volatility was right before the big crime wave of the 1980s and 1990s.

Explanations vary -- from softer gun laws to budget cuts, fewer police on the beat, more people in poverty, expanding gang violence and simple complacency. But many blame a national preoccupation with potential threats from overseas since the attacks of September 11, 2001.

"Since 9/11, police obligations have increased substantially above and beyond decreasing street crime," Jens Ludwig, a criminal justice expert at Georgetown University.
(snip)

[krkaufman]

32. Not too tough to predict, given the increasing gap between rich and poor..

... and our ignoring the problem of poverty. (The economy is considered great, so long as stockholders are seeing a rise in their investments.)

[Roland99]

5. Yeah, let's ignore the causes of increased violent crime (increased poverty)

wheee!!

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. While we're at it, let's not mention less federal $$$ for police, too! n/t

[grasswire]

7. Now watch for this: accusations that the criminals are muslim

I've been waiting for this card to be played -- an attack on Black America because so many of its men are converted to Islam while in prison. I've seen some literature in the Right about it. I've feared they would use the phenomena to start a race war in the U.S.

They could very easily whip up a big race war at home by hyping crime and inflating fears that the "terrorists" are right here in our inner cities: black men who have been indoctrinated and trained in our prison system and who plan violence.

That's big enough a tool of repression for Bushco to remain in office in perpetuity.

[IronLionZion]

23. I thought those guys straightened their lives out and became good citizens?

I thought that was the whole point of it, that they could have some direction and discipline in their lives? A lot of prisoners find Jesus too.

[FatDave]

39. That post just filled me with dread.

I'm afraid you may be onto something.

[grasswire]

40. part of what tipped me off to this is Charles Colson's writing

You know, the Watergate figure who (allegedly) repented and turned (allegedly) to prison reform. He's been writing about the Black Muslim prison population for some time now. And considering his ruthlessness, I've been paying attention.

[Marnieworld]

8. For some reason I hear the theme song to "The Wire"

Every season they have different artists perform this. This past season's version was my fave.


Way Down in The Hole
Lyrics by Tom Waits (which was new to me)

When you walk through the garden
you gotta watch your back
well I beg your pardon
walk the straight and narrow track
if you walk with Jesus
he's gonna save your soul
you gotta keep the devil
way down in the hole
he's got the fire and the fury
at his command
well you don't have to worry
if you hold on to Jesus hand
we'll all be safe from Satan
when the thunder rolls
just gotta help me keep the devil
way down in the hole
All the angels sing about Jesus' mighty sword
and they'll shield you with their wings
and keep you close to the lord
don't pay heed to temptation
for his hands are so cold
you gotta help me keep the devil
way down in the hole

[leveymg]

10. Is anyone old enough to remember the "long, hot summers" of the 1960s?

I do, and studied them later in university seminars. What's happening is that the economic costs of the Iraq War are beginning to impact the urban poor in terms of prices and jobs.

The war is also causing a breakdown and polarization in domestic politics, and a generalized belief that something is terribly wrong.

Under these conditions, violence and crime are on the rise. The feds have been planning for the possibility of renewed rioting, and this is part of those preparations.

If Bush-Cheney stay in office too much longer, there will again be rebellions. Only this time, I think the Right-wing is going to have a much harder time trying to cast this as a Law and Order issue along race and class lines.

The American Middle Class is about ready to revolt, and will demand the ouster of this Administration.

[mnhtnbb]

26. I remember the Watts riots. It's interesting to note that the following

link mentions that Reagan won the governorship, in part, because he pinned
the blame for the riots on the incumbent Dem governor, Pat Brown.

http://www.africanamericans.com/WattsRiots.htm

Who'd have thought he'd use the Iran hostage situation many years later
to do the same thing for the Presidency? Of course, by then he had
GHW Bush to help manipulate the release of the hostages to Reagan's advantage
during the election.

[Vilis Veritas]

27. And Directive NSPD 51

makes it all the easier to bring Marshall Law and squash any sort of revolt.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and that all the good people in the services will rebell when it becomes American against American.

:hide:

[krkaufman]

34. As will Blackwater. n/t

[krkaufman]

33. I'd only disagree that this will be a Right Wing problem, or linked solely to Iraq.

The increasing gap between rich and poor is inevitable under Conservative/Reaganomics policies, and will lead to civil instability. The Iraq war and the focus on terrorism may only be accelerating the inevitable.

