Cloudy today with showers and highs in the mid 80s. Still cloudy tomorrow, but probably drier with highs near 90.
Following a steep decline in arrests and a surge in shootings and homicides over the last six weeks, mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says that she’s warned the local police union that officers not doing their jobs will be disciplined.
“As long as they plan to cash their paycheck, my expectation is that they work.”
Some sources within the police department claim that officers are afraid to work after Baltimore State’s Attorney brought charges against six officers for the in-custody injuries and later death of Freddie Gray. Charges (nonetheless convictions) against officers for actions during arrests remain exceedingly rare. Other police sources, like Lt. Victor Gearhart suggest the slowdown is a deliberate, vengeful response to the Gray charges and community outrage, noting that residents “are going to get the police force they want, and God help them.”
Police Commissioner Anthony Batts and local Fraternal Order of Police president Gene ‘Lynch Mob’ Ryan continue to deny a work slowdown.
After an earlier announcement denying city aid to 23 non-conforming liquor stores looted on April 27th, the mayor is also aiming to block state funds to the affected businesses.When the city changed zoning laws to ban alcohol sales in residential areas, about 100 liquor stores were grandfathered in and continue to operate legally. Many of the stores have Korean-American owners, a group that has felt unfairly targeted by the city for decades.
A spokesperson for Gov. Larry Hogan says that the state will move forward with approving recovery loans to the stores. The dispute over aid is the latest in a string of squabbles between the mayor and the governor.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested as a third suspect in the murder of 16-year-old Arnesha Bowers earlier this month.Raeshawn Rivers was charged as an adult for first-degree murder and 22 other crimes, though it is unclear what role Rivers played (or if he was even in the home with Bowers at the time of the killing). Last week, police arrested Adonay Dixon and John Childs for the brutal murder.
The Maryland Historical Society will preserve hundreds of photographs, video and audio recordings from Baltimore residents of recent weeks of protest and unrest. As they build their collection, the society is sharing it all online.
