Batts Fired, Deputy in Charge

Kevin Davis, ol whatshername

Decked out in a serious and seriously rack-hugging suit jacket, SRB announced today that she'd gone and fired her hand-picked commissioner Batts and that his deputy, one Kevin Davis, was now in charge.

Which is momentarily startling but not really shocking - the litany of awful since April 27 includes:

• A homicide rate as bad as the early years of Schaefer,* accompanied by talk of an intentional police "work slowdown."

That's in-credible!

• The FOP's own report finding that the "credible threat" police cited preceding the riots on April 27 when they built up their street presence, urged major businesses to close, shut down metro and bus service and surrounded Frederick Douglass kids in the Mondawmin parking lot was, in fact, not "credible" in the least:

"On April 27, 2015, the commanding officer of the Criminal Intelligence Section was deployed as a commander of a Mobile Field Force to Mondawmin Mall ... work in this situation would have been better spent investigating and analyzing the 'purge' information that was received."

• Also it turns out that it wasn't a tounge-flub at all when the mayor said she "gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well" -- the FOP reported that officers were indeed told at roll call that day to "the Baltimore Police Department would not respond until they [the protestors] burned, looted, and destroyed the city so that it would show that the rioters were forcing our hand." Charming!

• The van with BPD lettering on the back door: "Enjoy your ride, cuz we sure will!"

And the final straw: an earnest 20-something white guy got mugged for his bike and wrote an op-ed about it published in the Sun, revealing to both citizens and apparently the police spokesman* and City Councilman Brandon Scott that police stations in two of the worst districts (South and Southwest) are closed, as in doors locked, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m nightly. This was followed by tales of officers' unprofessionalism, mass quittings and 24-hour-shifts surging on Reddit, and the shit show was somehow made even worse when the "most professional" of the officers the victim dealt with going on Facebook and blaming him for biking "in the dark" when he wasn't.

Update:
Fenton has a good summation of Batts' career.*
Batts was brought in from Oakland to be a change agent. What he brought: California-style riots to Baltimore, with the "space to destroy" and "show[ing] that the rioters were forcing our hand."
Also from the FOP report:

Batts used tactics in Oakland that he denies using in Baltimore. 'We allowed the protesters to start breaking into Foot Locker. They broke into Foot Locker and different places. But we had to do that because we didn’t want to look like this was a police action, where we were responding too soon. Then we had a very coordinated plan. It took us time to just kind of corral them, bring them in, and take them to jail. We didn’t have any complaints whatsoever, and the citizens said we did a good job.'

Notable: Kevin Davis, who called Batts a "true reform commissioner" himself "had a long career in Prince George's County, where he helped police emerge from federal oversight related to officers' use of force.*"

Dixon, anyone?

Everyday Creepers

Oh, Batts. He has stepped in it again, this time asserting to Jayne Miller that while murders and shootings are up, crime is down for "everyday citizens."* Whatever might he mean by that?

"It's very localized and unfortunately, it's with African American men who are involved in the drug trade and 80 to 85 percent of the victims are involved in the drug trade going back and forth." 

Well. Not only is this offensive as the dickens on many levels, as Fenton points out it's not even factually correct. According to the police's own information, in only 3 of last year's homicides listed something drug-related as the motivation, and furthermore, larcenies, car thefts and street robberies are actually up. The only categories that are down are carjackings, burglaries and rapes (a number that, as we all know too well, could easily be attributed to a refusal to take reports). So disturbing was this the Sun editorial board put in their dentures and gently opined* that his attitude kind of sucks.
     What would have been more honest, and true, as the CP points out, would be to say that as much as the police may try, it's not always a police problem. Sometimes it's a jury problem, sometimes a prosecutor problem, and at its heart it's an anger-management problem. And even if the victims are not Everyday People and some kind of 3/5ths people, we've got to live together! Batts needs to take us higher! And now he's got that song stuck in my head all day. Thanks Batts. And it sounds like it's Code Elmo for his job:

WBAL's Jayne Miller asked Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake if Batts' job was secure.
"He should feel the same way any person that is part of my administration does, and that is just as I am called to show up and perform every day with no guarantees, that's the same way," Rawlings-Blake said. "Everybody should have a little bit of anxiety. I know I do."

