In light of the ongoing wave of violent crime in Baltimore, school officials in nearby Carroll County have been forced to halt school-related trips to the city - including a marching band’s scheduled performance in the Mayor’s Christmas Parade this weekend - citing "escalating violence." The field trip ban was imposed by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office "in response to parent concerns regarding the safety of students." Here's more from The Baltimore Sun:
Schools spokeswoman Carey Gaddis said the order is based on a recommendation from the county Sheriff’s Office, and will stay in place until the beginning of the next semester in late January, when it will be revisited. She said the order was sent to school principals last week.
Sheriff James T. DeWees recommended the measure during a meeting with school system officials “in response to parent concerns regarding the safety of students during field trips to venues in Baltimore City,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. The move is intended to “limit the risk to students and staff.”
“In light of recent violence in the traditional tourist areas of the city, the sheriff agrees that the best course of action is to temporarily suspend travel to Baltimore City venues,” spokesman Cpl. Jonathan Light wrote in the statement. Of course, as we pointed out recently (see: America's Urban War Zone: Baltimore Doubles Chicago's Homicide Rate In 2017), Baltimore is on track to exceed 400 homicides in 2017 for the first time in the city's history and has more than doubled Chicago's homicide rate on a per capita basis.
Poster Comment:
Is white privilege responsible for the high crime rate in Baltimore?