And, sadly, with a Democratic President and Congress in 2009, the Democratic Party will likely be saddled with a political and economic situation worse than that faced by Carter in the late 70s -- and there's no certainty that the root cause of the instability will be accurately identified and communicated. (Just look what happened to Ron Paul when he communicated the findings of the 9/11 Commission.)

[Atman]

11. A fake attack on Philly would be the perfect ruse

Philadelphia, being the home of the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin and at the very root of American Democracy, would give the White House Press Office and the government-controlled media endless talking points and rationalizations for why the city was attacked, and millions and millions of American would swallow that load without question. "They hate us for our freedoms!" And what better place to demonstrate that hatred than by attacking at the heart, the soul of our system of government?

This shit practically writes itself. They count on America being stoopid.

.

[cyberpj]

19. The same thoughts crossed my mind. And

instead of setting up LA or Chicago, a smaller big city such as Philly or Baltimore brings the fear closer to people in lots of cities across the country. I'm wondering what other mayors in what other cities might be considering these laws right now that we haven't yet heard about. and they don't have to count on American being "stoopid", they just have to keep counting on their media lapdogs to be lazy and compliant.

[Vilis Veritas]

31. I wonder how many scenarios they run?

Each day. Falcon or Eagle or perhaps a new one, Cockroach - the SuperComputer to squash the bugs... :shrug:

Links:
Falcon
http://www.defenselink.mil/transformation/articles/2006-07/ta070306b.html

Eagle
http://www.techworld.com/storage/features/index.cfm?featureid=1395

[Me.]

12. Keep Spreading The Word

This is important

[Wiley50]

13. Baltimore-Worst Urban Blight I've Ever Seen

I had reason to drive to Baltimore two summers ago to look at a boat.

Blocks upon blocks of rowhouses with only one or two per block being occupied.
The rest were burned out, boarded up, condemned

It looked like a war zone in a third world country
I couldn't wait to get out
I was afraid of being car-jacked
or being hit by a stray bullet

How can we let places in the USA get that way?

[cyberpj]

20. What? It's just blacks and poor people. Just keep cutting Fed programs and giving them drugs and

wait for them to die or kill each other off.

Katrina neglect was National news and still they continue to f--- those people over.

With no true media to keep corruption and tragedy in front of people long term it's SOP for America to move on. Jesus! We don't even have to look at Iraq on a daily basis, do you think they're going to let us care about blacks and the poor?

[krkaufman]

35. Yeah, we really continued that discussion on poverty prompted by the post-Katrina crisis.

[FatDave]

38. Your description is not an exaggeration

I go to a Baltimore suburb on business every so often. One day coworker and I, both from the Chicago area, decided to drive in and check out the city. The downtown area seemed pretty filthy compared to Chicago, but just beyond downtown were the rowhouses you spoke of. Looking out to the horizon was a sea of them, block after block stretching toward the horizon, most burned or with roofs caving in. I could only hope they were uninhabited. I've lived in the "rough part" of a couple medium sized cities, and I've been through the "rough part" of some major ones, but I've never seen urban decay on that scale before or since.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

14. Gainful employment in the U.S. dries up...

...violent crime goes up -- not unexpected. Perfect opportunity for BushCo to incrementally phase in Martial Law.

[Perry Logan]

15. Violent crime rate is going down, not up

Reality check: the rate of violent crime is not going up.

The rate of violent crime in the United States has been on a steady decline since 1992.

Murder has dropped from 757.5 incidents per 100,000 people down to 469.2 in 2005. A reduction of 39% over a 15 year period.

Looking back over the last ten years, the average reduction in the rate for all violent crime is down 26%. Murder and Non-negligent Homicide are down 24%. Forcible Rape is down 12.7%. The Robbery Rate is down 30% and Assault is down 25.5%.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Vyan/161

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

16. From the OP:

..."It comes as the number of homicides in Baltimore reached 108, up from 98 at the same time last year."