Anyway, for those keeping score at home, the city saw 235 homicides in 2013. In 2012 we had 217, in 2011 we had 197(!),
2010 = 223
2009 = 237;
2008 was 234;
2007 was 291;
2006 was 274; 
2005 was 269. 
One good thing about last year: fewer juveniles killed than usual,* with only 3  11 kids under the age of 18, though the first homicide of 2013 was a baby. The average age of the victims was 31, and 95 percent of the victims were black.

The first two homicides of 2014 were a father and son,* identified as Frank Turner, 48, and Anthony Turner, 21. There were five shootings on New Year's Eve.

Rapist guy

Bad news, everyday citizens: a sexual assailant/rapist is on the loose and has attacked four women in their homes.

One Paul "Paulie" Eugene Sessomes, owner of a swank condo at 414 Water Street, was revealed by the DEA to be a trusted contact of Colombian drug dealers.  Also, there are DEA agents who still don't know the diff between Columbia and Colombia.

CP: "After a prolonged and Herculean effort to claim the government unconstitutionally monitored his movements to build its drug case against him, Richard Anthony “Richie Rich” Wilford yesterday was found guilty of cocaine-conspiracy charges by a federal jury."

Another body pulled out of the Inner Harbor.

Brown

Alleged awful mother Alicia Denice Brown, 24, is accused of locking her 4-year-old in a freezing car for eight hours to go gamble at the Maryland Live! casino on New Year's Eve.

Attorney Isaac Neuberger, 66, has been accused of groping a waiter at a urinal. Assault, or manly advice taken the wrong way?

Cash in your old cell phones now-- mall managers at the Pale Swamp are removing kiosks.*

Apparently undaunted by Joe Vallario trapping his previous pot-decriminalization bill in committee, Jamie Raskin and Kurt Anderson is bringing their bill back next year. They estimate that legalizing it could earn the state as much as $100 million in tax bucks.

The two Justins are doing a Q&A tomorrow at noon, you can submit questions now if you'd like.*

In happier news, 2013 was the safest year for police officers since 1887.

Not crime, but big news: there's a new fire chief in town, name of Niles Ford. He's a former city manager from Chamblee, Georgia, population 9,800, a job he was fired (heh!) from. Prior to that he was the fire chief of Lincoln, Nebraska. I guess no one in Baltimore was qualified?

Over in Salisbury, accusations of "extreme hazing"*

Confidence level = zero

Down in Greenbelt the Jose Morales case has gone to the jury.* Last week prosecutors tied him to three murders and an attempted murder-for-hire -- Robert Long's, plus three men who were in the federal penitentiary, Clyde "Junior" Lucas, who was with Long when he died, Mark Bartlett, a thief, addict and drug dealer who was the "star witness" who originally helped put Demetrius Smith in jail for Long's murder, and Terry Sadler, who is alive and also the mother of one of Morales' children. (I guess Stanley Needleman never testified?)

Four people arrested and three indicted on charges related to bribing postal workers at the Waverly and Pikesville post offices. Richard Wright, 37, and Kimberly Parnell, 43, are the respective post office managers, making Shane Anderson, 37, and Ladena Sketers-Anderson, 46, are the presumptive alleged bribers. Fenton says the managers are accused of taking kickbacks for no-show jobs from landscaping and janitorial companies.* Wright allegedly texted, "'Yo bra u need to text or call me because I need to get my loot!' ... referring to a $2,000 cut from $3,750 paid for contract work."

Kenneth Bernard Corporal was arrested for stabbing bouncers at the Comedy Factory.*

The Baltimore Police Department posted to Facebook,

"The Baltimore Police Department will make no changes to its policy regarding the information it currently disseminates on Twitter. We will continue to use Twitter to inform the community on all non fatal shootings, all homicides, crime prevention tips, public safety issues, noteworthy arrests and community events. Our goal has always been to provide the most accurate information possible. The community deserves nothing less. In order to meet that goal as crimes happen we will endeavor to add more context to events when they occur."

