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Baltimore police chief Kevin Davis's plan to curb homicide spike: think small Baltimore police chief Kevin Davis's plan to curb homicide spike: think small
(about 2 hours later)
A drive-by shooting at a Memorial Day cookout set up a situation all too familiar in Baltimore. A car drove by the rowhouse where a group of people were celebrating the holiday and opened fire, hitting five people, including 20-year-old Taiquan Moss.A drive-by shooting at a Memorial Day cookout set up a situation all too familiar in Baltimore. A car drove by the rowhouse where a group of people were celebrating the holiday and opened fire, hitting five people, including 20-year-old Taiquan Moss.
Although the city had reached the grim milestone of the year’s 100th homicide only days before, no one was killed during the holiday drive-by. In Baltimore, like Chicago and other largely segregated cities, there is a homicide crisis, but the number of non-fatal shootings is even more startling, reaching near 1,000 in 2015, in a city with a population of just over 600,000. Although the city had reached the grim milestone of the year’s 100th homicide only days before, no one was killed during the holiday drive-by. In Baltimore, like Chicago and other largely segregated cities, there is a homicide crisis, but the number of non-fatal shootings is even more startling, approaching 1,000 last year in a city with a population of just over 600,000.
According to Baltimore’s police commissioner Kevin Davis, what happened next is a common example of how violent crime in this city works: one gun crime begets others in a vicious cycle. According to Baltimore’s police commissioner, Kevin Davis, what happened next is a common example of how violent crime in this city works: one gun crime begets others in a vicious cycle.
Related: Freddie Gray: activists left frustrated after Baltimore officer acquitted
Around 7.45pm, police were still in the area investigating the shooting when they arrested Moss, who had been shot in the arm and allegedly returned to the street with an illegal gun in his waistband.Around 7.45pm, police were still in the area investigating the shooting when they arrested Moss, who had been shot in the arm and allegedly returned to the street with an illegal gun in his waistband.
Davis is taking on this epidemic with a crime strategy based on the idea that most of the violent crime is confined to a small group of people – the department has a list of 614 “trigger pullers” – who are most likely to commit crimes, but also to be victims. Davis’s trigger puller initiative aims to intercept people like Moss, who carry guns, either for retaliation or protection, after being the victim of a crime. The goal is to take them off the streets, by prosecuting them for whatever they can, before a rival can do it with a gun.Davis is taking on this epidemic with a crime strategy based on the idea that most of the violent crime is confined to a small group of people – the department has a list of 614 “trigger pullers” – who are most likely to commit crimes, but also to be victims. Davis’s trigger puller initiative aims to intercept people like Moss, who carry guns, either for retaliation or protection, after being the victim of a crime. The goal is to take them off the streets, by prosecuting them for whatever they can, before a rival can do it with a gun.
“They are a danger to society, this small group, but they are also in danger by their own violent and repeat offender peers and they are as likely often times to be killed as to kill,” he said in an interview with the Guardian. “They are a danger to society, this small group, but they are also in danger by their own violent and repeat offender peers and they are as likely oftentimes to be killed as to kill,” he said in an interview with the Guardian.
Davis says of the 614 people on the list more than 150 have been charged with crimes and 47 have been murdered. “We know we have the right group we’re looking at,” he said.Davis says of the 614 people on the list more than 150 have been charged with crimes and 47 have been murdered. “We know we have the right group we’re looking at,” he said.
He has created a war room, where intelligence can be centralized, and has enlisted federal help in order to target these “bad guys with guns”.He has created a war room, where intelligence can be centralized, and has enlisted federal help in order to target these “bad guys with guns”.
This strategy is a move away from the kind of corner-clearing “broken windows” policing from the early parts of this decade, which Davis says “may as well be 100 years ago”. If you’re thinking in terms of The Wire, Davis wants the kind of investigation that targeted Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) and not the endless war with the corner boys that can harm relationships between the community and the police. This strategy is a move away from the kind of corner-clearing “broken windows” policing from the early part of this decade, which Davis says “may as well be 100 years ago”. If you’re thinking in terms of The Wire, Davis wants the kind of investigation that targeted Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) and not the endless war with the corner boys that can harm relationships between the community and the police.
Those relations reached a point of historic tension last year following the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, in police custody. Davis, who is white, was brought in the wake of theprotests, rioting anda spike in homicides that followed.Those relations reached a point of historic tension last year following the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, in police custody. Davis, who is white, was brought in the wake of theprotests, rioting anda spike in homicides that followed.
