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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 22 december 2022

Baltimore homicides stubbornly high despite new initiatives

By LEA SKENE would react if the violence
Associated Press was occurring in whiter,
BALTIMORE (AP) — Jalil more affluent communities.
George was checking on “Look at this neighbor-
his Baltimore investment hood,” he said, gesturing
property earlier this month toward swaths of vacant
when a gunman mistook row houses and overgrown
him for someone else and lots. “It wouldn’t take much
opened fire. The young real investment to make a dif-
estate investor and recent ference.”
college graduate spent Others called on their peers
his final moments outside to assume a more active
a partially renovated brick role in anti-violence efforts.
rowhouse that symbolized “We want to spectate, but
his positive vision for the now is the time for partici-
future of Baltimore, loved pation,” local activist Elijah
ones said. Miles told dozens of mourn-
Police called the afternoon ers at a rally honoring
homicide an apparent George. “If you really care
case of mistaken identity. about what’s happening in
They believe George was these streets, get out and
targeted because of his work in them. Because our
car; a similar model was people are dying, each
involved in an earlier shoot- and every day.”
ing nearby. At another recent dem-
In the 24 hours surrounding Tammy Chance, left, mother of Jalil George, 24, who was killed Dec. 7, 2022 in Baltimore, stands onstration in Park Heights,
his death, three other men with George’s stepfather, Shawn Chance, center, and George’s grandmother Susie Squire, during about 50 people marched
a vigil for George on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, in Baltimore.
were fatally shot within Associated Press through the streets chant-
a roughly 1-mile (1.6-kilo- ing into a megaphone:
meter) radius in the Park anti-violence initiatives. how to address the intrac- it’s the city’s responsibility “One life is one too many.”
Heights area of northwest “Baltimore City done be- table problem. Some say to keep our citizens safe,” A sprawling community
Baltimore. come a graveyard — me- citizens should help spark said Imhotep Fatiu, founder that encompasses about
The recent spate of killings morials on every corner,” cultural change, while oth- of the Pan-Afrikan Libera- a dozen neighborhoods in
has reignited longstanding said longtime Park Heights ers criticize elected lead- tion Movement, which fo- northwest Baltimore, Park
frustration and familiar de- resident Karl McDonald, ers for repeatedly failing to cuses on strengthening Bal- Heights once boasted a
bate amid another year of who joined a recent anti-vi- quell the violence, which timore’s Black community. thriving economy and pic-
rampant gun violence. The olence march in the neigh- remains heavily concen- “We need to put pressure turesque tree-lined streets
city’s homicide count sur- borhood. trated in neighborhoods on the government.” surrounding the historic
passed 300 for the eighth Though they expressed a most affected by poverty, A longtime fixture in Park Pimlico Race Course. But
year running as violence collective commitment racism and prolonged dis- Heights, Fatiu said little has white flight and other fac-
remains stubbornly high to saving lives, commu- investment. changed since he got shot tors led to increased rates
despite repeated promises nity members presented a “The city has allowed this there in 1989. He ques- of poverty, violence and
from city officials and new spectrum of ideas about to happen for so long, but tioned how city officials economic decline.q

New York to open first legal pot dispensary by year’s end

NEW YORK (AP) — The first The announcement was Board took a monumental by issuing the first round was one of eight nonprofits
legal dispensary for recre- made one month after the step in establishing a legal of licenses. In the coming among the initial licensees.
ational marijuana in New state’s Cannabis Control marketplace for marijuana months, the state is expect- “This opportunity will not
York is set to open Dec. 29, ed to issue an additional only give our team the re-
marking a long-awaited 139 licenses, with about 900 sources to further our over-
launch of a cannabis in- applicants waiting to learn all mission, but to feature
dustry that could become their fate. and elevate products com-
one of the country’s most “The industry will continue ing from LGBTQ+, BIPOC
lucrative. to grow from here, creat- and women-led cannabis
Gov. Kathy Hochul an- ing inclusive opportunity in brands across the state,”
nounced Wednesday that every corner of New York said Charles King, chief ex-
Housing Works, a minori- State with revenues direct- ecutive officer of Housing
ty-controlled nonprofit in ed to our schools and revi- Works.
Manhattan that serves talizing communities,” Ho- The state reserved its first
people with HIV and AIDS, chul said in her announce- round of retail licenses for
will be the first of 36 recent- ment. applicants with marijuana
ly licensed dispensaries to New York legalized recre- convictions or their rela-
begin selling cannabis to ational use of marijuana in tives, plus some nonprofit
the general public even March 2021. groups. It also planned a
though dozens of illegal Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market are seen Housing Works, which also $200 million public-private
hanging in a drying room at a farm in Suffolk County, N.Y., Oct.
shops have been in opera- 4, 2022. serves homeless and for- fund to aid “social equity”
tion for many months. Associated Press merly incarcerated people, applicants.q