NYC Artist Scott Lobaido Planning ‘The Mother of All Marches’ at Manhattan City Hall Saturday Aug. 22

Scott shows the Blue Magazine the letter-turned-art during a Zoom interview.

Scott Lobaido is several things: a brilliant patriotic artist, a native to New York City and a military and law enforcement supporter.

Oh and one more thing … he’s been fighting Mayor de Blasio’s tyrannical rule for years now and wants to prove it on Saturday, Aug. 22 in a strongly supported march to City Hall.

In a recent show of support to law enforcement, Scott brilliantly painted a Thin Blue Line in front of a Staten Island NYPD precinct stretching across Hyland Blvd. Shortly thereafter, he draped a large image of Mayor de Blasio holding the severed head of the Statue of Liberty along an overpass.

The next day Scott Lobaido received a “Cease and Desist” letter from Mayor de Blasio’s cronies in the Department of Transportation.

“When I hung the big banner of de Blasio holding the severed head of the Statue of Liberty over the highway … the story went worldwide. The next day I got the letter about the blue line.” Scott tells Blue.

Scott feels that he is being targeted. Weeks ago, de Blasio himself painted 5th Avenue in a desperate attempt to gain popularity and ride the wave of anti-police sentiment.

The letter was then turned into a piece of art by Scott and sold at auction for over $6,000, all of which was donated to the NYC Cops and Kids Boxing Club.

Scott tells Blue, “If he (Mayor de Blasio) wants to defund the police, I am going to FUND the police.”

His feud with the misguided mayor has been around long before the current war on police. And Scott has another trick up his sleeve that he’s calling “the mother of all marches.”

Image taken from Scott Lobaido’s website.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, Scott is planning to hold a massive rally outside City Hall in Manhattan.

Scott told BLUE, “I’m having the mother of all marches at City Hall.” He continues, “Take back your country! As Captain Perry said in the Battle of Lake Erie, ‘Don’t give up the ship!”

According to Scott’s website, www.ScottLobaido.com, there’s an impressive list of guest speakers; CEO of Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa, actor/comedian Joe Piscopo and many more.

Scott’s not just calling on law enforcement to attend -- he wants people from all walks of life; nurses, small business owners, teachers, civil servants -- anyone who makes up the heart and soul of New York City.

“This is simply THE RALLY to represent New Yorkers who are getting slaughtered by this City’s horrible administration. Get involved or don’t bitch about it!” Scott said on his website.

There’s still time to register and attend this event. Just go to his website and click on the Save NYC Rally and enter your information. You can also take a step further and offer to volunteer. Bonus for Staten Island residents -- transportation is provided.

If you can’t make it but want to show support, Scott’s team has created a GoFundMe page where you can donate. The link is also available on his website.

Scott has had law enforcement’s back long enough and made it a point to tell the Blue readers, “You don’t see it, but we got your back, thank you very much.”

Now it’s our turn to show support for him. Go to the website, register and I’ll see you there!

To watch the full unedited Zoom interview with Scott Lobaido, go to www.eddiemolina.com

Eddie Molina was deployed to Iraq as a Platoon Leader- one of the most challenging roles in modern warfare. His experience and education made him a leadership professional and he blogs about it on his website. In his spare time, he submits articles for the law enforcement, first responder and military community to keep them informed on important issues facing America today. His book, A Beginner's Guide to Leadership, is expected to be published in September 2020. For more information, go to his website at www.eddiemolina.com

When is enough, enough?

On Aug. 9, 2014 M. Brown won a stupid prize for playing a stupid game. It cost him his life. Officer Darren Wilson did his job and a community burned because he survived. If Officer Wilson had been killed, there would have been little mention of it. His memory would have been softened by time. There would have been no looting, no burning, no protesting.

The death of M. Brown elevated him to martyr status and the illegitimate BLM baby was born. And with it came the mayhem and destruction. It was a real show. It was also the beginning of the open hatred of police officers and the blatant disregard for law and order.

M. Brown was not Emmett Till, an innocent boy lynched for a Jim Crowe-era infraction in 1955. That was horrible and sickening. As a veteran police officer, my opinion of that event remains unchanged. It was 100% wrong.

My opinion of what happened to George Floyd also remains the same, 100% wrong.

But, some folks refuse to admit is that M. Brown had a pivotal role in his own death. George Floyd too, played a small role in his own death. Both were engaged in criminal activity and that led to their respective interactions with the police, and subsequent deaths. I agree with what happened to M. Brown, I don’t agree with what happened to George Floyd.

