As Baltimore"s schools crumble and students are forced to sit in classrooms with dangerously low temperatures, the mayor is spending $100,000 on busing students to a gun control rally.
The post Baltimore Can’t Afford to Heat Schools, But is Paying $100k to Bus Students to Gun Control Rally appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
This report was originally published by Daisy Luther at The Organic Prepper
When you think of the most dangerous, violent cities in the world, do you picture slums in Third World countries with vicious drug cartels or arrogant warlords? Maybe the kind of violence where enemies are decapitated and whole families are murdered seem like things that happen far away in some terrifying, exotic locale.
Some of this is true – but FIVE of the world’s most violent cities are right here on the American mainland and another is in an American territory. The list was created by researchers of anti-violence think-tank Seguridad, Justicia Y Paz (Security, Justice, and Peace), who made their rankings based on statistics of homicides per 100,000 residents.
The vast majority of the cities on the list were in Central and South America. Interestingly, the violence in Venezuela appears to have dropped in violence this year, but not because it’s suddenly become a mecca of safety. The official situation there has devolved so much that they simply can’t track all the homicides.
But back to America
We pride ourselves on our first world status and civilized societies, and yet four of our cities ended up on the list of the most dangerous and violent locales on the planet.
They are:
How did these cities make the list?
For those who are interested in preparedness, the collapse of these cities is something to watch. Note how the increase of violence in many cases ties in with a lack of confidence in local law enforcement officers. A failing economy is another factor, as increased desperation leads to increased crime.
What other cities made the list?
Here’s the list of the 50 most violent cities in the world in its entirety:
Seguridad, Justicia Y Paz blames much of the violence on drug cartel turf wars, economic crises, and violence perpetrated by gangs like MS-13.
Do you have any doubt that violence will be abundant when the SHTF?
All you need to do is look at this list and study these cities to see how violence escalates when the rule of law collapses, when economies crash and people starve, when police officers go dirty, and when criminal gangs turn into the ruling class.
This is just further evidence to support my belief that preppers must be armed. If you are prepping to survive a long-term event, make sure that you plan to survive the escalation of violence, too.
In one of the largest police corruption trials in Baltimore"s history, police have admitted to acts which show their mafia-like nature that lays waste to innocent lives.
The post Corrupt Cops Admit To Keeping BB Guns to Plant On Unarmed People They Kill appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
Once again this year, the Brennan Center for Justice has analyzed violent crime stats from the 30 largest cities in America to provide some insight on national trends. Not surprisingly, this year"s report has is full of more bad news for the residents of cities like Baltimore and Chicago that have experienced devastating spikes in homicides over the past two years.
Looking at homicides per capita in 2017, Baltimore is clearly the most dangerous large city in the U.S. with a murder rate that is more than 4x the average of other large cities and some 40% higher than the second most dangerous city of Detroit. To put things in perspective, the murder rate in Baltimore is now exactly tied with Venezuela at 57.2 murders per 100,000 residents.
Of course, as our readers are undoubtedly aware, high violent crime rates in cities like Baltimore and Chicago are hardly a new phenomenon. Therefore, we decided to take a look at year-over-year changes in murder rates by city and made some interesting discoveries. While Charlotte saw the biggest YoY spike, cities like San Francisco and Seattle, both of which are experiencing tech-induced economic booms, were also at the top of the list.
Finally, and not surprisingly, in terms of total homicides, the city of Chicago is still the big "winner" in 2017 with nearly double the number of murders of Baltimore.
Of course, as the Brennan Center notes, it"s not all bad news as aggregate crime in the nation"s top 30 cities declined 2.7%...
The overall crime rate in the 30 largest cities in 2017 is estimated to decline slightly from the previous year, falling by 2.7 percent. If this trend holds, crime rates will remain near historic lows.
The violent crime rate will also decrease slightly, by 1.1 percent, essentially remaining stable. Violent crime remains near the bottom of the nation’s 30-year downward trend.
The 2017 murder rate in the 30 largest cities is estimated to decline by 5.6 percent. Large decreases this year in Chicago and Detroit, as well as small decreases in other cities, contributed to this decline. The murder rate in Chicago — which increased significantly in 2015 and 2016 — is projected to decline by 11.9 percent in 2017. It remains 62.4 percent above 2014 levels. The murder rate in Detroit is estimated to fall by 9.8 percent. New York City’s murder rate will also decline again, to 3.3 killings per 100,000 people.
Conclusion: "What the hell is going on in Chicago"...and Baltimore and Detroit and Memphis and San Francisco and Seattle and....
Trump on crime in Chicago: "What the hell is going on in Chicago? What the hell is happening there?" pic.twitter.com/HMTANkGYSz
— Axios (@axios) December 15, 2017
Here is the full report from the Brennan Center for Justice:
As of 11:20am ET. Thursday morning, the wave of violent crime continued in Baltimore with the death of a 21-year old man by gunfire.
