Good Luck Colonel

August 20, 2010
Baltimore police commander off to Athens for marathon
The Baltimore Police Department's chief of patrol, Col. John Skinner (left), has been selected to represent Baltimore in the 2010 Athens marathon in Greece. This years race marks the 2,500th anniversary of the Greek Battle of Marathan.
The Oct. 31 race "commemorates the legendary journey of Greek messenger Pheidippides in 490 BC from the Marathon Battlefield to the city of Athens, Greece," according to a statement from the city. Piraeus is the Port of Athens and Baltimore’s Sister City in Greece.
You can follow Colonel Skinner’s journey to Athens on the Baltimore-Piraeus blog at http://johnskinnerbaltimore.blogspot.com/. Upon his return, Colonel Skinner will speak at a school and other organizations about his experience in Greece.
Here is the rest of the statement from Baltimore City Hall:
“During the interview process, we were very impressed with John’s desire to be an example to every day Baltimoreans. He spoke about how this would be his first marathon. The Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee is excited to sponsor a runner in this historic event and link Baltimore and Greece. There are not many 2,500 year old events that are celebrated and still relevant in today's global culture like marathons,” said Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee Chair, Diane Homberg. Skinner was selected from a pool of applicants because of his longtime dedication to public safety and commitment to community service. He is a 17 year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department and has served in a variety of operational and supervisory capacities.
Currently he commands the agency’s Patrol Division and oversees all uniformed men and women of the Police Department. Over the last three years, Skinner has been credited with fostering better relations between police and the community through his dedication to transparency and developing cohesive partnerships with community groups.
“It’s a huge honor for me to represent the city of Baltimore in this historic race,” Skinner said after being selected to compete. His trip takes place from October 27 to November 3.
During the past few months, Skinner has also organized approximately 60 City police officers to take part in the 2010 Baltimore marathon.
“I want to thank the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee for their commitment to support fostering better relations between Baltimore and Greece,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “I know Col. Skinner will represent both the city and the police department well.”
“Colonel Skinner’s ascension through the ranks of the Baltimore Police Department is a testament to his intelligence, dedication and commitment to service,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld. “Most recently, he has embraced competitive running as not only a wellness tool, but also a way to build camaraderie and morale among the people he commands. The men and women of the Baltimore Police Department are very fortunate to have Colonel Skinner represent us and the city in this significant international running challenge.”
While in Greece, Colonel Skinner will have an opportunity to meet the Mayor of Piraeus and shadow a Piraeus, Greece police officer for the day.
About Baltimore Piraeus Sister City Committee:Founded in 1982, the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee motivates and empowers private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders to build long-term global interactions.
Posted by Peter Hermann

Baltimore Police Officers Respond to Criticism

I'm trying not to get to fired up over this new round of Baltimore city politicians blaming police officers over spikes in crime. But the fact still remains Bealefeld, that officers are over worked, under paid and have two much pressure on them to begin with.

So why don't you grow a pair. Try telling your friend the mayor and the city council to do something substantial like hiring another 150 officers and increasing the pay by 15% across the board. Then maybe the good, experienced officers you have now won't be making a lateral in two years.

And let's combine that with pressure on the prosecutors to stop cutting deals left & right; filing and following through with charges on the parents of minors out after curfew; more lock-up time for these kids involved with gangs; fines & reparations for parents whose children commit these crimes.

Let's try backing up our Police Officers as opposed to blaming them for what the public is guilty of.

Tom Greywolf

Reporting by Adam May BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―

Baltimore police officers fire back, outraged over recent criticism by Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.

Will A More Aggressive Approach To Crime Fighting Lead To A Safer Baltimore City?

Baltimore police officers fire back, outraged over recent criticism by Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld. At issue is how to stop an alarming spike in violence, some aimed at innocent residents.Adam May has more on this growing controversy.A number of officers spoke off-camera Tuesday, critical of leadership at the police department and at City Hall. They say, don't blame them for weekend crimes.Baltimore City's reduction in murders and shootings over the last two years is now threatened by spikes of violence almost every weekend this summer. One reason, according to Bealefeld, is the performance of some patrol officers."We gotta make sure everybody is operating with the same degree of urgency and I'm just not convinced of that right now," Bealefeld said."Morale is at a tough point right now," said Bob Cherry, Fraternal Order of Police.The Baltimore Police Union is firing back. They recently put up a billboard critical of city leaders and are claiming that officers are underpaid and overworked."You can beat down these officers so much because you can only expect that many hours or that many arrests and efforts before you say enough is enough," Cherry said.Last weekend alone, three people were killed and 13 hurt in 10 separate shootings. And it's not all drug violence. Teenage gang members are suspected in a string of beatings and robberies in Fells Point."We can change how this community is acting right now. We can change the results of so much crime happening. The kids don't have a sense of a partnership, ownership, someone to talk to. We have to change that," said Larry Bell.Bell, who runs a program for at-risk youth, believes government leaders are missing the big picture."With the decrease of the PALS programs and the closing of parks, pools and rec centers, this is a high priority right now because these young people are really crying out for help right now and they need as much as they can get," Bell said.The police union agrees."We expect more from the current mayor and commissioner in terms of making sure it's not just the police you blame, it's everyone else," Cherry said.The police department has more than 100 vacancies right now. Most officers who quit the department just leave for higher paying jobs in other jurisdictions.The commissioner plans to add more foot patrols, improve gang intelligence and use more video surveillance to crack down on the violence.