Documents obtained by The Examiner reveal police are making twice as many arrests as they are issuing criminal citations ? tickets that spare minor violators a trip to jail.
The trend means that some people committing minor crimes, like spitting on the sidewalk or trespassing, who could be cited with a simple ticket, may be ending up in jail unnecessarily. The documents, which list the number of arrests made by patrol officers per district last month, show that arrests outnumber criminal citations almost 2 to 1 ? 3,574 arrests versus 1,591 criminal citations. Tyrone Powers, director of the Institute for Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Public Service at Anne Arundel County Community College, said citations discourage certain behaviors without alienating the community.
“Criminal citations can be effective; mass arrests alienate the police from the community,” he said.
Matt Jablow, spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department, said: “Officers are given a lot of discretion to solve problems in communities in the most effective way.”
Many of the arrests ? for spitting, trespassing, and other minor crimes ? are best addressed by writing a criminal citation, experts say.
“People don?t become police officers to arrest someone for spitting on a sidewalk,” said Sidney Greenberg, a criminologist from Johns Hopkins University.
The department?s “General Order H-8” gives officers the discretion to issue a citations, the document says. Procedures state an officer can issue a citation as long as there are “not dangerous circumstances” and the person has state government I.D. The document also mandates that the officer issue a citation if the “illegal activity” will be “abated” by the citation, meaning it will stop.
Town hall meeting tonight
» The Rev. Charles Neal, the pastor whose arrest sparked controversy over city police policy, will hold a town hall meeting tonight to “bridge the gap” between the community and the Baltimore Police Department.
» The meeting, to be at 6 p.m. at the First Greater Harvest Church, 1508 Fulton Ave., will provide a “peace peaceful” forum to discuss the city?s arrest policies, Neal said in a written statement.
» City Council Member Kenneth Harris (D-4th District) said he will participate in the meeting. City State?s Attorney Pat Jessamy also has been invited. Police spokesman Matt Jablow said Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm will not be attending.
-Stephen Janis
