MORE AGGRESSIVE APPROACH FOR CITY'S DRUG PROBLEM

Baltimore City Councilman Martin O'Malley is on target regarding
Baltimore's homicide and street violence.

It is common to observe open drug dealing in many neighborhoods. I
recently followed a police car through West Baltimore. We passed
people who were lined up buying drugs. The officer did not intervene.
Was this public servant blind to the problem? Indifferent? Is the
problem viewed as hopeless?

Public officials should beat a path to New York, Boston, Pittsburgh
and Los Angeles to learn all they can. An aggressive social agenda
aimed at zero tolerance for drug dealing and providing rehabilitation
to those who want treatment are needed.

The drug problem must move to the top of the political agenda if our
city is to survive socially, culturally and economically.

Jo M. Walrath
Baltimore