I gotta say, too little too late-- at this point I've completely lost confidence in Batts to lead. Homicides are up, transparency is down, dude seems completely clueless as to the law when it comes to Terry stops,* you had Gugliemi saying "we're pretty satisfied where the city is headed, violence-wise" after one of the most violent weekends in history, then the new guy saying they're not going to tweet "criminal on criminal crime." The spokesmen's words are their own, but apparently the Batts administration culture promotes that dismissive attitude: with Gugliemi's remarks, Batts never denounced them, he just "temporarily reassigned" Gugliemi to another post and remarked that the "messaging" and been "terrible."*
     And as a cynical Baltimorean, know how easy and tempting it is to slide into the "let the criminals kill each other off and have God sort 'em out" attitude. But there are problems with this line of thinking. First being collateral damage: kids and "actual citizens" literally getting caught in the crossfire. Second, people lose confidence that the police can protect them, and start taking care of threatening individuals themselves, already a huge problem in this city, the average homicide victim has 8.5 arrests.* When there's been a shooting on the block yet nothing is said, it reinforces this perception and conveys the message that shootings are so routine they aren't even noteworthy any more and the police don't care, reinforcing the cycle of violence. 
     Then there's the ethics of the "criminals aren't citizens" attitude. Just because you've bought some pot in the park doesn't mean you deserve the death penalty, or even a bullet in the knee. And finally, because America. Do we believe in the rule of law, or do we believe in the rule of the jungle?
     So yeah, no confidence. Time for this guy to go.

The Sweet Smell of White Privilege

Check out convicted felon Francisco Milos and his girlfriend Lynnie Lewis, both 29, who were stockpiling assault rifles, bulletproof vests, pot and ammunition in their house north of Patterson Park.* ... Why does Burt look so disgruntled in that tattoo? Or is he actually puffing a doob?

Another police-lawsuit payout: $72,000 to three members of the Reyes family, who were arrested, punched, and saw one Tased while handcuffed* in front of the Mad River Bar & Grille.

So here is perhaps a reason why Baltimore City spends the second-most in the country per pupil: dinner cruises, $99 chicken dinners, a $250,000 suite renovation for the head of the IT department, mother-daughter makeovers and tutoring services that were never verified as performed (a la the tutoring fraud Joan Jacobson uncovered in 2010) and contractors who may or may not have done any kind of work.* So basically a repeat of the results of the legislative audit three years ago,* but with makeovers and chicken dinners on the side.

What, what? Mayor SRB officiated at the wedding of two city lobbyists.

Cleaners on Old York Road robbed at gunpoint, as was the Stadium Lounge for like the bazillionth time.

At a Roland Park Civic League meeting, Batts apologized to a woman whose babysitter had to wait 20 minutes for police to respond while burglars were in her house.* ... wow, when's the last time you heard any city official apologize for anything? He also reportedly told the audience that their help is needed to improve "people who do not have the sophistication" of Roland Parkers, particularly in areas of town where residents "don’t 'speak,' 'dress' or 'smell' like them."

Morgan Arnold and Jason Bulmer were indicted and charged as adults* for the murder of Morgan's dad Dennis Lane.

178/ Fenton twitters

34mJustin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Fatal shooting victim last night was 24 yr old active duty US Navy.* He and his brother shot at while exiting car, motive unknown. .. Neighbors say Alonzo Gladden, the Navy member killed last night, was very quiet, respectful. Had only been in town a few hours. ... They speculate shooting mustve been case of mistaken identity. Police: When shooters realize who they killed,will be "heavy burden to carry"

Concealed-carry arguments did kick off yesterday in Richmond, with an ASA for MD (not Doug Gansler) arguing that the state has a compelling interest in controlling the carrying of guns in public, and the gun-rightsers' lawyer Alan Gura arguing that gun ownership on demand is a human right.

Fern Shen on the sad lists of deceased students and faculty at the School Board.

Oh my, Stash, the former 98 Rock deejay (real name Stephen Gregory Smith, 49), is going to jail-- six months in the HarfCo tank for driving under the influence* of Four Loko and causing a 3-car accident that injured five people, including a disabled veteran. (Wonder which flavor it was? Peach? Green Apple?) The Harford Aegis reported that Stash's 'rap sheet' includes 56 tickets, 32 traffic convictions, another DUI nine months before the accident and a marijuana arrest. The night of he accident his wife, mad that Stash was drunk, threw him out of the house he shares/d with her and their five kids.  

