Imagine a society where prostitutes could solicit johns for sex just yards from police officers who did little more than wave them on their way. Picture yourself walking through a park with your children as a homeless person is free to urinate and defecate beside the park bench where he is stashing the illegal drugs he bought from a dope dealer operating openly without fear of the police.
Does that make you feel safe?
Welcome to the new Baltimore, where law enforcement will no longer be prosecuting what it calls âlow-level offenses.â These include possessing drugs or drug paraphernalia, trespassing, minor traffic offenses, prostitution, open container violations and defecating or urinating in public. The city announced the initiative last week after a year-long experiment to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the jails and prisons.