Safer streets: To keep crime at bay, you have to take care of the enforcers

The news has been grim in Baltimore.

Crime is up. Murders are up. Shootings are up. In general, the city is less safer than it was before the looting, before the riots and before a black suspect died of injuries he sustained while in police custody.

There is still no clear indication of what happened to Freddie Gray. And the investigation is critical, especially since Baltimore police officers have been charged in the case.

We need to know what transpired that day. And we need to know it quickly.

But the aftermath of the Freddie Gray case, and the rioting, looting and attacks on police that followed, is that there is a problem in Baltimore, and it just might be that police are not so sure they want to risk their lives anymore.

And that is a consequence that needs to be considered as we continue to talk as a nation and a community about law enforcement personnel, neighborhoods and what to do about crime and criminals.

There should be standards. There should be oversight. And if there are corrupt officers in any law enforcement community, they should be weeded out.

But what about those who are left?

They deserve to feel like their community supports them and backs them when they step out into the night -- and during the day -- to protect their cities.

And the community needs to understand just how many good officers there are -- and how many lives have been saved because of their efforts.

We see it here in Wayne County.

Just look at the number of shootings, murders and other incidents to which police officers and sheriff's deputies respond every day.

They do not stop to worry about what will happen -- or to analyze the risks they are taking.

They have taken an oath to protect and serve, and that is what they do.

They investigate crimes, comfort victims and defuse situations before they turn into tragedies. And most of us never know how close they come to becoming victims themselves.

All it takes is one suspect with a gun.

There is reason to look carefully at any law enforcement agency. If there are complaints, they should be investigated.

But as a nation, we need to understand that there is not widespread corruption in law enforcement agencies. And there is not widespread racism either.

It is not often reported that the majority of the police officers in question in Baltimore in the Freddie Gray case were black.

So what do we learn from Baltimore?

The most important lesson is to promote communication now, before something happens -- and to encourage discussions about everything from profiling to crime statistics to how to reach the nation's troubled youths -- black, white and Hispanic.

We need to remember just how valuable our law enforcement community is and how often they, along with emergency medical personnel, save local families from tragedy.

We need to respect the risks they take and the work they do.

And we need to give them every bit of training, equipment and support they need to do their jobs properly and with confidence.

And we need to encourage them to reach out to the community, too -- and to feel respected when they do.

That is how you keep a city safe.

Published in Editorials on June 6, 2015 11:22 PM