Shitty Cop City

Housing segregation, redlining, and a historically negligent criminal justice system have plagued the city of Baltimore for decades. State officials' underfunding and chronic disregard toward Baltimore City continue to contribute to the harsh conditions residents have learned to deal with. Over the past five years, Baltimore has continued to be one of the nation's highest crime cities. According to national statistics, Baltimore's crime rate is 98.0% of the state's cities and towns. The culmination of a need for intensive criminal justice reform, with a city whose crime rate is far beyond the national average while also being unreasonably underfunded, allows for Baltimore to experience more systemic dilapidation. And to exacerbate the plight further, there is a new proposal to bring a shitty cop city to one of Baltimore's college campuses.  

Baltimore

The so-called "The Greatest City In America," yet Trump-ruled "rodent-infested mess," proves some social dissonance that needs to be addressed. There is a disconnect between who Baltimore is and what people perceive. There is a disconnect between what Baltimore deserves and what it receives. There is a disconnect between what Baltimore's future should look like and what's already been ruled. There's a risk to presenting Baltimore as this doomed city that inevitably receives the short end of the stick, but that seems to be on brand. The better question is, "Why does Baltimore continue to get the short end of the stick despite the obvious needs of the community and heedless underfunding?" The answer is painful yet obvious:  African Americans make up nearly 61% of the population in Baltimore City.  

One of the most disappointing yet apropos themes we see in this dilemma regarding the consistent minimizing and diminishing of the needs of the community of Baltimore is that it only exists because people of color make up the majority of the population of the area. If Baltimore City were an area that was 61% white, there would be no redlining, housing segregation, and a hefty cop city project coming. But there is something more sinister in this entire situation. The only priority state officials see despite underfunding, redlining, and housing segregation is heavily policing those individuals. It's harder to propose cop city over funding for bridges and roads in America's "typical" neighborhood. It's harder to propose cop city over having access to fresh produce and grocery stores in the "typical" neighborhood. And it's harder to defend the need for a new police facility when the needs of a community far outweigh that necessity in the "typical" neighborhood. And if the context is unclear, "typical" implies "white."  

Shitty Cop City: An overpriced, mediocre, blue-lives (doesn't exist) driven bull-shit excuse for a criminal justice "reform." The so-called "training" is proposed as a helpful way reinforcement can become more skilled on the street; however, it is a pricey reminder that politicians and state officials are dedicated to throwing tax dollars liberally at law enforcement while also conveniently saying that there is a need for reform during election season. It's manifestation, as it pertains to Baltimore, is a $330 million facility that will sit on an HBCU campus (Let's keep in mind, it's not ironic if it's deliberate), while money for bridges (RIP the Key Bridge), roads, and communities are to go without. The undeniable goal, although it is intentionally not forthcoming, is militarization in an area that is already over-policed, without any dedication to understanding the community and the people who make it. Allowing for a shitty situation the opportunity to become more shitty. -Felicia & Kirk, 2024

Hefty Sums for Poor Investment

Coppin State University is currently in the beginning stages of bringing Cop City to its campus, which will cost $330 million. There is no room for looking at this situation any other way outside of blue-non-lives matter more than Black lives. That is, an area that has consistently been neglected, underfunded, and forgotten about all of a sudden gets a $330 million investment centered on policing that very area. The message highlights the fact that historical redlining and the lack of financial investment in Baltimore City aren’t enough for officials to prioritize the community on a large scale, but the "tempting" opportunity is to invest in more ways the criminal justice system can exploit and expel more members of the community.  

Outside of the shitty cop city sitting on the premises of an HBCU, there is another intentional theme that's being stressed. This has to deal with the sense of genuine community and how residents see themselves. In an area of scarcity, where some of the most fundamental issues are constantly disregarded, the funding and building of a law enforcement facility supposedly dedicated to "improving" criminal justice best practices confirms that there is more dedication to exile and incarceration than community and togetherness.  

The Underlying Message

Imagine living in an area where state officials consistently don't prioritize the immediate community's needs but have no issue finding funding for matters that will control said community. Imagine being told that your inner-city youth aren't as crucial as enhanced militarized police training that is bound to do more harm than good. Imagine living in a neighborhood with desolate houses and disrepair and being told there is no hope. Yet, millions of dollars are prepared to invest in a police facility. What are we saying to these residents? We're saying that a wiser investment within this struggling city is related to locking up and harassing community members. And community members are fully aware of what makes an issue a priority and what doesn't. Yet, despite the overall dissonance, there is a common theme of overlooking foundational problems with the city of Baltimore while prioritizing ways to keep community members in fear of an already negligent criminal justice system.