David Simon: O’Malley ‘Destroyed’ Policing

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9. when you critizize for this you omit the dangerousness on the street which compelled the policy

...the reasoning that 'we don't have to figure out who's committing crimes, we don't have to investigate anything' is made up and contrary to his first police commissioner's efforts which initially reduced the backlog of violent crimes, including murders in the city.

It's one thing to accuse their zero-tolerance policy of an abuse of civil liberties - it undeniably was, it was found unconstitutional by the courts - but it's incorrect to represent that policy as the totality of his administration's efforts on policing and crime which included a strong community outreach and consultation effort, as well as actual police reform. There were real and concrete successes during his term as mayor in reducing crimes, including criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson and motor vehicle theft.

More importantly, not only did he campaign on a zero-tolerance policy, but it was being asked for, demanded, by many in the community, including some prominent members of the black leadership and clergy who were desperate to make the streets safe from the explosion of violent crime and drug activity.

That's not to excuse the abuses of civil liberties, but it an explanation which belies the cynical reasoning that O'Malley was just practicing some political 'clean up the streets' stunt. There were real and consequential reasons for instituting the police strategy; a focus on reducing violent and aggravating criminality in the Baltimore neighborhoods which persists today. It's actually a separate issue from the criminality surrounding the police killings and abuses today, and it's ludicrous to suggest that policies over a decade ago, policies which were supposedly ended by the administration which followed his term, are responsible for 'mistrust' between youth and police in that community today.

Benjamin T. Jealous, a former president of the national NAACP who worked with O’Malley when Maryland abolished the death penalty in 2013, credited him for supporting a civilian review board as mayor and for a sharp drop in police shootings that occurred during that time.

Those successful policies which reduced aggravating and dangerous crimes in the city are not insignificant and should be included in narratives about his police commissioner's discredited policy of arrests - including David Simon's criticism, writer and producer of the fictional television show 'The Wire,' and his biased, inaccurate, and incomplete article.