The country is now upside down because of the attention brought on by the death of Floyd. Everybody the world over seems to know about it. The left-wing folks are fanning the flames, the media in my opinion is encouraging a race war. They want it. The left wants it. The very notion of defunding the police is the most sinister plan perpetrated against our republic since its inception (yes, we are a republic).

They’re not quite finished with M. Brown yet. His death still serves a purpose. It is a rallying cry for “Justice.” It’s a misguided cry. Justice was meted out. It just wasn’t the outcome the pre-BLM movement (waiting in the wings) had hoped for. Or was it? 

M. Brown was probably as close to Emmett Till as anyone was going to get, and if you don’t believe that this race-driven storm hasn’t been pre-planned for a long time, you’re a idiot! The coalition of BLM and ANTIFA is not a fluke. Their orchestrated attacks were fairly organized at first and are getting a little better as they pick up a head of steam.

The new prosecutor of St. Louis County, Wesley Bell, based his campaign heavily on the “reopening” of the already adjudicated attempt at charging Officer Darren Wilson with a crime. Although the grand jury refused to hand down an indictment against Officer Wilson, and the Justice Department’s investigation reached the same conclusion, Mr. Bell made no bones about wanting a chance to charge the police officer in the death of M. Brown. He won the election and garnered the support of the community, especially the black community, whom he bamboozled with his primary intention.

Still, Bell tried to get Officer Wilson. He wasted taxpayer money, conducting a five-month-long investigation into the shooting of M. Brown and in a despicable display of disappointment, held a press conference, wherein he claimed there was no evidence to charge Officer Wilson with any crime. He seemed sad and disappointed that he couldn’t send Officer Wilson to prison for doing his job. It seems like everything in the St. Louis is based on race. 

My personal opinion is that Wesley Bell has been itching to prosecute a police officer to appease the folks of color, and a white police officer would be exactly what he is hoping for, and that, to me, makes him a racist cop-hater. He shows up at many of the officer-involved shooting scenes and I’m pretty sure he salivates at the prospect of indicting a cop. To me, his actions seem way too personal.

If Mr. Bell isn’t in the job to put criminals in prison, he has other options. If he thinks being a cop is so black and white (no pun intended), he can resign as prosecutor, go to the police academy and become a cop. He knows the law. He seems to be in good shape and has good people skills. Easy-peasy, I’d gladly be his field-training officer and welcome him into our world, “my world” the one with the fields of gray in which we dance.

And hidden in the rushes, there lurk people who wish us dead, who try to make us so, and some who are successful at their endeavors.

On the anniversary of M. Brown’s death this year, the BLM folks projected an image of Officer Wilson on the side of a large building in Clayton, Missouri (the county seat) as a mock “Wanted” poster calling for the arrest of Wilson. Maybe Mr. Bell saw it? I’m certain he did. 

Mr. Bell might see this column. Maybe not. If he does, would someone please ask him if he’s going to try Bonette Kimbrelle Meeks as a “death penalty” case for the execution-style murder of Officer Michael Langsdorf on 23 June 2019 (Asking for thousands of friends)? I hope his investigation into that case is as intense as the rehashing of the justifiable homicide of M. Brown. If he’s going to weigh-in personally, I’d like to hear him refer to Meeks as a murdering savage. He should try that case personally. If he does, I’ll be there!

As far as prosecuting Officer Wilson, it’s never going to happen. That horse is dead, quit beating it. Enough is enough

Kirk Lawless is a 28 year, decorated, veteran police officer from the St Louis area. He’s a former SWAT operator, narcotics agent, homicide investigator, detective and Medal of Valor recipient. Off the job due to an up close and personal gunfight, he now concentrates on writing. He’s a patriotic warrior, artist, poet, actor, musician, and man of peace.

Contact : kirklawless@yahoo.com

The Cancel Culture is Unreasonable

Cancel culture is the practice of withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered offensive or objectionable. When a person is canceled, they are no longer supported publicly.

The goal of the cancel culture is often to try to take away an individual’s organization’s or a culture’s public platform and power. Here are some examples of how this being done:

• Amid the debate over America’s monuments, numerous statues of figures with historical significance have been destroyed or removed to appease the cancel culture crowd. Defacing, vandalizing, relocating or removing public memorials is one of the significant manifestations of the cancel culture that seeks to punish individuals for past actions or views ranging from unjust to merely out of step with certain views of today.

