It’s early afternoon on the corner of Baker and McKean in West Baltimore and although it is not officially summer, the hot weather feels like the middle of July. The corner and alley just off McKean St. are hot too, with illegal activity.
It’s no secret that this corner, like more than two dozen others in West Baltimore, is one of a growing number of open air drug markets.
The corner of Baker and McKean in West Baltimore is one of several open-air drug markets operating in the city. (GoogleMaps)
A steady stream of people scurry back and forth to the alley beside the newly dedicated Easterwood/Sandtown Park, to buy and sell narcotics. Late model cars and license plates from Maryland and destinations beyond, including Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, come and go throughout the day. Some longtime residents say they are fed up, yet hesitant to speak publicly about the drug activity that seems to have taken over several West Baltimore communities according to residents who shared observations, but requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.
The recent announcement by Police Commissioner Kevin Davis that Baltimore Police would take on 12-hour shifts to reduce violent crime didn’t impress some residents who live near many of open air drug markets. “I didn’t see any difference,” said one resident. “Black communities with law abiding citizens are being mistreated by criminals and police,” added the resident who did not want to be identified. “Calling 911 was not safe…residents could be identified by drug dealers.”
“Drug dealers send their own representatives to community meetings. Police ride by and see the loitering on the streets and don’t stop and get out of their car,” said another resident who did not want to be identified.
City Councilman Leon F. Pinkett (7th District) acknowledged the efforts of Commissioner Davis to place more police on the streets to reduce violence, but said that something also has to be done to directly address open air drug sales.
“The unfortunate reality in many neighborhoods in the 7th District is that we’re not seeing any difference in the drug dealing in the community,” Pinkett told the AFRO.
“There are too many communities to name. We’ve got to get a handle on this. We need help. I can’t place any more responsibility on the backs of the citizens,” Pinkett said. “We need officers to be engaged on these drug corners on a consistent basis.”
Marvin “Doc” Cheatham , CEO of the Matthew Henson Community Development Corporation has been vocal in demanding city and police officials shut down West Baltimore open air drug markets. “We have been reporting drug sales and distribution at 1813 Baker Street at N. McKean Avenue (J & L Market) since October of 2015, but nothing substantial has taken place,” Cheatham said.
“These are daily open-air drug sales in the store, in front of the store, alongside the store, and in the alley behind the store,” Cheatham said. “Seven requests have been for blue light cameras with no response from the commissioner or major,” claimed Cheatham.
Western District Commander Maj. Sheree Briscoe said that she and her staff are “all in,” in terms of commitment to residents in the 7th District. “Their concerns are my concerns,” said Briscoe, who was appointed to the command post in May 2015, just weeks after riots rocked West Baltimore after Freddie Gray’s death.
“We’re not absent from what’s happening,” Briscoe said. “There’s no silver bullet. The drug problem is a dynamic problem,” she said, meaning that drug enforcement needed to go hand in hand with treatment and community revitalization strategies. Briscoe said she and her team are committed to working with West Baltimore residents to resolve systemic problems leading to the prevalence of illegal drug activity.
On June 10 Mayor Catherine E. Pugh held a day long “Call to Action” at Baltimore City Community College. Hundreds of people attended the day- long event which focused on employment opportunities for ex-offenders and youth initiatives.
Briscoe wants residents to understand that police can’t just engage in mass sweeps or arrests to get people off the corners. “Some of the gap in understanding would diminish if the community would participate in the training,” Briscoe said.
“Neighborhoods that are winning in this fight are neighborhoods who work together, who are not oppressed or live in fear,” Briscoe said. She points to the more than 100 liquor stores in District 7, the abundance of vacant and abandoned housing, the lack of access to jobs and educational activities in the district. “It’s easy to say, ‘Where are the Police’? But who will engage the Black men standing on the corners? Where are the programs to give them other opportunities?,” Briscoe said.