The significance of this latest death in Baltimore’s urban war zone, is that total homicides in 2017 have now topped 2016 levels at 319, and there is still one month to go.
Homicides in Baltimore have averaged 29 per month, which could indicate Baltimore is now on track for the deadliest year ever to be recorded. The all-time per-capita record was set back in 2015, with 344 homicides, said Fox News.
Throughout the year, we have pointed out Baltimore’s rapid deterioration into chaos (see: America’s Urban War Zone: Baltimore Doubles Chicago’s Homicide Rate In 2017).
Baltimore is on track to exceed 400 homicides in 2017 for the first time in the city’s history and has more than doubled Chicago’s homicide rate on a per capita basis.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh has called the city’s gun violence “out of control.” Earlier this year she begged the Federal Government for help as 2017 murders soar to a 20-year high.
“I’m calling on all the assistance we can possibly get because I can’t imagine going into our summer months with our crime rate where it is today, what that’s going to look like by the end of the summer,” says Mayor Catherine Pugh.
“Murder is out of control,” says Pugh.
“We are looking for all the help that we can get,” she says.
The most recent flare up to draw national attention was the November execution of Sean Suiter, an 18-year veteran of the force, who was fatally shot while on active duty. Shortly after, we reported on the 4-5 day lockdown of one West Baltimore neighborhood by police was described as ‘Martial Law’.
15 @BaltimorePolice vehicles on Schroeder alone and dozens more on surrounding blocks. All the officers are just sitting in their cars. pic.twitter.com/M9zCCltdzK
— Baltimore BLOC (@BmoreBloc) November 19, 2017
Death and despair in Baltimore comes at no surprise since the city has been run by democratic controlled leadership for over 50-years. As the death toll Skyrockets, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has had enough and said this week that he will be issuing his own crime-fighting strategy, per CBS:WJZ.
Gov. Hogan said no need for the National Guard but ‘will reveal his own plan to stop the violence in Baltimore as soon as next week’. Back in 2015, Hogan declared a state of emergency during the Baltimore riots, where he called in the National guard to restore order in the city.
Developments in the next 30-days for Baltimore will be critical in determining government’s next step in tackling the urban war zone for the 2018 timeframe. As expected, the city is projected to further deteriorate this month and record the most homicides ever. Now it’s Hogan’s turn to offer a crime-fighting plan and what we’ve seen before… He isn’t afraid to use the National Guard.
Baltimore is an urban war zone - it should be treated like one.
As Baltimore police try to solve the mysterious murder of a detective, the city"s police commissioner appears to be missing some of the most crucial details
While in Baltimore City, Maryland, death and despair are a few things that are plentiful as the region descends into chaos. Deindustrialization coupled with depopulation started in the 1960s stripping the city of economic wealth. Many don’t want to admit, the city is shrinking as their looking glass is clouded with Kevin Plank’s gentrification narrative.
Wealth inequality in the area is some of the widest in the United States with more than 100,000 African Americans with zero dollars to their name, according to JPM. Baltimore is a skeleton of what it once was many decades ago when it had its industries.
Now, 46,800 homes are vacant– almost 16% of the housing stock as citizens are either leaving the area or being pushed into multi-family complexes by the city. Neighborhoods are rotting away as the local economy crumbles giving way to a surge in homicides. Baltimore is on track for the worse year ever with a homicide rate the highest in the United States.
Baltimore is home to about 615,000 people, but the city has more homicides than New York or Los Angeles, both of which have far larger populations. Earlier this year, Mayor Catherine Pugh called in the Federal Government in hopes to restore order. She was even quoted, “violence in the city is out of control”…
With the police department hemorrhaging officers, local community organized groups have taken to the streets in attempt to slow the momentum of out of control homicides.
The movement is called Baltimore Ceasefire and the group has held two weekend city-wide ceasefire campaigns of “Nobody Kill Anybody”… Both ceasefires have failed.
According to WSJ,
Most murder victims are African-American men, and shootings happen largely in areas where residents live surrounded by poverty, unemployment, drug addiction and crime, city police records show.
WSJ interviews Jackie Moodie, a resident of Baltimore who said
“I’m always looking around at my surroundings”.... Moodie’s 27-year old son, Sir Jamareo Moodie, was fatally shot in February.
“These children are so crazy. They get on drugs, they don’t care and they have guns. This is nothing but a bunch of genocide,” she said.
According to WSJ, Moodie supports “martial law” on the streets to stop out of control homicides,
At this point she would support “martial law” on the streets.
“They need it in the areas that are highly targeted as shooting zones, killing zones,” she said, noting that this month, three people were shot, one fatally, a short distance from a Northwest Baltimore police station.
In a preview of what’s to come, we reported on an incident over the weekend where the “police declared martial law” according to one citizen, after an entire neighborhood was shut down with the installation of checkpoints. The 4-5 day lockdown started late last week and ended Monday, after a police detective was executed in broad daylight.