• New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association (NRA). The lawsuit seeks to do away with the gun rights political advocacy group because of what she alleges were “years of illegal self-dealings” that bankrolled a “lavish lifestyle” for the group’s leadership using the organization’s funds for personal gain. This is used as justification for abolition of the entire organization which supports Second Amendment rights.

• The Seattle City Council’s budget Committee passed a series of amendments, cutting the budget for the Seattle Police Department. One of the ways they’re saving money is to significantly cut the salary of Police Chief Carmen Best, Seattle’s first black female police chief, signaling their lack of support for her. On efforts to defund the police and reduce personnel, Chief Best has said “The idea that we’ve worked so hard to make sure our department was diverse, that reflects the community that we serve, to just turn that all on a dime and hack it off, without having a plan in place to move forward, is highly distressful to me.” As a result, Chief Best has tendered her resignation effective Sept. 2 of this year.

• A mural at George Washington High School in San Francisco depicted scenes of slavery and of violence against Native Americans. The artist named Victor Arnautoff, wasn’t celebrating those things. Quite the opposite: He wanted to expose America’s complicity in those crimes. Nonetheless, it offended some progressives who thought high school students might be triggered by the truth, so the school decided to get rid of it.

• Less than 48 hours after a valuable, multi-purpose vehicle was utilized in rescues during tropical storm flooding, the administration in Upper Darby Delaware decided to remove this asset never to be used by the Upper Darby Police Department again. This short - sighted decision by elected officials is another example of politicians being swept away by the cancel culture in defiance of public safety and common sense.

The Pushback

Robert Unanue, the CEO of Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, was targeted by the cancel culture mentality. After Unanue said we were all “truly blessed … to have a leader like President Trump,” social media erupted with negative reactions accompanied by pictures of Goya products in the trash, along with oaths to never buy these products again. In spite of the calls for a boycott, Goya sales have reportedly surged of late.

The popular grocery chain, Trader Joe’s,  famous for its organic, gourmet, and imported foods, came in for some unwelcome criticism recently when The New York Times, followed by other news outlets, focused attention on a petition condemning Trader Joe’s for its “racist branding and packaging.” The petition, launched by a California high school student, declared that the company “perpetuates harmful stereotypes” by labeling some of its international foods with international names. Championing inclusiveness, while defeating the cancel culture, Trader Joe’s pushed back against this accusation of racism. Trader Joe’s intent was just the opposite in its marketing effort to promote other cultures and present international foods as accessible and appealing. No changes have been made.

If knowledge is power, learning from our past mistakes through an understanding of history, having the right people and equipment in place at critical times and maintaining freedom in support of our rights is important, truthful and just, then the cancel culture surely is senseless and in so many ways detrimental to our future success as a society. The cancel culture now poses a real threat to our intellectual freedom. We, as Americans, must work to retain the right to respectfully disagree while making room for divergent views. Isn’t this, in part, a result of the diversity in America that we hold so dear?

As members of the “Great American Melting Pot” we must individually and collectively realize the benefits from our traditions and cultural heritage as we celebrate the American way of life fought for and desired by our ancestors.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice- chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer’s Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com

Mayor de Blasio doesn’t understand the criminal mindset and because of it, is empowering thugs

Mayor Bill de Blasio thinks he’s a hero to New York City, when in reality all he’s doing is skyrocketing crime and empowering thugs to commit brazen and heartless crimes. The focal point of his problem is that he doesn’t understand the criminal mindset; their thought process, their distorted logic and rationale, their lack of empathy and their inability to comprehend consequences, all of which knows no color.

I have worked in a state prison system for nearly 20 years, dealing with convicts day in and day out. No, not all of them are hardened criminals or heartless thugs. But a large majority of criminals share the same mindset and thought process and de Blasio has no clue what that personality is like.

The most common mistake I saw in new correctional officers was they assumed criminals can understand logic, rationale and action/consequence.

The average criminal refuses to take personal accountability for his actions. In his twisted logic, if he believes he is the victim then it is OK to lash out, even violently. He truly believes it’s not his fault and the circumstances “made him do it.”

Example: Say a thug is cut off by another vehicle and runs into a curb, causing damage. The thug then chases after the other driver, only to catch up with him and viciously beats them up.

Someone with a criminal mind would truly believe he is right in his actions to attack the other driver. He was “forced to take action” and, “It isn’t his fault” that the situation ended as badly as it did.

Similarly, people without a criminal mindset may also chase someone down and attack another driver in a fit of rage. The difference is remorse. Once the aggressor comes down from their road rage, they’ll feel remorse and wish they could take it all back.

