David Simon: O’Malley ‘Destroyed’ Policing

[JonLP24]

15. When they made the Homicide Life on The Street

the show was inspired by David Simon's book but himself it wasn't the story he wanted to tell because it dramatized the truth, bailed out the audience. The show was different because it showed how individuals were compromised by the institutions. Especially those that want to advance their careers and they clearly had people with high levels of experience including the show creators with David Simon a police reporter with the Baltimore Sun for over 13 years.

It was obvious the inspiration for Tommy Carcetti's run for mayor was Martin O'Malley. You have his friend who he backed initially running against the incumbent, then Carcetti enters it with his friend & the incumbent "split the black vote" now while I never know Martin O'Malley actually uttered those words, it was a factor that helped him become elected coming from a district that only elects white people. Tommy Carcetti himself was idealistic, he was running against the Comstat while Bunny Colvin was the inspiration for "real police" came in was compromised with the massive debt problems the Baltimore Public Schools had came in so he couldn't follow through with his police reforms but went back to the numbers games(clearances & numbers and stats a huge part of the problem). It was social commentary not motivated by scripts & the political games are really that cynical. You go to Police Chief Magazine you see articles detailing how many who have obtained the position hated the political nature of the job as you're half politician/half police chief. Phoenix recently fired a police chief specifically with City Hall calling for his firing because the Unions opposed his reforms including the body cameras.

Another example is Marlo Stanfield was inspired by Timorror Stanfield and judging from this (from The Wire's co-creater) the fictional version is remarkable similar to the real life version.

Stanfield Investigation

The investigative process—incorporating controlled arrests, random interviews, and grand jury investigations—was developed during the 1986 Timmirror Stanfield homicide investigation. Stanfield, a classic gang leader, was 25 years old when he was indicted. He headed a drug gang of more than 50 members that controlled South Baltimore's Westport area and West Baltimore's Murphy Homes housing project. The gang was extremely violent and had grown so bold that it denied postal workers access to Westport on their daily rounds.

The gang was responsible for several murders, and the investigation focused on four of the murders that occurred at the 725 George Street highrise. Former Maryland State Attorney Kurt Schmoke authorized Assistant State Attorney Howard Gersh to use a special grand jury to investigate the gang. Approximately 40 gang members and other neighborhood witnesses testified before the panel. Within 5 months, the four cases were prepared for trial, with 15 gang members ready to testify against Stanfield. Three of the cases were presented for prosecution, and convictions were secured against the nucleus of the gang.

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Investigations' Conclusions

From the evidence gathered in the Stanfield and Boardley investigations, it appears that only a few members adopted the violent mentality of the core group. The majority of gang members appear to be trapped between their essentially good upbringing and their fear of the gang's violence. Those members who are uncertain and confused are the ones who the investigators target. The process proposes to resolve a subject's conflicts by offering a safe alternative to the gang—cooperation with government officials.

The investigative strategy achieves its primary goals. This process disempowers the leader, disrupts the integrity of the gang, and generates new evidence that leads to successful prosecutions of the gang's nucleus. The investigative process has a significant impact on both those who cooperate and those who are prosecuted. Based on 1998 data, the Murphy Homes area—formerly known as the Murder Homes—has not experienced new gang or gang-related murders. Drug dealing still exists in the neighborhood, but not with the degree of organization or violence imposed by the former gang.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/bja/gang/bja4.html

Of course it wouldn't only be the TV show I'd judge my opinion of him because obviously Tommy Carcetti seems like a different guy, just the political circumstances are similar & inspiration (in a way he was running against the Martin O'Malley type of mayor only to become Martin O'Malley.) It takes it too certain places such as "Hamsterdam&quot the drug war) or the manufactured "homeless serial killer" (to make a point about the state of journalism today) to make a point but I understand the case, the reasons, and the reality that exists to make them plausable. His opinion of O'Malley and his African-American crew getting locked up matters to me on the point of the issue.

In The Wire. "The Western District Way" was a slogan cops used to describe the brutality they inflicted on suspects that ran making them chase them. Recently Freddie Gray ran from Western District cops & what happened. Almost prophetic.