[CGowen]

46. It's the number up until now, the numbers for 2006 will be public in 0ct 2007

According to crime statistics there were 269 homicides in Baltimore in 2005,<13> giving it the highest homicide rate per 100,000 of all U.S. cities of 250,000 or more population. <12> Though this is significantly lower than the record-high 353 homicides in 1993, the homicide rate in Baltimore is nearly seven times the national rate, six times the rate of New York City, and three times the rate of Los Angeles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore,_Maryland

http://baltimore.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm

[cyberpj]

21. I went to that journal entry to find the link for the facts. FBI Uniform Crime Reports link

doesn't go to the Crime Report.

"Instead of looking at the fact that according the FBI Uniform Crime Reports the rate of violent crime in the United States has been on a steady decline since 1992."

I'll try searching but I'd really like to have a source for those figures so I can direct my neighbor there to see them.

[stillcool]

24. here's something...

U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Justice Statistics

Serious violent crime levels declined since 1993
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/cv2.htm

[rucky]

45. Is 2003 the most current from the DOJ?

UCR (FBI report): Violent crime up in 2006.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/prelim06/table3.htm

[stillcool]

54. I didn't look around...

but your find is pretty interesting...robbery and arson way up...same thing isn't it?

[cyberpj]

25. Reuters: May 21, 2007 - U.S. crime rises as police fight other threats

U.S. crime rises as police fight other threats
Source: Reuters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2853698

[lpbk2713]

17. All because someone vandalized a Limbaugh billboard in Balto?

This is :sarcasm: but it certainly looks like the powers that be are over reacting. :eyes:

[stillcool]

18. Strange it would be...

those two states...


http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/pennsylvania.html

[steel71]

22. They are disarming African Americans

The government knows that the inner cities aren't afraid to put up fight if marital law declared. So, they'll take the guns away from law abiding citizens, and the criminals will have even more power. Politicians throughout history have used the excuse of caring for the well being of the people as an excuse to take away freedoms. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party baned smoking in public and private establishments because they wanted to protect the citizens health. History has a funny way of repeating itself. Oh, Hitler also took their gun rights away too. How were the Germans to know what lied ahead for them because after all, Hitler was Time magazines 1939 man of the year recipient. Joseph Stalin won not once but twice. Good job Time magazine, I'm sure you were just naive back then. :(

[Vilis Veritas]

29. If somebody I do not know

comes up and says he cares for me and is just looking out for my best interest...I immediately check my wallet and once I am sure it is still safe and sound...I run.

Welcome to DU...:hi:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

41. Hey, I won Time's title last year. I think you did too.

MKJ

[brg5001]

53. Hello Freeper/Lurker: Time's "Man of the Year" is for the biggest NEWSMAKER

(edited for grammar)

Sorry, but your post is irrelevant to this particular topic. You're comparing anti-smoking efforts to the actions of the Nazis, then trying to compare any type of gun control (I assume that's the straw man you're taking on here) to Nazi-led gun confiscation. Then, you top it off by assuming that Time magazine (apparently the "liberal" media in your view, as I infer it) named Adolf Hitler as Man of the Year in 1938 (not 1939) because they admired his gun control and anti-smoking efforts.
That was your logic, wasn't it?

By the way, Joseph Stalin was Man of the Year for 1939. Neither Stalin nor Hitler were named because their actions were admirable.

I am always entertained when you Freepers and Lurkers attempt to link left-leaning policies with the actions of right-wing dictatorships. Instead of lecturing us on how bad it is to address public health issues or to enact reasonable gun controls (NOTE TO FREEPER: THIS DOES NOT MEAN TAKING YOUR FAVORITE LITTLE PET GUN AWAY!), or to limit smokers' rights, why not read a little more before trying to hijack threads with irrelevant and uninformed commentary.

Sorry DUers if that seemed harsh, but suspected Freeper commentary deserves a swift rebuttal.

[krkaufman]

36. What is particularly strange about those 2 cities/states enacting these laws? n/t

[stillcool]

37. the geographic location...

please forgive my cynicism...I spent some time putting this post together... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=927120&mesg_id=927120
and as a result I am more skeptical than usual...

[Vilis Veritas]

28. Keep tracking...

All these stories need to be kicked all the way to the top...

Thanks for the link...

[stillcool]

30. Found an interesting site on stats...

http://stopviolence.com/cj-knowledge.htm

How to manipulate crime rates: Politicians manipulate crime rate statistics by choosing their measures and choosing their years. Sometimes to justify larger budgets and more money, police or politicians need to show there's a 'crime problem,' and want to present high numbers for crime. At other times, they need to demonstrate that their policies are effective at reducing crime, so they want to present lower numbers.