Thugs do not feel remorse. They will carry on forever believing it wasn’t their fault and they were forced into the situation. Moreover, they blame the system for charging and incarcerating them which, in their minds “isn’t fair.”

For most of you readers, this may not make sense to you because, like the rookie correctional officer, you’ve been dealing with logical, rational people your entire life. But I assure you, this is the average convict’s thought process.

What de Blasio is doing is giving anyone with a thug mentality a reason to feel victimized. In their minds, it’s OK to respond and react to that violently. And because thugs lack empathy, they don’t understand how their actions are affecting innocent people.

Right now, thugs are damaging property, attacking people, (especially cops since de Blasio painted them as public enemy number one) and painting graffiti, all under the victimization umbrella, so it’s “not their fault.”

If the mayor were to spend a few weeks living with these “thug” types, he might be able to better gauge the consequences of his messages and how all that manifests into crime and criminal activity. He is costing people their lives and livelihood!

The police are not New York City’s problem. It’s the mayor’s ideology, political agenda and the empowerment of thugs who WILL react to it violently because in their minds, they have no choice!

Eddie Molina was deployed to Iraq as a Platoon Leader- one of the most challenging roles in modern warfare. His experience and education made him a leadership professional and he blogs about it on his website. In his spare time, he submits articles for the law enforcement, first responder and military community to keep them informed on important issues facing America today. His book, A Beginner's Guide to Leadership, is expected to be published in September 2020. For more information, go to his website at www.eddiemolina.com

Paper Tiger Policing Will Not End Well For Law-Abiding Americans

I spent nearly four decades in local law enforcement. What I am seeing today is not even recognizable and doesn’t come close to how we protected and served our respective communities just three years ago. It’s almost embarrassing. The American Left has fully emasculated the American police officer. They have defanged them to the point of being a paper tiger.

Think of the state of things. Throwing rocks, bottles and other missiles at police lines as officers are ordered to stand down and absorbed the pelting. Private property is looted and torched. Law-abiding people caught up in the fray are beaten and killed. They are trapped inside cars as rioters surround them, not letting them escape, pound on the car while trying to get inside. In one incident in Virginia, a woman in her car with her young daughter called 911 to get a police response. Hearing her distress as I listened to the call replayed gave me chills. What if that was my family member, I thought. The operator told the woman that there was nothing she could do to help her. She told her they wouldn’t be sending police help and to call City Hall for direction because what was occurring was a sanctioned event. What? I am not making this up.

In another instance in the city of Greenfield, Wisconsin, the same county where I was sheriff for 15 years, numerous members of Black Lives Matter, who I refer to as Black LICE Matter showed up in front of a residence that had a We Support Our Police sign in their yard. The armed group began heckling the homeowner and his neighbor who came out to assist. The homeowner called 911 for a police response. He was told by the operator that no police response would be sent and that they were “monitoring the incident.” Monitoring from where, I thought. That call just a few months ago would have resulted in a red/blue light and siren response to keep the peace. Not anymore … now police just monitor these incidents until gunfire results, apparently. Is that the new crime prevention, I wondered?

Effective policing has always been premised on preserving the peace and preventing crime, not just responding to it. Now police don’t even respond to it. It gets better, or should I say, it gets worse.

Police in Seattle were ordered to abandon their police precinct, handing it over to rioters who attacked it. They remained in control of it for several weeks as police tried to negotiate its return. Police in Portland, Oregon, were reported to be in retreat as 60-plus continuous days of rioting was taking its toll on police resources. In another incident, police reported that 150 gunshots were fired around an apartment complex. There was no report of what police did in response. In Minneapolis, the chief recently issued an advisory that told citizens to give up valuables to holdup men. Just capitulate. Be a victim because they didn’t have the money for preventive patrols. In 2010, in a response to rising violent crime, I advised residents to arm themselves for self-defense.

I am in no way criticizing the front-line officers or questioning their courage and commitment to protect and serve. This is the result of ineffective police leadership. Today’s police commanders refuse to stand up to local politicians who have crawled into bed with the cop haters. They refuse to stand up to city councils and boards who are succumbing to calls to defund police and taking away tools needed to control crime and mass demonstrations that quickly turn to riots. The Milwaukee Police Chief has been banned by a police citizen oversight board from using tear gas in riotous situations. The city council refused a request for funds to replace dwindling stockpiles. There have been reports and photos of police executives who are kneeling with Black Lives Matter and actually marching with other cop-hating groups. I find it unconscionable to deploy officers out into harm’s way under stand down orders with no way to defend themselves when attacked.

