Yes, I was amazed, and not in a good way. I worked for Johns Hopkins Hospital during the first years of the 21st century. This Best of the Best hospital, is nestled in east Baltimore, infamous for its staggeringly high crime-rate (and for how MD's pols neglect it) in a city already infamous for the same. Car break-ins seemed to happen to s/o @ my small clinic every day. CW was not to leave a/t, not even a rumpled and stained baseball cap within view in your car, or IT WILL be broken into. M.O. of car break-in: Via window. This is done in broad daylight, as are many muggings and assaults of all kinds, and law-enforcement did seem quite scarce in areas in which they were most needed. In one such area, as I tried to head home after work, an officer spent at least 30 minutes hassling me over a burnt-out tail-light (it really did burn out that day!), making a big show of investigating my criminal history (none), and then giving me a lecture usually reserved for "Scared Straight" participants. But do not despair (unless you choose to; it's a free country allegedly): Baltimore shares with St Louis the dubious honour of having the City exist (if you call this "exist") as a completely separately governed municipality than the County, which also bears its name. Simply put, the County and the City are totally separate. The suburbanites (I lived in the city) had many pretty, leafy, hilly, low-crime 'burbs to choose from and that is what most who can afford to do choose to do. So sad: Baltimore is an important city in American history, with remarkable landmarks and sights. It could be a remarkable place to live, play, and visit if something BIG was done about its crime-rate. Mayor after mayor swears to clean up its insanely high crime, inventing one "great strategy" after another, but I must sadly agree with Laura w/Re to Baltimore City. I still love it, but sadly: I mourn for it.
Dr. Nick | St. Louis, MO | Report Abuse