:(

It's been two years and a day since the death of the marvelous Judge John Prevas,* right.  ... "he rarely made reference to the fact that he had himself been a city crime victim, shot in the arm with a blast from a shotgun in 1972 ... 'I'm sure I would have gone into private practice had it not been for that.' ... Prevas had colorful moments, to be sure. In 2002, he ordered a police detective to do 25 push-ups for missing court,* and had another locked up [for missing court]. When it was revealed that it was not the police department's fault, but city prosecutors, he did not apologize, but said the punishments should serve a warning.  In 2006, he received a rare public reprimand for 'angry and uncontrollable' shouting from the bench." He's also remembered for sending to jail "Don Papa" Blake for the gruesome murder of teen Terrance Randolph (& mailing me the case files, which haunt me to this day), Catholic child rapist John Merzbacher, and Willie Featherstone, the killer of 15-year-old Friends School student Trudy Levin.

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Four shootings overall overnight, including a second fatal: James Utley, 26, killed in 1400 E Preston St; same block as the Dawson House..  Bpd is primary but NCIS will be involved too

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Baltimore Police ‏@BaltimorePolice Confirmed Shooting-Caroline&Preston St. Eastern District. Adult male victim. Detectives notified.

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

For the record: looks like Sgt Robert Snead is Batts' right hand man, filling the role Pete Sullivan (now retired) held with Bealefeld

22hJustin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Editorial board: The state says barbers need 1,200 hours training; why none for security guards w police powers? http://bsun.md/S4shCK *

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Police: Two girls, 13, sexually assaulted in woods near Catonsville High. http://bsun.md/Rkmwyx*

ps. readers, if you want to get the crime blog posted in your Facebook feed you need to request to join, then from the FB Group page select "all posts" under "notifications." Because of a newish FB policy only promoted posts will show up consistently in your feed unless you request otherwise. FYI.

Confirmation Confirmed

Dropped by the Batts confirmation at City Hall last night.* Came in late because every fckn parking machine around the city hall square was broken. Ended up arriving at the ochre-n-buttercream sanctum of room 4 w/parking unpaid and a 1/2 hour late, just missing Robert Cherry's testimony- - Cherry's a (former? current?) homicide detective and head of the police union, with a curiously strong Boston accent. Asked, "so how'd it go, are you for him or against him?"
     "Eh, for him, we're going to give him a chance."
     "And then what?" I asked, which got an ambiguous chortle.
Then from behind the dias asked, "so here's the question on everyone's minds..." ooh, I thought, they're going to ask him if he ever hit his wife in the face with a mug, or about that veteran who got nailed with a canister at Occupy Oakland, or about the OPD receivership! Here we go!
    "... where are you going to live?"

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Batts declines to say where he is living; "Im a resident of the city of Baltimore." "What district?" "One of the districts"

   Took a seat inside downstairs and rest of the hour I could stand continued in the mein of a hot buttered lovefest, with an endorsement from some slender white man from some neighborhood association giving an endorsement, then copious praise from councilpeople for respective officers and district commanders. Some male councilmember wryly noted that though Batts could now cash a paycheck he still has to make it through the hearing to assume the title, and one of our fine feisty sexagenarian black ladies from behind me was like, "oh, he gone cash that check all right, pffsshht!" (Muttery older black ladies are always the highlight of any civic event, IMO, and if you go to one you should sit near as many as possible.)
    I couldn't place his voice at first but when I closed my eyes he sounded just like Rod Rosenstein-- must be the Harvard in em.
    Young endorsed plainclothes officers reporting to districts (they don't now, I guess?) and Batts was all like, "people tell me I look like you, Jack!" and gave some kind of general noncommittal answer.
   Anyway after about an hour I was worried about a $32 ticket (didn't get one, even a block from the BPD HQ and with three cop cars parked by city hall) and had domestic duties, but Fenton reports that heat was taken:

"But there were tense moments as well: Four residents asked about or referred to reports from a publication in Long Beach alleging that Batts had been involved in domestic-violence incidents there years earlier. He has not been charged with a crime. Among those who raised the issue was Jean Allen, the president of the Edgewood Community Association, who said she had seen the accusations online. "Whether it's true or not, it's there," she said of the allegations being in the public realm. "We all want to know more about him."

Batts took questions only from council members, who did not raise the issue.
The Baltimore Sun has attempted to verify the report, reaching several people named in the article or by its author. None said they had direct knowledge or evidence. Though Batts declined to discuss the article in detail, he has called it 'humiliating' and said he had been cleared through multiple background checks."