‘Arrests are down – people should be happy about that’‘Arrests are down – people should be happy about that’
Davis, the son of a cop and grandson of a firefighter, says he is “fourth generation public safety” and “working class”. Short and stocky with a slightly pink complexion, and a straightforward, no-nonsense demeanor, he looks every bit the part of the ageing beat cop now stuck behind a desk, but he talks like a politician. Davis, the son of a cop and grandson of a firefighter, says he is “fourth-generation public safety” and “working class”. Short and stocky with a slightly pink complexion and a straightforward, no-nonsense demeanor, he looks every bit the part of the ageing beat cop now stuck behind a desk, but he talks like a politician.
He said growing up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which borders Washington DC and like Baltimore is majority African American, exposed him to a lot of people who didn’t look like him. He went to college at Towson State University, right outside of Baltimore and returned to Prince George’s to join the police force. In 1993, the county settled with a young man who alleged Davis threw him to the ground and handcuffed him without cause. He said growing up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which borders Washington DC and, like Baltimore, is majority African American, exposed him to a lot of people who didn’t look like him. He went to college at Towson State University, right outside Baltimore, and returned to Prince George’s to join the police force. In 1993, the county settled with a young man who alleged Davis threw him to the ground and handcuffed him without cause.
In 2002, they settled for $90,000 with a teenager who alleged that Davis was part of a group of undercover officers who took him from his home without a warrant and interrogated him about the whereabouts of his girlfriend, who was related to a deputy chief in the department. In 2002, it settled for $90,000 with a teenager who alleged that Davis was part of a group of undercover officers who took him from his home without a warrant and interrogated him about the whereabouts of his girlfriend, who was related to a deputy chief in the department.
Still, Davis continued to rise through several agencies, becoming deputy commissioner in Baltimore in December 2014, in charge of the Investigations and Intelligence Bureau. Still, Davis continued to rise through several agencies, becoming deputy commissioner in Baltimore in December 2014, in charge of the investigations and intelligence bureau.
Davis was in this position when a routine stop by bike police on an April morning changed policing in Baltimore forever. After protests and riots shook the city, a wave of homicides set in. Many attributed the spike in homicides, which made last May Baltimore’s most violent month ever, per capita, to a slowdown by police who no longer trusted their leaders to have their backs. Davis was in this position when a routine stop by bike police on an April morning changed policing in Baltimore forever. After protests and riots shook the city, a wave of homicides set in. Many attributed the spike in homicides – which made last May Baltimore’s most violent month ever, per capita – to a slowdown by police who no longer trusted their leaders to have their backs.
On the day after the FOP Local 3, Baltimore’s police union, issued a scathing report about the handling of the city’s unrest, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired then-commissioner Anthony Batts and appointed Davis as interim commissioner. Despite protests, his job was made permanent in October. He is paid $200,000, with a $150,000 severance package in case Rawlings-Blake’s successor – the mayor had by then decided not to seek re-election – decided to go in a different direction. On the day after the FOP Local 3, Baltimore’s police union, issued a scathing report about the handling of the city’s unrest, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired then commissioner Anthony Batts and appointed Davis interim commissioner. Despite protests, his job was made permanent in October. He is paid $200,000, with a $150,000 severance package in case Rawlings-Blake’s successor – the mayor had by then decided not to seek re-election – decided to go in a different direction.
Davis was immediately faced with the problem of how to simultaneously restore the morale of the rank and file and rebuild the relationships with the community. These may seem like mutually exclusive goals, but Davis’s strategy is based on the idea that if people do not trust the police, they will try to protect themselves with new guns, increasing the cycle of violence. Davis was immediately faced with the problem of how to simultaneously restore the morale of the rank and file and rebuild relationships with the community. These may seem like mutually exclusive goals, but Davis’s strategy is based on the idea that if people do not trust the police, they will try to protect themselves with new guns, increasing the cycle of violence.
To make it even more complicated, some of those guns, Davis says, can be attributed to the rural and suburban heroin crisis which is bringing people to Baltimore to trade guns for drugs.To make it even more complicated, some of those guns, Davis says, can be attributed to the rural and suburban heroin crisis which is bringing people to Baltimore to trade guns for drugs.
“Baltimore used to be the primary consumer of heroin in the region. Now we have surrounding counties and states, like Delaware and Pennsylvania, who are new consumers of heroin unlike they ever have been so they’re coming to Baltimore to acquire their heroin and if they’re not paying for the heroin with cash one change we are seeing is that they’re exchanging firearms for heroin,” Davis said. “Baltimore used to be the primary consumer of heroin in the region. Now we have surrounding counties and states, like Delaware and Pennsylvania, who are new consumers of heroin unlike they ever have been, so they’re coming to Baltimore to acquire their heroin. And if they’re not paying for the heroin with cash, one change we are seeing is that they’re exchanging firearms for heroin,” Davis said.
This creates a deadly mixture, which can keep homicides high even as gun arrests have gone up 77% in 2016.This creates a deadly mixture, which can keep homicides high even as gun arrests have gone up 77% in 2016.
