Bednar, a 17-year veteran, knows his district well. He grew up in the 600 block of Kenwood St., and many of the people he locks up now are the same people he grew up with. But he also has a knack for remembering names and faces; as he looked for the man being sought in connection with the arson, he rattled off details about the man and his family.
Perhaps because of that familiarity, the man complied with Bednar. Another officer, who arrived as backup, said, "I've been looking for him for three days."
That connection to the community impressed Snyder, who moved to Baltimore three years ago and whose personal life and work are invested in revitalizing her Highlandtown community. She is a homeowner and works as director of neighborhood development for the Southeast Community Development Corp.
"The officer I rode with definitely gave me some comfort about what the police district is doing in my area," she said. "But the ride-along aside, there seems to be more of an effort to get to know the people doing work in the neighborhood, not just the criminals. People know the officers by name, and they're coming to community events."
During a lull in calls, Bednar drove past his old home. He said his parents moved out years ago at the urging of his siblings, who said the neighborhood had become too dangerous. The home is now vacant. He pulled around to a nearby alley where neighborhood kids used to hang out; it was littered with garbage and broken glass.
"A lot of these kids don't have a chance," Bednar said.
But Bednar also said that one of the biggest challenges he faces comes not from the community, but the Police Department. He said his district is supposed to have 20 officers on the street at a given time, but routinely has about 14 or 15 a night. Two of the officers are currently detailed to a supplemental patrol at the Inner Harbor.
"It doesn't take much for us to shut down," Bednar told Snyder. "They say patrol is the backbone of the department, but a lot of guys in patrol feel like we're the guinea pigs."
Snyder saw more action than some of the other residents in the Southeast District. After detaining the man wanted for questioning in the arson, Bednar turned on his lights and siren and raced through Eastern Avenue traffic to catch up with Dep. Maj. William Davis, who was trying to track a known Crips gang member who had jumped off a bike and fled at the sight of police.
Later, Bednar encountered a man from Perry Hall whose car was idling and who Bednar suspected was in the area scouting for prostitutes. After the man gave Bednar a sketchy story, Bednar told him to scram.
Not far from there, a woman reported a man had punched her in a dispute over tiles. "Nobody puts their hands on me but my mother," the 34-year-old woman said. The man had also thrown a stool through her front window, she said.
"In the neighborhood, we're constantly talking about how police respond to calls. We all realize they're overwhelmed, but we don't know what it's like," Snyder said.
Baltimore Sun reporter Peter Hermann contributed to this article.