And apparently police been standing on corners like this the last two days pic.twitter.com/y9Qrd2TSRe
— #KingDay Nov29th (@KINGDACEO) November 17, 2017
Five days ago, Det. Sean Suiter, a married father of five and an 18-year veteran with the Baltimore Police, was patrolling the streets of West Baltimore around 5pm last Wednesday when he saw suspicious activity. Suiter approached a man and was shot point blank in the head, in a summary execution. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition where he later died of his injuries.
Rest In Peace Detective Sean Suiter https://t.co/NiKIdmzbAD pic.twitter.com/l7vkrOKjMv
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) November 16, 2017
In response, Baltimore Police reacted with ‘fire and fury’ turning the neighborhood where Suiter was shot into an “open-air prison”, shutting down city streets and enabling checkpoints for citizens while officers in tactical gear went door to door, according to Baltimore Brew. Residents were prohibited from entering their own neighborhood unless they showed proper identification, these extreme measures have been in place for 4-5 days.
“They’ve been to my house three times asking, ‘Did you hear anything? Do you know anything,’” said Edward Stanley, a local resident, who had to show a yellow slip before entering the neighborhood.
Baltimore Brew said, the neighborhood was tuned into “open-air prison”, as the complete lockdown was in attempt to collect evidence and search for the shooter.
Police initially said they needed to cordon off the area to try to capture the shooter. Police have said Suiter was in the 900 block of Bennett Place, investigating a previous homicide, when he was shot on Wednesday. So far, no arrests have been announced in the case. This morning, homicide detective Mike Newton told The Brew that the lockdown was necessary to collect evidence.
One community group took pictures of a checkpoint in West Baltimore.
#FreeWestBaltimore pic.twitter.com/P61qoDLHnq
— Baltimore BLOC (@BmoreBloc) November 19, 2017
15 @BaltimorePolice vehicles on Schroeder alone and dozens more on surrounding blocks. All the officers are just sitting in their cars. pic.twitter.com/M9zCCltdzK
— Baltimore BLOC (@BmoreBloc) November 19, 2017
Another twitter account describes how ‘the police declared marital law’, as one police officer with an assault rifle guards a corner.
And apparently police been standing on corners like this the last two days pic.twitter.com/y9Qrd2TSRe
— Pulla (@KINGDACEO) November 17, 2017
Citizens describe how their day lives have been disrupted as West Baltimore remains under police control, as per Baltimore Brew:
Two women walking down Franklin Street to get to their cars, parked blocks away because of the lockdown, complained that they had been harassed by officers.
“They know I live here. They’ve seen me come and go. But this one had to pat me down. He [the officer] went like this to my jacket, grabbing it,” said Shelly, 25, who asked that her last name not be used.
“They wanted to know where I had been. Why do I have to tell him that? It’s just me in my flip-flops trying to go to my own home.”
“We haven’t been able to get our mail for four days,” said the woman with her, Samantha, 50, who also asked not be identified. “Is the city going to pay the late fees on my bills?”
“It’s so sad what happened to the officer and I hope they catch whoever did it,” another woman said. “But this is really overboard. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The ACLU of Maryland released a statement yesterday, who are “troubled by reports that some persons entering or leaving the area have been subject to pat down searches, and that non-residents have been barred from entering the area”.
“While the search for a killer is, of course, a high priority for the police, the limits on lawful police behavior do not disappear even when engaged in that pursuit. And at least one federal appellate court has said that a similar police cordon and checkpoint system was unconstitutional.
“The residents of Baltimore, and, in particular, the residents of the affected community, deserve a clear explanation from the City as to why this unprecedented action has been taken, what rules are being enforced, and why it is lawful. The need to secure a crime scene from contamination to preserve evidence does not, on its face, explain the wide area to which access has been restricted for days after the incident.”
On-the-ground information is scarce to those outside the cordon because access to residents, including by the media, has also been restricted. For that reason, we encourage anyone who has this kind of information to contact us at curtis@aclu-md.org.
WBALTV11 visited one checkpoint in West Baltimore:
West Franklin Street is back open to traffic.
Police plan to release the West Baltimore crime scene Monday morning #WBAL pic.twitter.com/AgyDlqjWQH
— Vanessa Herring (@VanessaWBAL) November 20, 2017
According to one citizen, ‘this is the 3rd time in less than 3 years that West Baltimore has been occupied by police’…
This is the 3rd time in less than 3 years that West Baltimore has been occupied by police:
1) April 27 - May 1 in 2015 after the funeral of Freddie Gray
2) June 27, 2016 at a street celebration of the life of rapper Lor Scoota
3) Nov. 16-???? in 2017 after Det. Suiter was killed pic.twitter.com/C85qSSl6Br— T"Challa ??Ra ???? (@BmoreDoc) November 18, 2017
Baltimore Brew concludes by saying the Baltimore Police will “clear the crime scene” on Monday, so in a few hours.
