17 more dead in ?criminal city?

Together, they?ve been charged with more than 50 crimes in their lives. Convicted in the past few years of various crimes, they would have been behind bars ? if they hadn?t received suspended sentences or “good time” credits in prison, records show.

Yet, they were all on the streets of Baltimore in November, when city police say they each gunned down a different man, contributing to the city?s 17 homicides this month.

“Baltimore is a criminal city,” said activist David Briggs, a Baltimore City business owner and blogger. “It?s one of the only cities in the U.S. where you?re allowed to commit crimes without real punishment.”

So far this year, 270 people have been shot, stabbed, beaten or burned to death on Baltimore?s streets, 19 more than this time last year. City police have solved 102 of this year?s homicides ? and 44 from previous years ? for a clearance rate of 55 percent. But this year nearly six out of 10 killers are getting away with murder committed since January.

“A lot of the people we see over and over again ? it?s not a surprise and it?s certainly a concern,” said Sterling Clifford, a Baltimore City police spokesman.

Lucas, 24, Snead, 22, James, 25, and Smith, 33, wereall out of jail on parole or probation at the time of their homicide arrests this month.

Elizabeth Bartholomew, spokeswoman for the state?s Division of Parole and Probation, said Snead was under “intense supervision” under a newly created unit to suppress violent crime when police say he committed the murder of Norman Smith, 30, on the 1000 block of North Broadway.

“Homicide is an extremely difficult crime to prevent,” Clifford said. “You can?t be with this guy 24 hours a day if he?s not actually in jail.”

Looking at the men arrested on suspicion of homicide this month underscores Baltimore?s problem with repeat offenders.

» Lucas got into an argument with Lawrence Jones on the 1300 block of Ballard Way on Nov. 2. As Jones tried to walk away, Lucas pulled a handgun from his coat pocket and shot Jones multiple times, according to police.

Lucas has been charged with eight adult crimes. In 2004, he was convicted of attempted first-degree murder. He was released from prison on “good behavior” credits on Oct. 6, 2006.

» Snead “accosted” 30-year-old Norman Smith, shooting him multiple times, police say. He?s been on probation since Nov. 6, when a judge granted him a five-year suspended sentence.

» James shot Thomas Jones several times on the 2600 block of Oswego Avenue on Nov. 8, police say. Sentenced in 2003 to five years in prison, he had been released from jail in July.

» Smith killedKendrick Bowman on the 7100 block of McClean Boulevard, police say. He had been given a year sentence in 2006. It was suspended.

Kimberly Haven, the executive director for Justice Maryland, said convicts need “opportunities and resources” once they?re released from prison.

“We have a large number of former felons coming back to the city,” Haven said. “People who have felony records can?t get jobs. Many ex-cons have a choice: Go back insideor starve to death. We?re not addressing the basic needs people need in order to be successful. It?s much easier to demonize and marginalize.”

Despite convicts coming out of prison and committing more crimes, Baltimore police say they?re having success since Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld took the reins of the agency in July.

“We?ve had a dramatic reducation in nonfatal shootings,” Clifford said. “There are 110 less incidents of gun violence from July to December this year compared to last year. This is an actual sharp decrease in shootings. It?s a hopeful sign that we can reduce the level of violent crime in the city.”

November?s number of homicides ? 17 ? is the same number as November 2006.

Haven, who held a rally last month against the homicide rate, said the citizens of Baltimore need to step up and tell their children and neighbors they won?t tolerate the killings.

“The violence is just paralyzing,” she said. “We?ve just become a city of resigned acceptance because we don?t know what to do. It?s easier and safer to just move on to the things we can do something about. 2008 is going to be up to us.”

HOMICIDE COMPARISONS

Homicides in other cities / population

» Washington, D.C.:

173 / 570,000

» Baltimore:

270 / 635,000

» Philadelphia:

369 / 1.5 million

» New York:

446 / 8.2 million

DANGEROUS BLOCKS

Blocks where the homicides happened

» 1300 Ballard Way

» 3300 Elmora Avenue

» 1000 North Broadway

» 1600 Lockwood Road

» 2600 Oswego Avenue

» 2600 Grogan Avenue

» 700 Baker Street

» 500 N. Brice Street

» 7100 McCleanBoulevard

» 3000 Rosalind Avenue

» 2100 Cimera Road

» 1000 Boyd Street

» 2400 Presbury Street

» 4000 Rogers Avenue

» 3500 Woodland Avenue

Baltimore?s November homicide victims

» Nov. 2: Lawrence Jones, 17, shooting *

» Nov. 2: Robert Tyson, 24, shooting

» Nov. 4: Norman Smith, 30, shooting *

» Nov. 5: Terrence Regan, 16, shooting

» Nov. 8: Leonard Hunt, 44, shooting *

» Nov. 8: Thomas Jones, 37, shooting *

» Nov. 11: Carlos Smithson, 22, shooting

» Nov. 12: John Morris, 42, shooting

» Nov. 13: Trent Earl, 36, shooting

» Nov. 14: Frederick Davis, 17, shooting **

» Nov. 15: Kendrick Bowman, 17, shooting *

» Nov. 16: Herbert Lemon, 31, shooting

» Nov. 20: Christopher Timms, 46, beating

» Nov. 22: Martay Powell, 22, shooting **

» Nov. 23: Robert Gray, 36, shooting

» Nov. 26: Bryanna Harris, 2, cause of death undetermined

» Nov. 26: Michael Crowder, 33, shooting

» Nov. 27: Quentin Reddicks-Flowers, 31, blunt force trauma *

» Nov. 29: Tywond Jones, 13, stabbing

* Arrest made

** Killed prior to November, but added to homicide statistics during the month by Baltimore City police

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