So there you have it-- dissent quashed-- and darn me for not signing up to testify and asking him about Occupy, receivership, lobstergate and domestic-violence accusations my danged self. Sure he would have been confirmed anyway but if I had spoken up maybe he would have felt like he had to at least answer Jean Allen. I'm so over police/officials here feeling like they are answerable to no one, and they are, all because wusses like me don't seize the opportunity to demand answers, dammit. I have let you all down. But hey, Batts says he might make Comsat meetings public. Good idea-- more transparency and they could meld that with community meetings:

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Left on cutting room floor: Batts said he's flirted with idea of making Comstat meetings public, taking it on the road ... Comstat meetings are the weekly stat-sharing among commanders; reputation as a beat-down session. It'd go 180 degrees if taken public. ...community meetings are commanders talking to residents. Comstat is commanders talking to commanders abt intel, strategy.

171

An unidentified woman killed on Fairlawn Ave is homicide #171*, and a man was shot in the leg near where Peter Marvit and Kwame Stern were killed a mere 2-3 weeks ago. There have been 19 women murdered so far this year.

Wasted tax dollars! Lives destroyed! With his Oct 17 City Council conformation hearing "looming," Fenton takes on the Oakland PD's unConstitutional policing problems under former chief Batts.* One probable reason why Oakland got oversight (and Baltimore never has): the sheer # of plaintiffs involved in the 2000 "Riders" lawsuit (aka Allen v. City of Oakland) -- 119 plaintiffs who wound up sharing an $11 million settlement. 

Anthony Anderson = homicided

The Med Examiner has ruled Anthony Anderson's death a homicide from blunt-force injury and primarily a pulmonary contusion (bruised lung), fractured ribs, hemorrhaged tissues, a torn spleen and blood from those injuries filling his guts (hemoperitoneum) -- not an overdose or by choking on .
swallowed drugs as the BPD initially reported, though police do say "morphine" was in his system 

(yes, not "opiates," "morphine" in particular. Is the toxicology report finished? If so, where is it?)   Here's the autopsy report released by the family & uploaded by Fenton, and the Fenton story... you may recall that our new presumptive police chief resigned in Oakland after a court found that his department had failed to implement court-ordered policies to control police abuses, that citizens who complained about it faced "cavalier rejection" of their complaints, and that "the agency misused an early-warning system that flags officers who frequently use force or generate citizen complaints." Baltimore, of course, doesn't even have a public system by which to track or address such complaints to begin with, unless you count our citizen review board that's sworn to secrecy and has zero power, or the invisible-to-us internal police "administrative reviews" that the department openly admits take "months or years*" to complete.  

Sooo, why did Oakland get to have federal court oversight and Baltimore never has? We had the "Flex Squad" in the SW planting drugs and framing people,* just like Oakland's "Riders." We've had officers shot in chaotic no-clear-lines-of command incidents,* just like Oakland. So why did the Oakland PD get total federal oversight and Baltimore has never gotten more than a federal visit or two?
In other news, plans for the new youth jail soldier on.* (remind me, is it federal or local money building this jail?)

And thank you Kevin Rector, finally*-- after a slew of confusing rape/ abuction stories a little clarity: three sex assault/ kidnapping/ robbery victims, two perps -- Kenyon Waller and William Campbell -- who're both now in jail. The first incident of a teen kidnapped at gunpoint off the street then robbed and sexually assaulted was Sept. 25, but as far as I can tell only the Catonsville Patch reported it. Wonder why. I'd throw in a dab of snark here about how if it had happened to a blonde girl in Towson you wouldn't have been able to eat your Cheerios without hearing Don Scott recount every filthy little detail, but my outrage fatigue is acting up.

Fifteen years for Timothy Dennison, 22, who bought "sham cocaine" from an ICE Homeland Security Investigations agent (whatever happened to the DEA?)

A scathing report from the Senate found that the Department of Homeland Security has spent about a billion dollars to spy on citizens, while thwarting not a single terrorist attack. Next (or probably already) from Homeland Security: automatically tracking everyone's car's movements using license-plate scanning technology. Grouses a proprietor of a for-profit license tracking service, "I take absolute exception to any government telling me that I can't go into public and take video ... that's taking my freedoms away." 

166

Fenton Twitterations:  "Three women shot in past 24 hours RT @BaltimorePolice Shooting reported in Southwest District. 300 blk S Augusta. Adult female reported shot" ... "[Charles Richardson] 28-yr-old Columbia man serving life for killing 7-11 clerk there, found dead from head trauma in his cell at North Branch ... Cell mate was found outside cell holding bloody clothes" ... "‎25 murders this month; 45 this Aug/Sept compared w 32 last Aug/Sept. Hate to say it but zero chance city's annual downward trend continues"

... the woman shot on the 300 block of Augusta has died.* She was 19, sitting in a car. Police don't know if she was targeted or if it was a random act.

