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The Epidemic of Violence in Baltimore Continues
Posted on December 15, 2018
The epidemic of homicides in Baltimore continues. Violence is infectious, and Baltimore’s former “Public Enemy No. 1” is one of the latest victims.
The sad story of Mr. Greene
Posted on May 3, 2018 2 Comments

Back in 2016, Robert Ponsi was bicycling through a neighborhood in Baltimore when he was suddenly attacked by a group of teenagers. From WBAL: “Robert Ponsi was found with multiple stab wounds at Venable Avenue and Old York Road around 9:10 p.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at 3:51 a.m. at Johns Hopkins Hospital. […]
Is Gun Violence the Symptom or the Disease?
Posted on February 15, 2018 5 Comments
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 33,500 firearm deaths each year in the United States. There are also within those about 21,300 suicides by firearm each year in the United States. That’s over 50,000 a lot of people each year whose lives are ended by firearms. (Edit: I corrected the […]
Epidemic Curves and Homicide Counts in Baltimore
Posted on February 12, 2018
One of the tools that we use in the investigation of outbreaks is the epidemic curve, or, as we say in the biz, the “epi curve.” An epidemic curve is a simple graphical representation of the number of cases per a unit of time over a span of time. For example, you could graph the number […]
Respect the Police, or Be Killed
Posted on December 9, 2017

Take a look at the slide being presented in this story from The Baltimore Sun: It reads: “If you are stopped, questioned, or detained by a law enforcement official: Approach him or her with respect. Retain your composure and conduct yourself in a mature manner. Avoid any action or language that might trigger a more volatile […]
Is Prison a Protective Factor for Homicide Victimization?
Posted on October 28, 2017

As I’ve been working on my doctoral dissertation, I’ve come across a few interesting homicide cases in Baltimore. They’re interested in that the victims had a chance to avoid being at the place and time when they were killed. They had that chance because of their own criminal activity. In essence, they should have been […]
Baltimore’s Cycle of Violence Continues Apace
Posted on January 30, 2017 3 Comments

In the first 30 days of January, there have been 32 homicides in Baltimore City. It’s not appropriate to compare these first 30 days to last year’s first 30 days, however, because homicide (like other crime) is not directly related to the time of the year. Or, rather, the time of the year has some […]
Rest In Peace, Victim Number 5
Posted on January 11, 2016

Back in November of 2013, the Baltimore Police Department had a raid where they arrested a large group of members of Baltimore’s “Black Guerilla Family” gang. One of those arrested somehow managed to escape with handcuffs on and was being sought by the Baltimore Police Department shortly after the escape. Have you seen this man? […]