And since Baltimore, like the other cities seeing surges in violence, is hyper-segregated, a vast majority of these shootings are largely confined to some of Baltimore’s most impoverished African American neighborhoods, where young men face worse odds than their counterparts in almost any country in the world, leading back to Davis’s 614 trigger pullers. And since Baltimore, like other cities seeing surges in violence, is hyper-segregated, a vast majority of these shootings are largely confined to some of Baltimore’s most impoverished African American neighborhoods, where young men face worse odds than their counterparts in almost any country in the world, leading back to Davis’s 614 trigger pullers.
“I’m not about putting drug addicts in jail. The fact that arrests are down – people should be happy about that. It’s the discretionary arrests that are down,” Davis said. “But the arrests I’m concerned with are murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, those are the arrests we should be making and the arrests our communities expect us to make.” “I’m not about putting drug addicts in jail. The fact that arrests are down – people should be happy about that. It’s the discretionary arrests that are down,” Davis said. “But the arrests I’m concerned with are murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft. Those are the arrests we should be making and the arrests our communities expect us to make.”
‘Ripe for implicit bias’‘Ripe for implicit bias’
Still, the problem is: how do you take these people off the street in a way that helps rebuild public trust along with public safety when they are almost exclusively African American, living in almost exclusively black neighborhoods?Still, the problem is: how do you take these people off the street in a way that helps rebuild public trust along with public safety when they are almost exclusively African American, living in almost exclusively black neighborhoods?
Critics say that, despite Davis’s claims, the approach really isn’t all that different from the old drug war broken windows strategies, in which there were 100,000 arrests, often for “nuisance crimes” in 2005, under then-mayor Martin O’Malley. Critics say that, despite Davis’s claims, the approach really isn’t all that different from the old drug war broken windows strategies, in which there were 100,000 arrests, often for “nuisance crimes”, in 2005, under then mayor Martin O’Malley.
“If we focus on violent repeat offenders and people who are in the system, yes, we definitely can see a reduction in crime,” said Michael Wood, a former Baltimore police officer who worked as a detective on major investigations. “But the problem ultimately is that we’re not completing the big picture and we’re just sending them into a system where they’re going to come out worse and not have any of the causation solved. It’s like the drug war. You’re just creating a vacancy and it’s a vacancy in violence that is fueled by the drug war. You can do that but because you’re not completing the circle you’re creating a system that’s ripe for implicit bias.” “If we focus on violent repeat offenders and people who are in the system, yes, we definitely can see a reduction in crime,” said Michael Wood, a former Baltimore police officer who worked as a detective on major investigations. “But the problem, ultimately, is that we’re not completing the big picture and we’re just sending them into a system where they’re going to come out worse and not have any of the causation solved. It’s like the drug war. You’re just creating a vacancy, and it’s a vacancy in violence that is fuelled by the drug war. You can do that, but because you’re not completing the circle, you’re creating a system that’s ripe for implicit bias.”
Wood says that when he was in the department he would write multiple warrants for the same person – a strategy he likens to the attempt by the “war room” to get the “trigger pullers” on whatever you can – and lock them up on other charges. Wood says that when he was in the department he would write multiple warrants for the same person – a strategy he likens to the attempt by the “war room” to get the “trigger pullers” on whatever it can – and lock them up on other charges.
“It felt like hunting, but I was hunting people,” he said. “If they’ve committed a gun crime, by all means, go after them for that. But don’t lock them up on some bullshit.”“It felt like hunting, but I was hunting people,” he said. “If they’ve committed a gun crime, by all means, go after them for that. But don’t lock them up on some bullshit.”
Richard Woods, the lawyer of Kevron Evans, a rapper who goes by the name of Young Moose, calls the trigger puller list “special prosecution” after he inadvertently received a letter in discovery that was sent about his client from a police major in the “war room” to a prosecutor, asking to strategize about ways to aggressively prosecute Evans for a domestic violence charge because they believed he was a member of the Black Guerrilla Family gang and was involved several shootings. Richard Woods, the lawyer for Kevron Evans, a rapper who goes by the name of Young Moose, called the trigger puller list “special prosecution” after he inadvertently received a letter in discovery that was sent about his client from a police major in the “war room” to a prosecutor. The letter asked to strategize about ways to aggressively prosecute Evans for a domestic violence charge because authorities believed he was a member of the Black Guerrilla Family gang and was involved in several shootings.
Woods argued that there was no evidence presented for any of those allegations and it was unfair to his client.Woods argued that there was no evidence presented for any of those allegations and it was unfair to his client.