A 35-year-old female sedan service driver was shot in the arm and torso at Reedbird and Potee* Sts, she is alive. Before she died she told police she was shot by an unknown passenger.*

Charles David "Face" Richardson IV, the slain inmate, was serving a life sentence for two first-degree murder convictions, the Sun's Kevin Rector says he was "one of the most violent criminals in recent Howard County memory*"

S.T.F.U!! In spite of being caught driving a stolen, LoJacked car, in spite of his photo being picked out of a pile of photos by the victim, a jury acquitted accused carjacker Sidney Brewer of all charges yesterday.

Matt McDermott, a former teacher who made an appearance in HBO's "Hard Times at Douglass High" (and now working in advertising at idfive) notes that murder victim Audie Mickens* was a "key subject" in the 2008 depressyoumentary

Anthony Anderson

Batts met with the family of Anthony Anderson* who died during an arrest in E. Baltimore. There's a public viewing today for Anderson at the March funeral home at 1101 E. North Ave. from 1 - 7:30 p.m.

The Jizz is shocked, shocked I tell you, that video of last weekend's Towson beatdowns were posted online. So thoroughly offended and repelled that they posted the video online themselves, too, so that you may also clutch your pearls in horror. Meanwhile some Towson businesspeople,* including owners of the Sorry-ass saloon across the street, are coming to the Recher family's defense.

Also horrified: the inspector general re. SRB's $673k phone system,* which found that competitive-bidding protocols were breached, lies were told about the purchases and other deliberate concealment went on: "Top administration officials deliberately tried to conceal from [Joan] Pratt and [Jack] Young their plan to replace the phone system. ... About $673,000 in purchases were for equipment and installation of a new phone system, not the other uses that administration officials have contended." SRB's excuse: the guys who bought them, Rico Singleton and Damien Sharp, don't work for the city any more. And of course the reason Singleton doesn't work there any more is b/c he was canned after his ethical lapses from his previous job* in NY came to light after an audit there. Due diligence on potential hires is not this mayor's strong suit, is it?

And the Brew's Mark Reutter tried to go to a public Baltimore Development Corp meeting this morning, only to find himself mostly staring at a closed door, some very nice chairs and a philodenron in desperate need of sunlight. Somebody please find a window for that poor plant.

What's worse than speed cameras? The city spending $$ to study speed cameras. BTW noticed a new one is up at E. Northern Parkway and Waverly Way (between the 21239 post office and Hillen Rd.)

Way to stay on the case, Jayne Miller, we can all rest a little easier now that the city has admitted to taking down a guy's twinky-mannequin yard art.

And you probably already heard that the flea-market Renoir turned out to be stolen from the BMA.

"Doug Gansler

If you smelled something burning last night, that was just me getting roasted by Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley and Nevada AG Catherine Cortez Masto. They tell me that it was to "welcome" me as the new President of the National Association of Attorneys General."

This just in: booze enemas are 'extremely dangerous'. Especially if you don't take the little umbrella out first.

What's that aboot eh?

So Batts' first move as presumptive commissioner was to hire Judy Pal, right, as his communications pro.* Pal was born in Canada and has held jobs with a bunch of police agencies, as well as with Madison Square Garden and the Labatt Brewery of Ontario. Fenton and LinkedIn report that most of her jobs she stayed in for only about a year (and between the time that I started this post until I finished, the security was changed on her LinkedIn profile-- I saved it from the cache and uploaded screenshots here). According to her bio with the Public Agency Training Council, she has "extensive communications experience dealing with sensitive and image-threatening issues such as criminal conduct of police officers, international scandal, fractured community and media relations..." which will no doot come in handy. According to a speaker bio she is also "credited with re-tooling the image of the largest police department in Atlantic Canada." Yesterday Batts was also quietly sworn in as an officer-- the only photo appears to be from somebody's cell phone. He'll officially be be commissioner after the City Council confirms him. Sounds like there's no question that that'll happen, though I think there are some quality reasons to have questions about this guy, eh?

