May 19, 2012|By Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun
It wasn't St. Patrick's Day, but she went home vowing never to return to a downtown hotel, likening the experience to watching an episode of the reality TV show "COPS." The incident she described barely registered for police, who said they encouraged the group to disperse.
Rawlings-Blake conceded a disconnect between what officers might view as "handled" and what bystanders might see as a frightening mob.
"I don't think it helps anybody for the Police Department to be hysterical," the mayor said. "They need to be strategic. They need to be responsive. They need to be agile. And I think that's what you saw. No one wants unruly teams of people, whether they're black, white, young, old. We want to have a harbor that continues to be an asset for residents and visitors alike."
At same time, she said, "I'm not going to excuse away that individual's feeling, like they were watching a reality TV show, because you don't want to see it, particularly in the downtown area, which has the fastest-growing residential population."
Rawlings-Blake said she wants police and others "making sure we're learning from every weekend, from every incident."
"Hopefully people will see what we're doing," she added. "I think the numbers speak for themselves. You can plan and plan, and then you'll have unexpected, unforeseen circumstances. When an unforeseen circumstance presented itself, I think our department went into action."
But, she said, when it comes to curtailing crime downtown, "We have to get it right."
peter.hermann@baltsun.com