But Davis points to those same cases – and even some police shootings – as evidence that his program is working. Those drug charges against Evans’ entire family did not stick, but Evans is currently awaiting trial without bail on gun and drug charges. His brother, Kevin Evans Jr, was murdered earlier in May. But Davis points to those same cases – and even some police shootings – as evidence that his program is working. Drug charges against Evans’ entire family did not stick, but Evans himself is currently awaiting trial without bail on gun and drug charges. His brother, Kevin Evans Jr, was murdered earlier in May.
“When you look at cases like Kevron Evans and Kevin Evans and you look at cases in East Baltimore where you have the 43 year old father and 18 year old son pop out of a car at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and eventually killed by Baltimore police officers, the dad’s on probation on a gun charge, the son’s out on bail on a gun charge,” Davis said. “I think we’re satisfied that we’re looking at the right people.” “When you look at cases like Kevron Evans and Kevin Evans, and you look at cases in East Baltimore where you have the 43-year-old father and 18-year-old son pop out of a car at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and eventually killed by Baltimore police officers, the dad’s on probation on a gun charge, the son’s out on bail on a gun charge,” Davis said. “I think we’re satisfied that we’re looking at the right people.”
The father and son Davis is talking about were Matthew Wood Jr and Kimani Johnson, both of whom were armed. Neither fired a shot, although police fired 56 rounds. “We don’t run from bad guys with guns. We engage them,” Davis said. “We fired 56 rounds yesterday until this threat was eliminated.”The father and son Davis is talking about were Matthew Wood Jr and Kimani Johnson, both of whom were armed. Neither fired a shot, although police fired 56 rounds. “We don’t run from bad guys with guns. We engage them,” Davis said. “We fired 56 rounds yesterday until this threat was eliminated.”
Relatives claimed the men were armed because they feared for their own lives and want to know why the police had to fire so many shots.Relatives claimed the men were armed because they feared for their own lives and want to know why the police had to fire so many shots.
Davis says that the police involved shootings, which are slightly higher than at this time last year, are actually proof that the strategy is working. “The more people we confront for carrying firearms, we’ll have occasion to confront an armed person who actually challenges a police officer, like we’ve seen that several times over this year,” he said. Davis says that the police-involved shootings, which are slightly higher than at this time last year, are actually proof that the strategy is working. “The more people we confront for carrying firearms, we’ll have occasion to confront an armed person who actually challenges a police officer, like we’ve seen that several times over this year,” he said.
But, in another case, where police shot a 14-year-old boy who had a pellet gun, Davis acknowledged that things probably would have played out differently if it had been his two kids with toy guns. “They’re two 13-year-old white kids,” Davis said at Morgan State University. “If they had a gun in their hand, would it be perceived differently? Yeah, I’d be the first one to admit that.” But, in another case, in which police shot a 14-year-old boy who had a pellet gun, Davis acknowledged that things probably would have played out differently if it had been his two kids with toy guns. “They’re two 13-year-old white kids,” Davis said at Morgan State University. “If they had a gun in their hand, would it be perceived differently? Yeah, I’d be the first one to admit that.”
If Davis is focusing on bad guys with guns, he is also, perhaps slowly, trying to root out some of the problems in his own department. He says he has fired five officers and five others have resigned in lieu of being fired, while also instituting programs to get more police out of their cars and into the communities, sometimes in ways that are shockingly basic.If Davis is focusing on bad guys with guns, he is also, perhaps slowly, trying to root out some of the problems in his own department. He says he has fired five officers and five others have resigned in lieu of being fired, while also instituting programs to get more police out of their cars and into the communities, sometimes in ways that are shockingly basic.
“We have to train our cops to interact with people who aren’t under arrest,” Davis said at a forum. “We’re teaching community foot patrol, but really all that is is interaction skills 101.”“We have to train our cops to interact with people who aren’t under arrest,” Davis said at a forum. “We’re teaching community foot patrol, but really all that is is interaction skills 101.”
Davis says that he understands the kind of problem he is up against.Davis says that he understands the kind of problem he is up against.
“The government institution that’s dealing with all those other societal government failures, when they go away, there’s the police right here,” he said. “And we’re the ones left handling the mess.”“The government institution that’s dealing with all those other societal government failures, when they go away, there’s the police right here,” he said. “And we’re the ones left handling the mess.”
And despite the bad couple weeks, Davis thinks he is on the right track. And despite the bad couple of weeks, Davis thinks he is on the right track.
“It’s not about changing things overnight, it’s about changing the trajectory,” he said. “If you can change the trajectory and not live moment to moment, day by day, then you can put some strategies in place, allow those strategies to grow some roots, allow some failure, allow for some tinkering and not panicking.”“It’s not about changing things overnight, it’s about changing the trajectory,” he said. “If you can change the trajectory and not live moment to moment, day by day, then you can put some strategies in place, allow those strategies to grow some roots, allow some failure, allow for some tinkering and not panicking.”