Perhaps in a preview of things to come, the 4-5 day siege of West Baltimore by Police has been described by one resident as ‘Martial Law’. Readers concerned about social tensions in the US are urged to monitor events in Baltimore, which better than Chicago or Detroit now demonstrates just how the United States is marching straight into a new, Orwellian era.
Project Baltimore, an investigative reporting series conducted by a local Fox affiliate in Baltimore City, has sifted through over a decade of high school records and discovered that attendance at city high schools in 2017 suddenly dropped to a 13-year low of just 76%. Just to state the obvious, the average high school in Maryland has around 1,200 students so that means that, on an average day, nearly 300 of them don"t bother to show up.
Adding insult to injury, Baltimore City Police Spokesman T.J. Smith told Fox 45 that it"s no coincidence that violent crime is spiking in the city just as more and more teenagers are opting to skip class.
From violent attacks on Halloween night, to a terrifying carjacking and a man pushed into the Inner Harbor. Baltimore City is under siege by criminals that, police say, are teenagers.
“Every single one of them involve juveniles, who are all walking the streets today because they are probably not in school, where they belong.”
Meanwhile, Project Baltimore found that 39% of Baltimore City high school students were technically considered "chronically absent," a threshold that should result in fines or even jail time for parents...that is, if school administrators actually fulfilled their reporting requirements.
As we kept digging, we discovered this: In Baltimore City, 39 percent of high school students are considered chronically absent, or truant, by missing more than 20 days. That’s 8,400 teenagers who regularly are not going to school.
“Hearing that number, that’s a lot of young people who could have something to do during those hours that might be on the street doing something they shouldn’t be doing,” said Smith.
If a child between 5 and 18-years-old doesn’t go to school, state truancy laws hold parents accountable with up to $500 in fines or jail time.
Of course, as we noted previously, another Fox 45 investigation found that truant kids are being routinely passed through Baltimore City schools even if they don"t bother to show up for a single day of class during an entire school year (see: "It"s Very Common": Baltimore Teacher Admits To Passing Students That Never Showed For A Single Day Of Class)
But this teacher says grade changing at Calverton goes much further than just taking a failing grade and making it a 60. Some students who pass, according to this educator, don’t even have grades because they’ve never showed up to class.
“There were students on my roster all year that I had never met, had never seen. On paper they passed my class and passed onto the next year.”
“I love my job and I love my students,” concluded the teacher. “I want to see the students at Calverton and other schools across the city, get a fresh start. And it’s going to be hard because the students are used to this now. But the students deserve better and our city deserve better.”
And, lest you think a 76% attendance rate is "normal", surrounding counties were found to be over 90%.
Not surprisingly, when asked about the excessive absences, a local high school in Baltimore City responded with nothing more than a generic sentence, undoubtedly drafted by an expensive, taxpayer-funded attorney, regarding the importance of regular attendance.
With nearly 40 percent of all city high schoolers truant, Fox45 asked North Avenue if it’s enforcing state law by reporting parents to police. We didn’t get an answer. Instead, we got a statement:
“Strong attendance is essential for students’ success, and the district has a longstanding commitment to ensuring that barriers to attendance are removed.” – Baltimore City Public Schools
The statement lists steps the District has taken to get kids to school, which include fostering strong relationships, providing laundry services, on-site childcare and running a re-engagement center to recruit dropped outs.
Of course, despite their poor attendance records, we"re almost certain that Baltimore City students will have unlimited access to $1,000 of dollars worth of student loans to attend whatever institution of higher indoctrination their hearts desire upon graduation in just a few short years...
For the past several weeks, one Fox affiliate in Baltimore has been publishing some staggering stories about the Baltimore public school system under an investigative series called "Project Baltimore." Just a few weeks ago we noted one of those stories in which an undercover teacher admitted that public schools routinely pass kids that never even bother to show up for class a single day during the school year.
Now, a stunning new installment of the Project Baltimore series from Fox 45 reveals that 13 public high schools sprinkled around Baltimore, of the city"s 39 total, had exactly 0 kids that tested proficient in math.
An alarming discovery coming out of City Schools. Project Baltimore analyzed 2017 state testing data and found one-third of High Schools in Baltimore, last year, had zero students proficient in math.
Project Baltimore analyzed 2017 state test scores released this fall. We paged through 16,000 lines of data and uncovered this: Of Baltimore City’s 39 High Schools, 13 had zero students proficient in math.
- Achievement Academy
- Carver Vocational-Technical High
- Coppin Academy
- Excel Acadamy @ Francis M. Wood High
- Forest Park High
- Frederick Douglass High
- Independence School Local 1
- Knowledge and Success Academy
- New Era Academy
- New Hope Academy
- Northwestern High
- Patterson High
- The Reach! Partnership School
Meanwhile, digging a bit deeper, Fox 45 also found that of the 3,804 students in Baltimore"s worst 19 high schools, only 14 of them, or less than 1%, were proficient in math.
Digging further, we found another six high schools where one percent tested proficient. Add it up – in half the high schools in Baltimore City, 3804 students took the state test, 14 were proficient in math.
- Ben Franklin H.S. at Masonville Cove
- ConneXions: Community Based Arts SchoolDigital Harbor High School
- Edmondson-Westside High
- Renaissance Academy
- Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy
Not sursprisingly, only one Baltimore school replied to Fox 45 with a generic comment suggesting that improvement is difficult and "will take time." That said, why do we suspect that "improvement" will also take just a little more taxpayer money despite the fact that Baltimore already spends $16,000 per year per student...which, mind you, is more than many private schools that deliver far better results.
With these eye-opening results, Project Baltimore reached to North Avenue. But no one inside the building would sit down to answer our questions. Instead, we got a statement. Concerning our investigation, it read, “These results underscore the urgency of the work we are now pursuing. We must do more to meet the needs of all our students.”
That work, according to the statement, involves a new math curriculum started this year, enhanced teacher development and expanded partnerships to provide opportunities for students.
The statement concludes, “There is no simple answer that will close the achievement gap for Baltimore’s students. Though we all want to see results quickly, the work is hard and will take time.”
Of course, we"re almost certain that these poor results have absolutely nothing to do with Baltimore"s stellar, unionized teachers and administrators who will undoubtedly get to maintain their jobs and exorbitant public pensions despite the complete failure of their students.
Last Tuesday, Media Right Capital and distributor Netflix announced the suspension of the American thriller, House of Cards, days after Anthony Rapp alleged Kevin Spacey, the executive producer and star had made ‘sexual advances’ towards him in the 1980’s, when he was 14-years old.
Then last Thursday, Netflix cut ties with Spacey, a day after CNN published an article circulating new allegations of sexual misconduct from several current and former members of “House of Cards”.
Since then, a long impressive list of actors, bartenders, a military advisor, and mostly men, 13 in total, are accusing Spacey of sexual misconduct from the 1980’s to present day.
Unbeknownst to many, House of Cards was predominantly filmed in Baltimore, Maryland for all five seasons making it Maryland’s largest film production. In season 4 alone, almost 2,700 cast, crew, and other support teams were hired from the Greater Baltimore region, and the production alone used local services from more than 2,000 Maryland vendors. Maryland as a whole proudly flaunts itself as the home of the production, which earned more than $128 million in 2015 from season 4’s production.
According to The Baltimore Sun, more than a half billion dollars flowed into the local economy through many businesses during the production of ‘House of Cards’…
Caterers and fast-food restaurants, carpet and furniture outlets, music and antique stores, warehouses, auto parts dealers and paint suppliers - all are included among the show’s hundreds of Maryland vendors during more than five years of filming, often in and around Baltimore, at locations including the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Baltimore Sun.
With the firing of Spacey and the entire production in limbo. There is major doubt the production will continue and could create a headache for Baltimore’s local economy.
Already, local vendors are “already feeling the loss of a deep-pocketed customer and the cachet of being associated with a hit series”, as the suspension of the production inches towards its first full-week.
Meanwhile, the crew is still getting paid says The Baltimore Sun, but many are casting doubts the production will continue.
The 4-5 year economic boom in Baltimore from a big-budget production has likely popped. The economic ripple through the community and many small businesses could be devastating, especially for the state, who has welcomed the the production with enamors tax credits over the years.
Jena Richardson,28, a crew member on House of Cards, said “if the show leaves, that means that a lot of my friends who have become my set family will have to leave to find work as well. So if we can keep the work here, then everybody can stay here and provide for themselves and their families throughout the holidays.”
Another crew member, Roger Voter,27, a tech assistant, said the loss of the show would be a “huge detriment. Having Baltimore locals being trained in these jobs under the masters of LA is great for their careers”, but as we point out Kevin Spacey has popped the filming bubble in Baltimore and it could mean newly created film techs will have to revert back to the bartending life or even return to their parent’s basements.
Bottomline: with the House of Cards bubble popped, Under Armour meltdown, and a homicide rate doubled Chicago’s. Baltimore’s outlook heading into 2018 is bleak.
Baltimore’s second attempt at a 72-hour ‘cease-fire’ was cut short for the second time this year after an off-duty Washington police officer was killed and a women wounded on Saturday.
According to The Baltimore Sun homicide data base, Sgt. Tony Mason Jr.,40, was shot and killed on the upper west side at 2800 Elgin Avenue. Reports from NBC News, indicate Mason was struck by a fatal bullet inside a parked vehicle, where he was later transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital and died...
We regret to inform that @DCPoliceUnion member Sgt Tony Mason was shot and killed early this morning in West Baltimore. EOW 11-4-17. pic.twitter.com/KFDo2ZAojX
— Gregg Pemberton (@G_Pem) November 4, 2017
Unfortunately, Saturday’s shooting occurred just 26-hours into the 72-hour ‘Nobody Kill Anybody Baltimore Cease-Fire’ campaign empowered by community activist who seek change in Baltimore after 50-years of democratic controlled leadership and de-industrialization compounded with an opioid crisis has left the city in an utter mess. The last ‘cease-fire’ in August failed about 40-hours in, as two killings thwarted efforts by community activist. It appears that ‘cease’fire’ events will become more prevalent as the community attempts to raise awareness. The problem with Baltimore and many other cities across the United States is that democratic controlled leadership did not allow media to cover the complete mess in their inner cities. As consciousness increases across America, Americans are figuring out their empire is dying. People are now demanding change.
On Thursday, just one day before the ‘cease-fire’ started, 3 homicides pushed Baltimore’s murder count above 300 making it the third year in a row. Ever since the Ferguson effect in 2014, death and destruction has taken over the city. Sadly enough, The Economist is forecasting a record year for homicides with their models pointing to over 400.
Visualizing the Ferguson effect in Baltimore shows an increase in gun violence after events in Ferguson, Missouri (2014), Freddie Gray (2015), and Baltimore Riots (2015). These events have contributed to Baltimore’s demise, as the city is spiraling out of control plagued in gun violence and an opioid crisis. Yet, it goes unnoticed, despite Baltimore’s homicide rate is doubled of Chicago’s.
As of November 5th, Baltimore’s homicides for 2017 crested over 300. Notice how the homicides are not limited to a certain area of the city, but are wide spread. Oddly enough, homicides are contained with-in the I-95 corridor.
Last week, we warned “the idea of the second ceasefire failing is a very real possibility”, and as of Saturday morning it has.
The blackmarkets of Baltimore or specifically the opioid trade are simply not going to stop for a community led ‘cease-fire’. Listen to leaders of the ‘cease-fire’ back in August calling-out Baltimore and comparing it to a “warzone“.
Remaining events for Baltimore CeaseFire for Sunday:
In recent times, we have covered a grade-rigging scandal in Baltimore, Maryland that is worth paying attention to. Baltimore City Schools could be on the verge of gaining national attention, as the prime example of America’s broken education system.
Project Baltimore, an investigative reporting initiative, by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc, the largest U.S. broadcaster, has led the charge via lead investigator Chris Papst in uncovering evidence, which suggests Baltimore City school officials are running a grade manipulation scheme in the public school system.
In a report from August, Chris Papst’s team uncovered documents suggesting one school in Baltimore has the highest graduation rate in the area with zero students proficient in math. Throughout 2017, Project Baltimore has made the case with evidence—- grade manipulation is widespread.
Back in May, Chris Papst’s team found “6 Baltimore schools, no students proficient in state tests”
6 Baltimore schools, no students proficient in state tests, @chrispapst reports: https://t.co/P1iB7IOOzo #ProjectBaltimore
— FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) May 18, 2017
Project Baltimore uncovers serious grade changing allegations at Baltimore City H.S
#ProjectBaltimore uncovers serious grade changing allegations at Baltimore City H.S. @FOXBaltimore https://t.co/vyqjXXGPxk
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) August 3, 2017
Baltimore City Schools panic—> launches internal investigation on grade-rigging
Baltimore City Schools launch internal investigation following #ProjectBaltimore report. @FOXBaltimore https://t.co/XOMpJTJVdO
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) August 8, 2017
How can a high school with zero students proficient in math have the highest graduation rate?
"How is this possible?" Zero proficiency with high graduation rates. #ProjectBaltimore investigates. @FOXBaltimore https://t.co/vgJoasyAFN
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) August 10, 2017
Balt. City Teacher tells Project Baltimore: “We have graduated kids who can’t read the diploma”
Balt. City Teacher tells #ProjectBaltimore: “We have graduated kids who can’t read the diploma." @FOXBaltimore https://t.co/64C7wR8q8z
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) August 31, 2017
Investigation into grade manipulation expands in city schools
.@FOXBaltimore investigation into alleged grade changing in City Schools expands. #ProjectBaltimore https://t.co/AbpE0z1CW6
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) September 28, 2017
Balt. School Administrator tells Project Baltimore 70% of City Schools change grades.
Balt. School Administrator tells #ProjectBaltimore 70% of City Schools change grades. @FOXBaltimore Investigates https://t.co/qHRN2vN6X8
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) October 5, 2017
Baltimore City Schools #1 in America in Admin. costs says Project Baltimore
Baltimore City Schools #1 in America in Admin. costs – #ProjectBaltimore @FOXBaltimore investigation finds. https://t.co/f3XwuhTOqa
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) October 10, 2017
Project Baltimore: Text Message Instructs City Teachers to Change Grades
PROJECT BALTIMORE:Text Message Instructs City Teachers to Change Grades https://t.co/pvSWlnTtG6
— FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) October 19, 2017
Now the Governor of Maryland responds to the grade manipulation scandal in Baltimore
"It"s frustrating" @LarryHogan responds to #ProjectBaltimore investigation into school admin spending @FOXBaltimore https://t.co/aLCCixu9X3
— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) October 24, 2017
As Project Baltimore’s evidence builds, City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises finally responds on allegations of grade rigging...
Per Project Baltimore,
In the memo, Dr. Santelises says grade changing does a “deep disservice to our students.”
She then outlined corrective steps the District has taken. In addition to launching internal investigations into two city schools, the central grading system is being analyzed, school leaders were issued grading guidelines and mandatory training has been ordered for those who input grades. Santelises concludes by calling our investigations “disheartening”.
She ends on a positive note saying, “I know that every day there are countless positive stories of learning, leadership, and professionalism unfolding in our schools.”
Full Memo:
Dear Colleagues,
As we finalize first-quarter progress reports for distribution to students and families, many of you are no doubt concerned by recent news reports alleging widespread grade-changing in past reporting periods. I am concerned, too, and I want you to know that we are taking the reports very seriously. In August, we began an analysis of grade data held in our central systems. We have also provided school leaders with detailed guidance on required practices and processes regarding grade-changing and have instituted mandatory training for grade reporters.
Our responsibility to uphold the highest standards of professional integrity includes ensuring the accuracy of reporting on student achievement. Anything less undermines our professionalism and, more important, does a deep disservice to our students. Of course, there are legitimate reasons for changing grades—inadvertent omission of a grade on an assignment, late submission of make-up work, simple typographical errors that need to be corrected. But it is imperative that teachers take the utmost care in entering grades, and that all staff involved in grade reporting follow established procedures for reviewing and finalizing grades.
If you have questions about grading policies, please speak with your school leader or contact the Academics Office at 410-396-8810. I also encourage any staff member with knowledge or suspicion of improper or unethical behavior to report it, so that it can be investigated appropriately. Reports, which can be anonymous, can be submitted online or by calling 1-800-679-0185.
Both the seriousness of this issue and the sensational tone of the news reporting about it are disheartening. But I know that every day there are countless positive stories of learning, leadership, and professionalism unfolding in our schools.
I encourage you to keep those stories in mind and to share them with your colleagues, school communities, and social networks as a daily reminder of the important work that City Schools students, teachers, and staff are accomplishing together.
Sincerely, Sonja Brookins Santelises. Chief Executive Officer
In 2016, the city of Baltimore partnered with Bewegen Technologies to launch North America’s largest electrical-assisted cycling (or pedelec) bike sharing program. The system is located in Baltimore’s metropolitan area with over 25 stations available. Fast forward one-year later, this grand "sharing economy" experiment in America’s most dangerous city has imploded due to what the company"s CEO says is a level of theft he has never experienced before.
As of today, Baltimore officials have suspended all operations of the bike fleet until October 15, 2017. According to the Baltimore Sun, the temporary shutdown is due to “thieves ripping the bicycles out at an unprecedented pace”, said Alain Ayotte, CEO of Bewegen Technologies, the Canadian manufacturer. The manufacturer of the $2.36 million Baltimore Bike Share system said his company has "never experienced the level of theft" that caused officials to announce a temporary shutdown of the program to allow additional locking devices to be installed to the bike docks.
Per Baltimore Sun,
"We don’t have this issue anywhere else, not at this level,” Ayotte said Wednesday. “Our locking system is recognized [as] very, very up to industry standard, but due to the issues that occurred in Baltimore this summer, we did add additional security.”
The bike-share program launched last fall with 200 bicycles at 20 stations and was supposed to grow to 500 bicycles at 50 stations in the spring. Instead, it has suffered so many thefts and maintenance backups that most of the bicycles are out of service. The program will close Sunday and reopen Oct. 15.
Unwittingly, some bicycle stations were placed in areas of extreme wealth inequality and high violent crime. Even though, each bicycle is outfitted with GPS, it did not deter thieves. Baltimore is suffering from a racial wealth divide according to JPM. The report highlights African Americans are 63% of the total 620k population with nearly 1/3 having a net worth of zero.
At one point, the thefts became so rampant, maintenance employees spent a majority of time searching for stolen bikes. The Department of Transportation had to apologized for misleading millennials about the true nature of the bicycle problem calling it a ‘rebalancing issue’.
In particular, a citizen named Brian Seel, wrote a Medium piece titled: “Baltimore Bike Share Only Has Four Bikes”. Recently, he rode to all 25 bike sharing docks and only found four working bikes. In the article, he explains how the ‘real problem’ is communication issues with the bike sharing company…
Mr. Steel rode to all 25 stations. In his first finding, he stopped at Baltimore City where there were no bikes, but 5 listed on the APP.
At Baltimore Visitors Center there were no bikes, but 7 listed on the APP.
In Baltimore’s financial district there were no bikes, but 6 listed on the APP.
Baltimore Bike Sharing’s twitter plays it cool….
@BmoreBikeShare any news about what"s happening with the bike share bikes? are they being retrofitted to stop theft, or where are they?
— Yargl Blargl (@evoinvitro) August 31, 2017
It’s a ‘manageable situation’
Know that most city bike share systems shut down for maintanance at least once a year. This is a manageable situation.
— Baltimore Bike Share (@BmoreBikeShare) September 13, 2017
The last one is hilarious: “This is not unusual”…..
Most city bike share systems shut down at least once a year for general maintenance. This is not unusual. We feel ya though.
— Baltimore Bike Share (@BmoreBikeShare) September 13, 2017
Baltimore is a shrinking city with a population at a 100-year low. Officials are unwittingly throwing money at anything, such as a bike-sharing system, to attract millennials. Unfortunately, there is too much overhang in a city where 50-years of democrat-controlled leadership, in-conjunction with decades of deindustrialization. This should be a big clue to millennials that the narrative of city life continues to crack.
Earlier this month, ‘Project Baltimore’, an investigative reporting initiative, which was launched in March 2017, by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. uncovered a Baltimore City school with zero students proficient in math and the highest graduation rate in the area.
The school in focus is Northwood Appold Community Academy II, or NACA II, after teachers contacted Project Baltimore saying grades were being change so students can graduate.
The school is located in East Baltimore City, Maryland where nearly 1/3 of African Americans have zero net wealth.
Earlier this week, Project Baltimore Lead Investigative Reporter Chris Papst attended a meeting between the School Board and residents from the community.
In focus was city resident Kim Trueheart, who runs the Liberty Rec and Tech Center in Northwest Baltimore, sat before the board seeking concerns about the brewing scandal Project Baltimore uncovered.
Trueheart told the School Board,
“I’d like to throw out this question. How is the District accountable to the students? What does that look like? And we got a reporter here in the room, right, and he’s reporting on some stuff that just blows my mind,” she told the board.
…and of course Trueheart’s concerns went unanswered… She told Project Baltimore,
“It would have been nice. But our government is generally not responsive to citizens input.”
Per Project Baltimore:
Trueheart watched Monday night as Project Baltimore reported on this test obtained by Fox45. A teacher told us it was given to high school seniors at a Baltimore City School. The test, in part, asked 12th graders to draw a question mark and exclamation point.
Trueheart’s response….
“I didn’t understand the purpose of that test,” Trueheart told Project Baltimore. “Why would you ask a high school student to sit down and draw an exclamation point?
Here is a copy of the original test….Test Result: 4 correct & 14 wrong.. You do the math
The racial wealth divide in Baltimore is not just in wealth, but in education and health. Per JPM,
In Baltimore, people of color are disproportionately affected by local and national trends in employment, income and involvement in the criminal justice system. For the African American community, which is over 60% of the Baltimore population, unemployment is at 14% compared to the White unemployment rate of 3.6% in 2015. There is also strong racial inequality in educational achievement, household income and asset ownership. Unfortunately, Baltimore’s racial inequality mirrors national inequality. These data further illustrate a troubling reality in America, there are millions of people, and particularly people of color, who are living without the means to save or build a basic safety net for financial emergencies, let alone build the wealth needed to lay the foundation for upward mobility
Only 13% of Black adults in Baltimore finish a Bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 51% of White adults
continued per JPM,
In Baltimore, the relationship between wealth and educational and health outcomes is stark, and even more so when one overlays race. One measure is the number of adults without a high school diploma: among African Americans, the number is just over one in five (21.8%), compared to a little more than one in ten (12.8%) among Whites. This disparity widens in higher degree attainment, with only 13% of African Americans in Baltimore having a B.A. or higher, compared to 51% of Whites.
Educational Attainment… Don’t be shocked
What is even more shocking is the black business value in Baltimore at $40,000 verse white business value $800,000. Wow, what a gap considering the black population is more than 60% of the city.
The brewing scandal in the Baltimore School System of grade manipulation uncovered by Project Baltimore is part of a much larger topic called the racial wealth divide. Nevertheless, this has all occurred under 50-years of democratic controlled leadership and decades of deindustrialization. The city is absolutely shrinking with population hitting a 100-year low and a homicide rate doubled of Chicago’s.
We have to start somewhere and the first step in solving America’s deteriorating inner cities is simply talking about it. As a country, we are multiple generations away from fixing these structural issues that many ignore, because it will open too many can of worms. Strap in, it’s going to be a turbulent ride.