This isn’t leadership, it’s a disgrace to this proud profession. It has taken its toll on the morale of front-line officers. It has left them confused about whether it is worth continuing in this or exiting the profession. Resignations and retirements in some large agencies are at record highs. Think of all the institutional knowledge walking out the door. How will they capture or replace it?

Violent crime is rising in cities the like of which we haven’t witnessed in decades. All the record crime reduction that cities had experienced is being wiped out in just a few months. Law-abiding citizens are living in fear. Their quality of life is in shambles with no sign of relief.

Defunding police is in vogue. The New York police budget has been slashed by $1 billion. That is one-sixth of the total budget. Other large cities are considering slashing budgets by 50% with no pushback by police executives. Wordsmithing has entered the picture. With polls showing no constituent support for defunding police, politicians are calling it re-directing funds to other agencies.

The question is how does this all end? I won’t sugar coat it. It ends poorly for law-abiding people. It ends poorly for law and order. It ends poorly for America as we know it.

Sheriff David Clarke Jr. is former Sheriff of Milwaukee Co, Wisconsin, President of AmericasSheriff LLC, Board of Directors for the Crime Prevention Research Center, author of the book Cop Under Fire: Beyond Hashtags of Race Crime and Politics for a Better America. To learn more visit www. americassheriff.com

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, enemy of the state? You bet!

St. Louis has made national headlines again. The current push to demonize the police and glorify Black Lives Matter is in full swing.

On June 28, St. Louis attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey defended their home in a private neighborhood on a private street, with legally owned firearms, against an unruly mob of BLM terrorists.  Mark, armed with a rifle, and Patricia, with a pistol, held their ground and protected themselves against feral marauders who threatened them after breaking down an iron gate to gain entry into the private subdivision.

The “not so peaceful” demonstrators claimed they were en route to protest at the home of the St. Louis mayor, who lives in the same neighborhood.  The cacophony aroused the attention of the McCloskeys, who had a right to investigate its origin.  The protesters could have walked on by, but instead chose to engage the couple with taunts and threats.  It was captured on video filmed by the criminals.

The BLM folks claimed they were merely protesting when the McCloskeys threatened them at gunpoint. This is where I officially declare bullshit!  These fuckers are never just peacefully demonstrating. They are terrorizing anyone who challenges them.  The protesters claimed they were unarmed, and again I declare bullshit! The folks filming are getting good at not showing the entire scene. They are careful not to show the BLM guns while filming.

I live here.  I’ve seen the protests, in person many times, and they are not as harmless as they purport to be.  There are armed antagonists in the crowd almost every time they come out to show their asses.  They blend into the crowd, often hiding behind women and children, using them as shields. 

The McCloskeys said one man was smacking two pistol magazines together while yelling, “You’re next!” Others shouted, “Y’all think you’re the only ones with guns?”  Is that a credible threat? Absolutely! 

The McCloskeys exercised their 2nd Amendment right while the BLM claimed to be exercising their 1st Amendment right, (except the BLM were trespassing criminals, threatening two people who were on their own property).

Enter Kim Gardner, herself only a few steps away from a federal prison cell for her “Play for pay” false charges, that brought down former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.

A known rabid racist and cop-hater, she blatantly disregards her official capacity as circuit attorney.  She is a criminal, supporting BLM by her actions and inactions.  Instead of condemning and prosecuting the BLM in this case, she filed charges of assault and flourishing of weapons against the real victims, the McCloskeys!

Gardner and her assistant, Chris Hinckley, went as far as to browbeat the investigator assigned to the bogus case, SLMPD Sgt. Curtis Burgdorf, pressuring him to sign off on a probable cause statement to obtain a search warrant, calling for the seizure of the weapons in control of the McCloskeys on June 28.th

The probable cause was probably written by Hinckley, if not Gardner herself. This is nothing more than high-fuckery!  There is no way the verbiage in that document came from the hand of Burgdorf, in fact there exists more than one version. Burgdorf refused to sign off on at least one. Does his signature appear on any document, really? I’m asking?

The “official” probable cause statement is not yet available to the public.  I can’t wait to see it and find out which judge got duped into signing it. The warrant was served on July 10th.  Why the delay?  The McCloskeys probably would have voluntarily surrendered the rifle, had someone asked for it. 

SLMPD, their hands being tied, executed the search warrant and retrieved the alleged rifle from the McCloskey residence.