Rage on the East Side after the death of Anthony Anderson,* 46, the guy who police at first said choked on drugs he was swallowing to avoid arrest, then amended to say "its not clear whether he OD'd or died another way." According to witnesses, the "other way" was Anderson was run up on from behind by officers, who lifted him "as high as a basketball hoop" and slammed him to the ground and kicked him. Police acknowledge he had at least one broken bone; autopsy results are pending. Fox has video of citizens and the Baltimore Peoples {sic} Assembly protesting yesterday.

The Ink has details on last week's seven murders

Stephen Gerwitz is back in court for the trial of Sydney Brewer-- sounds like the car Brewer allegedly stole was equipped with LoJack, hyuk

The Justice Policy Institute has a new report out on the various fucktifications of our city's fucktified bail system

The man shot by an officer in Dundalk near Merritt Point Park was ID'd as 22-year-old Joshua Lopez of La Marque, Texas.

Your usual burglaries and violent boyfriends and husbands in the SE Baltimore Guide Blotter, and eww, a woman on Eastern Avenue got pee in her house due to seepage after a drunk guy took a leak on her door.

Ed Ericsson reviews Michael A. Wood Jr.'s Eliot

The trial of Tom Kiefaber has been delayed til November; Kiefaber reportedly told the court he needs more time to arrange for a public defender because he's "basically homeless" 

Er... Kevin Kamenetz is blaming Brian Recher, owner of the Recher Theater, for the bad behavior of his patrons outside. (What would they have him do?) And bad news, ass-humping white girls, Recher responded by postponing the "Barstool Blackout" event that was scheduled for tonight "until this whole thing blows over." 

Interesting poll numbers this morning from Gonzales: 58 percent of MDers willing to opine to strangers on the telephone support the Dream Act (surprisingly high), expanded gambling is at a a virtual tie, and what WBAL is calling "same gender marriage" is favored by a mere 51 percent of poll-takers (which should be worrying to supporters, as people have a way of telling pollsters they support same-sex marriage then voting against it in the booth, aka the Bradley effect). Also the poll margin of error is 3.5 points, so, meh.

'My mommy is my daddy!'

An unidenified man was shot to death next to a minivan on Mosher St. *

Anthony Batts started work today,* after Barksdale left for medial leave and head of criminal investigations Col. Jesse Odon retired, leaving only Deputy Commissioner John Skinner to drive the bus.

A beating victim from 1997 has been added to this years' toll, the Chesterfield Ave victim was ID'd as a former murder suspect*

Police are ISO these two homicide suspects (left & right) for the murder of Clarence Ross on Pulaski St on Sept 16

"Officials Acknowledge Roosevelt Park Drug Dealing."

Hack cabbie to passenger: “I’m not taking you all the way to Columbia. Give me all your money or I’m gonna shank you.”

WJZ has pictures of the Towson disorderlies (though the TJ's-lot-hand-shooter has yet to be found)

New laws for motor-scooter drivers, and starting October 1 kids under 8 all have to be in booster seats. I'm all pro-safety and anti-internal decapitation and such, but the evidence isn't exactly conclusive on the safety advantages of booster seats. If 80% of parents can't install car seats right, wouldn't it make more sense to require cars be equipped with adjustable-height seat belts? But then car companies would have to spend an extra $10 per car, so you know that'll never happen.

El Deuce's Christian Shaeffer tracked down the "Jump The Broom For Marriage" group to their lair. Oh, and lookie look who's behind it: awesome human being Julius Henson. Sounds about right.

Barksdale dissed! Batts in!

Californian Anthony Batts, left, is expected to be named as new police chief,* report Sharper & Fenton -- the former Commissioner of Oakland, no less. Batts resigned his post there last October after only two years on the job (he beefed a month later, "the body politic looks at this police department as not a part of the city—that it’s the bad child that you’re putting on the side and beating.") By the time he left, he was the boss of only 651 officers. Prior to that he served in Long Beach for 27 years (the place where drama made it so hard to be Snoop Dogg and Sublime lived easily). After Oakland Batts will surely find Baltimore's boundless civic apathy a great relief (and we certainly know all about child-beating), but is he well-qualified to represent a staff of 4,250ish?

.. and police have ID'd the owner of the Rottweiler that mauled a woman near the Waverly farmer's market as Omar McDee of McKewin St., who, curiously, has no Internet footprint whatsoever. (But there's an Omar McGee with a long resume...)