If you want to show that crime went up, use the UCR because the improvements in record keeping make it look like crime increased through to about 1990. If you want to show really huge increases, use 1960 as a baseline year because the baby boomers were still babies and police record keeping was incomplete.

If you want to make it look like crime went down, use a relatively high crime year like 1980 or 1990 and compare it to a relatively low crime year. Or put a crime like burglary into the trend, because it consistently decreased through the 1980s.

FAQ on UCR from FBI.gov. Main UCR page. William Chambliss' book Power, Politics and Crime (2000) offers a very critical look at the manipulation of crime rate statistics.
----------------------------------------------------------------

# The number of people locked up has quadrupled since 1980. There are 2 million people in prisons and jails nationwide. An additional 4.7 million people are on probation or parole. (See Dept of Justice 'Corrections' page for details)
# There are 11.5 million admissions to prison or jail annually. (FBI). Every year, more people are arrested than the entire combined populations of our 13 least populous states.
# America incarcerates five times as many people per capita as Canada and 7 times as many as most European democracies; the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, indicating we are not 'soft on crime.' (See World Prison Brief, International Centre for Prison Studies, Kings College, London)
# America spends approximately 200 billion dollars a year on the criminal justice system, up from 12 billion in 1972. (Dept of Justice Current CJ Expenditures). Please keep in mind these underestimate the full cost of CJ because some costs like prison construction are counted as capital expenditures under a different budget from CJ.
# With 2.2 million people engaged in catching criminals and putting and keeping them behind bars, "corrections" has become one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy, employing more people than the combined workforces of General Motors, Ford and Wal-Mart, the three biggest corporate employers in the country.
------------------
* America's overall crime rates are similar to comparable nations. For the crime of assault, 2.2% of Americans are victimized each year, compared to 2.3% of Canadians and 2.8% of Australians. For car theft, the U.S. rate is 2.3%, Australia is at 2.7% and England is at 2.8%.
* America is extraordinary only in its rate of homicide with guns - lethal violence. American gun homicide rates run twenty times the rate in comparable nations- causing Americans to live in fear that their counterparts in England and France do not share.
http://stopviolence.com/cj-knowledge.htm

[MrSlayer]

42. I live in Philly and there has been ZERO talk of martial law.

This is bullshit. They're talking about implementing a "stop and frisk" program to get illegal guns off the street. They're also considering declaring a crime emergency in the worst areas. This murder problem is way out of hand here and, provided they carry the programs out properly, I have no problem with them.

[bdamomma]

43. kick

[rucky]

44. That's the ticket! Keep people from interacting...

and nobody can kill each other.

[LynneSin]

47. I am so looking forward to John Street leaving office

I remember Philadelphia before Ed Rendell and it was a shithole that you wouldn't want to visit. Now, 8 years after Rendell left office, John Street has managed to take it back to the way it was pre-Rendell. I'm shocked Street hasn't firebombed any neighborhoods yet (and if you know anything about Philly you'll know what I'm talking about).

I'm kinda excited about this Michael Nutter, who is the democratic nominee for mayor (term limits). Nutter has had a history of clashing with Street so hopefully Nutter will come in there and clean up this city back to the Rendell days!

[gaspee]

48. One of the worst things

BushieBoy did domestically was defund the COPS program started by Clinton. That program was a huge reason (and a good economy) why crimes were down countrywide during the Clinton years.

I'd like to see the program refunded when the white house is back under dem control.

[Mend]

49. the government is probably committing these crimes....set up an air of

"criminal instability" to scare voters. Hello fascism.

[Zensea]

50. standard overreaction as per usual on DU

After all in the article it says
"Large swaths of Baltimore could be declared emergency areas subject to heightened police enforcement - including a lockdown of streets - under a city councilman's proposal that aims to slow the city's climbing homicide count.

The legislation - which met with a lukewarm response from Mayor Sheila Dixon's administration yesterday, and which others likened to martial law" -

which means as far as I'm concerned that some wingnut has introduced the legislation but it isn't getting much traction.
This is hardly an indication of Baltimore moving towards martial law, it's just an indication that there are some idiots who would like it to be so.

There will always be such idiots.

[hippiechick]

51. Yeah, the furor is a little bit extreme ..

:wtf: