Following is a selection of comments from reader e-mails and Sun blogs about Baltimore crime and the city's ranking as the nation's most deadly in new FBI statistics.
Police should worry about crime, not PR
It's hard not feel a little snarky at [Police Commissioner Frederick H.] Bealefeld for having gone on such an aggressive campaign in recent weeks to spin the FBI crime statistics.
For as much sympathy and respect one has to afford the beleaguered Baltimore Police Department, it's worthy of concern when the chief gives the impression that he's more concerned with PR than addressing the serious problems the city faces.
In his defense, one of his essential points rings true; that the failures lie in many places, from the mayor's office, to the decrepit school system, right on down to the community.
But leave it to our municipal government to take credit for a drop in overall crime - not only premature, but one that lacks critical analysis of data.
Worstest Grammar
Don't just focus on murder
We need to be worried not just about solving murders but all violent crimes. Just because someone wasn't killed the last time, or it was a dog set on fire instead of a person, doesn't mean it won't be a murder the next time. Just like marijuana can be considered a gateway drug, the case can be made that violent crime against people and animals is a precursor to murder.
Baltimoregal
Take stats in context
The stats are based on murders per 100,000 residents. As an independent city, our population number is very firm (x amount of people within y border that is very compact).
Houston, for example, or Philadelphia, would include areas we consider in Baltimore as suburbs in their total.
For example, including the Towson area and much of Baltimore County would give us a million more people and, statistically, a much lower murder rate per 100,000 people.
Though, as mentioned above, we still have a ridiculous amount of murders for a city this size.
Blarg
More police isn't the answer
The numbers in Baltimore are high and unacceptable no matter how they are reported.
More police and more patrols will not alone solve the problem. So many issues; education, crime, poverty are interconnected and all need real solutions.
Change will not come easy or quickly, but with time and perseverance.
bdc
Crime more than a perception problem
