Crime & Safety

Community Night Partners Police and Residents

Residents of the Northern District got a firsthand look at what it takes to be a Baltimore City police officer.

Officer Paul Jackson wheeled his police car onto I-83 heading south toward Remington. Jackson, who has served in the Northern District for his entire five-year career, explained he isn’t too familiar with his post for the night. But riding shotgun is Bill Cunningham, a Remington resident, who is very familiar with the area being patrolled.

Cunningham, 66, was riding along on Friday as part of the Baltimore City Police Department’s community night. The event pairs officers with residents for a ride along to help emphasize cooperation in combating crime in Baltimore. According to department figures, Cunningham was one of 280 people to take a ride with police during the citywide event on Friday.  

The first call of the shift was for the recovery of a stolen car. After some initial confusion about the location, Jackson pulled the cruiser into a cab company’s yard in the 2600 block of Sisson Street.

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Jackson parked the car and walked into the cab company with Cunningham. Once inside, Jackson located the cab company employee named Rodney who made the call.

Rodney explained a cab had been reported stolen. But the car wasn’t actually stolen. The driver had been in the hospital and the cab was returned. The company just wanted it taken off the “hot list” prior to another driver taking it out on the road.

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After some paperwork and a call to dispatch, the car was taken off the city’s list of stolen vehicles. Jackson and Cunningham climbed back into the police car. Before pulling out Jackson explained through his window to a grateful driver that the car was OK to take back out on the street.

Hit-and-Run

The next call was further down in the district. A black truck pulling a trailer had reported being rear-ended, and that the offending vehicle had driven off.

“Right now we’re heading to a hit and run. That’ll tie us up for about an hour,” Jackson explained.

Jackson found the truck blocking the right-hand lane of the 2100 block of Howard Street. The truck’s driver was instructed to pull into a nearby shopping center. In the shopping center parking lot the driver showed Jackson the damage to the trailer hitch of his truck. Cunningham, sensing the lack of urgency of the accident, decided to duck into a nearby Baskin Robbins to grab a double scoop of ice cream.

This is Cunningham's fifth ride-along. He owns a property that he's in the process of trying to rehab in the 2600 block of Sisson Street. He's convinced Remington has a chance to be the city's next resurgent neighborhood.

Getting involved with the police department to help keep Remington safe is an important part of participating in turning around a neighborhood that has suffered its share of high-profile violent crimes, such as the murder of  18-year-old Jhoma Blackwell in late March.

After finishing his ice cream, Cunningham headed back out to the parking lot, where Jackson was finishing up the paperwork. Jackson asked if Cunningham was ready to go. Cunningham concurred and the car was back on patrol.

Shoplifting

Heading up Charles Street just before it intersects with 25th Street, a call came over the radio. Security guards at Safeway reportedly caught a shoplifter. Jackson radioed back and told the dispatch, “I’m basically in [Safeway’s] parking lot.”

He pulled into the fire lane and parked the car. Jackson and Cunningham again climbed out. They entered the grocery store through the exit door. Once inside Jackson asked a checkout clerk to point him to security. He approached the customer service desk about where to find security. As he was doing that a female officer arrived and teased him about not knowing where to go.

Jackson took the ribbing good-naturedly, and joked that “I can’t see in the light.” Eventually four officers arrived at the security office. They all took turns looking at the mass of groceries that were previously stuffed in a large brown carry-on bag, and dumped into a shopping cart to be itemized.

The suspect’s ID was handed to the officers outside the security office. An officer mentioned the alleged shoplifter was born in 1953. Cunningham shook his head with a look of sadness.

“She’s 58 years old and boosting,” Cunningham said.

“Don’t Forget, Don’t Forget, Don’t Forget”

Another call came over the radio. This time there were a couple of people apparently intoxicated and drinking from a bottle of liquor in the 3200 block of Greenmount Avenue.

By the time Jackson was able to get to the scene, there were four people either sprawled out on the sidewalk or barely standing in a stupor. Jackson stood near a parking meter and told two of the apparently intoxicated people that they needed to leave the area.

One of the men persisted that he lived over on Belair Road and that it was too hot for him to walk back. Jackson prevailed upon the man that he needed to leave. Eventually the man, with bloodshot eyes and wearing jeans several sizes too big, took the hint and ambled off down Greenmount.

One man, who declined to give his name, said the people were regulars in the neighborhood. Jackson told one of the men sitting on the sidewalk he needed to go. He couldn’t stand up.

At one point a disheveled woman came shuffling down the street. She was repeatedly singing off key “don’t forget, don’t forget, don’t forget.” Despite Jackson’s presence, the woman stopped to sift through a nearby trash can. Cunningham gently told her to be careful because there was glass inside.

She rummaged through the can for a short time. She looked up at Cunningham and sang “don’t forget, don’t forget, don’t forget” before sauntering south again.

Eventually an ambulance came to take one of the men lying on the ground away. The paramedics helped him into the ambulance and Jackson and Cunningham climbed back into the car.  

Back to Remington

The cruiser slowly drove through the neighborhood’s narrow streets. Cunningham pointed out different properties with possible problems. He also pointed out a few people to help familiarize Jackson with some locals.

The car stopped and a man named Mark came over to say hello to Cunningham.

Mark was wild-eyed, shirtless with nipple rings and riding a mountain bike.

The two chatted for a minute, and Mark asked how he could get a ride along. Cunningham explained that Mark would need to contact the Northern District.

Cunningham then asked where another local named Troy had been.

“He’s in jail,” Mark said.

The conversation ended and Mark started to climb back on his bike. He noticed a group of young children across the street and made goofy faces.

Jackson and Cunningham laughed a little.

“I’m the neighborhood freak show,” Mark said before he climbed back on his bike and rode down the street.

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs

At about 6:15 p.m. a call came over the radio that it was time to bring residents on ride alongs back to the Northern District.

Jackson brought Cunningham back to the district. The district community relations officer Doug Gibson manned a grill, and residents and officers helped themselves to hot dogs and hamburgers.

Cunningham sat at one of the tables set up outside the district station. He bit into a hamburger covered with ketchup.

He explained that he keeps participating in the ride along because it helps him get to know the officers. He said it also gives him a chance to show places in the neighborhood that need attention.

“I’ve gotten to know the police officers that work here because of this,” Cunningham said. “I’ve actually had them tell me they'd rather work in our areas than other areas because we’ve shown we really do care.”


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