The handgun, previously surrendered by the attorney representing the McCloskeys, was already in the custody of the circuit attorney’s office.  There was a small problem (a huge one, really), the firearm was not in working order and therefore was no longer a weapon capable of doing “fuck all” to anyone, so right there the case goes out the window.  Gardner wasn’t finished. 

She “encouraged” the ballistic lab to, “make the pistol operational,” and they did!  Did Police Chief Hayden know about any of this? This gross case of evidence tampering will surely generate lawsuits and prison sentences, and it should!  Yet again, the rabid dog has left a damning trail of evidence to follow. 

So flagrant were the actions of Gardner and her team of henchmen, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has intervened to have the case against the McCloskeys dropped.  Gardner is fighting this action tooth, fang and claw. She should already be sporting a federal jumpsuit.  This shit has got to stop. Gardner, just resign already! You’re a fucking criminal and a hack!

Kirk Lawless is a 28 year, decorated, veteran police officer from the St Louis area. He’s a former SWAT operator, narcotics agent, homicide investigator, detective and Medal of Valor recipient. Off the job due to an up close and personal gunfight, he now concentrates on writing. He’s a patriotic warrior, artist, poet, actor, musician, and man of peace.
Contact : kirklawless@yahoo.com

Unintended Consequences

The law of unintended consequences states that actions of people, and often those of government, have effects that are not anticipated or are completely unintended. The difference between good and bad leaders is that the bad leaders confine themselves to visible effect; the good leader takes into account both the effect that can be easily seen and those effects that must be foreseen based on information, knowledge and in seeing the bigger picture. Unfortunately, politicians have a long and storied history of largely operating with knee-jerk reactions and tunnel vision once committed to a certain political ideology or goal.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES IN BALTIMORE

Amid calls nationwide to defund the police, the federal judge overseeing the Baltimore Police Consent Decree has said that such reform options may exist in other cities, but not in Baltimore. In 2017, Baltimore leaders chose the path of the federally enforced decree and the city has a legal obligation to complete those reforms. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar said the city must continue with its years-long reform efforts, which require increased funding along with the hiring of more police officers. “A specific path has already been chosen here,” Bredar said. “The court will require that the city travel down that path until it reaches the destination of ‘substantial compliance.' Until the city comes into compliance, the decree will be the template for how police reform is accomplished here.” I bet no one in Baltimore city government anticipated the full cost and commitment of agreement to the Consent Decree that political leaders in 2017 were so eager to ratify and begin implementation of.

In spite of the Consent Decree and ruling, recent city council authorization to begin defunding certain operational aspects of the Baltimore City Police Department have resulted in the abolition of the marine unit and the nation’s oldest mounted unit. Tunnel vision in the current quest to defund law enforcement and reallocate savings from law enforcement to other social services and programs may actually be a commitment to increased spending without benefit from monies spent due to unintended consequences. It has been reported that $2.4 million is the projected savings of these units being taken out of service (WJZ-TV). The cost saving motives, however, may have backfired in a big way.

The Mounted Unit is a public relations favorite and is actually an integral part of the department’s crowd control strategy when confronted by unruly mobs. Baltimore city is likely going to pay for cutting the mounted unit. The city didn’t pay for a newly constructed $3.5 million horse stable facility on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum grounds which were funded largely through private investment. The city did, however, sign a 15-year lease in November 2018. Now the city stands to break the lease and bear the “unamortized” cost of the facility, which accounts for depreciation. Since the stable has never been used, the city may have to pay back the full $3.5 million. The city council “moved very quickly and may not have been aware that the city had signed a lease with the B&O” according to the museum’s executive director.

The Marine Unit is an important element of city police services to this Major Port City and Inner Harbor area which serves as a recreational destination and tourist attraction. Just prior to the unit disbanding, it was involved in a life-saving operation with its underwater dive team. Since eliminated, another incident occurred in the Baltimore Harbor resulting in extended response times to assist those in distress. It has been speculated that Homeland Security Grants awarded to the City of Baltimore may require some payback now that the Marine Unit is no longer in service.

So not only is there a cost in diminished quality of service and wasted professional expertise, but how much more money will the city need to spend to receive even less in return? Are the Consent Decree and financial and funding agreements being ignored when it comes to previous obligations on expenditures? The primary obligation of government is that of public safety. Fiscal responsibility also ranks high on the list of taxpayer expectations. Actions such as these seem to signal the complete demise of government legitimacy. As someone who grew up in a retail sales family I have only one remaining question to ask.  Who's minding the store?

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award-winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com