The Story Behind HBO’s “We Own This City” | Amanpour and Company

The current surge in violent crime highlights the ongoing struggle between American law enforcement and the public. Justin Fenton chronicles the rise and fall of a Baltimore Police Department task force in his book "We Own This City." The author joins Michel Martin to discuss crime, cops, and corruption.

Originally aired on April 20, 2022.

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Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, Alicia Menendez and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City.

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[tracymartinson]

There is a decent percentage of people who pursue careers in law enforcement for the sake of being a bully. Going from bully to criminal isn't that far.

[jefflemmon]

I’m from Maryland, lived in east Baltimore in the’90’s. I can assure everyone that this has been standard operating procedure at least since then. Absolute gangsters.

[egx]

This is not news. This type of thing has been going since Policing began. It will never stop. It’s more prevalent than anyone realizes. It’s endemic. The temptation is too great. Impunity. It goes all the way to the top. Brass has to know.

[alanshackelford]

Police officers convicted of corruption should not only face criminal penalties, their publicly funded retirements should be subject to seizure.

[kattz]

I love The Wire. That was definitely one of my pandemic binge watching sessions. Now it sounds like there was more reality to it than I first realized. Definitely one of the most under-rated shows ever. Most people didn't know about it until after it was cancelled.

[lohphat]

Who watches the watchers?

Simple solution: Double the penalty if those in power are found guilty of a crime.

[jessd]

The only surprise would be for anyone to be surprised by this, or that anyone could think this is contained to Baltimore- this behaviour by police is pervasive & international..
Also- more evidence for why it’s vitally necessary to decriminalize drugs.

[holdon]

Wasn’t there a similar book and movie about this in another city? Serpico anyone?

[roots]

And water is wet. Welcome to America.

[rosemariebredahl]

When my daughter asked about the unfortunate term "defund police" vs "police reform" (+/- redistribution of funding, such as for Mental Health/ addiction team members, Etc.), I told her that the ONLY circumstances under which I can imagine myself supporting defunding would be if cities closed their departments for a micro-second and then immediately reopened with a slightly different name & immediately rehire employees
BUT with different Union contracts that allow more transparency, investigations, and consequences when the Unions they were contracted with limited such to the point of enabling harm to the very public that law enforcers are sworn to serve,
annnd that these protective changes (protecting the public, rule of law, and prevent retaliation against law enforcers that won't aid & abet corrupt actors, Etc..) should also apply to ALL members (in or out of Unions) of ALL depts as well as to all negotiations w/City, County, &/or State officials, Etc., that have powers to influence policy changes,
annnd guarantee that the
oversight of Internal Affairs will include objective authorities from outside of local politics,
with all of the above needs policies and laws to mandate
and sufficient
FUNDING
both to institute and to carry out.
~ REFORM~

[fredericrike]

Your question about "how bad is it" requires an answer much deeper than "it's going around in all the major cities"- one, small town cops and sheriffs are notorious for this behavior and two, there are cops murdering other cops to defend their "turf"- the killing of the couple in Houston in 2019 also saw a new, squeaky clean officer nearly killed and turned into "unfit to serve" by his new commander and vice commander using a falsely acquired warrant to justify a "hot entry" assault. All the bullets in that officer came from HPD issued guns. The HPD did prosecute the couples murder and several officers have now gone to jail, other calumnies within the Narcotics/Vice squad have come to light- but the longer term corruption via false reporting, "manipulated" warrants, throw down weapons have not been addressed. This problem wants an ongoing section and outreach in all directions, and it has wanted this for a very long time; the HPD's Narcotics/Vice squad has harbored thugs, liars and worse since the '50s, when I grew up in Houston. Harris County's FOP's took the prosecutions as "attacks" upon their righteous officers going about their duties, even threatening Houston residents with punitive actions. they did get quieter when the false evidence regarding the warrant began coming out- to the public. The FoP's themselves are part of the problem as is the citadel of legal and contract protections built into "police union" contracts negotiated by these "non union" Fraternal Orders of Police- America's top 200 cities have contracts such as these to guarantee no really thorough actions may be taken by city councils even when they are aware and of a mind to do so. Chicago comes to mind. FR

[gracevalentine]

My brother-in-law was forced out, I know him to be a wife-beater, and of using his cop buddies to help him cage my inheritance. He was 86ed by the memory care center that held my dad, his physical threats were on camera. And the staff didn’t want to do it, but others who witnessed it made them.

[timothyslaughter]

Thanks to two loyal, dedicated, honest, professional, selfless, honorable cops from the surrounding counties they were able to infiltrate and take down a crew of thugs hiding shamelessly behind the blue know one of them proud to say that... there's hope in a sea of of men like him....

[sergegainsbourgii]

Same with LAPD, NYPD, ChicagoPD, HoustonPD, Miami- Dade, MplsPD, Seattle PD, Ferguson, Louisville, PhillyPD, NOLA, Denver, Vegas, Milwaukee, all of Mississippi & Alabama, in Appalachia, Tennessee Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana ...all notoriously predatory.

[lisas]

We tell the officers if you find money in the home, if you suspect it to be drug money count it up and submit it. Yeah right. Are you familiar with Mike Dowd?

[QuietStormX]

With all the money stolen by these Baltimore Cops, none were hit with Tax bills like others do... ISMH

[andrews]

Same exact racket as in NYC police stories over decades: the 70's as fictionalized in American Gangster, the 80's 77th precinct Buddy Boys, and the 90's Dirty Thirty 30th Precinct scandal in Hamilton Heights.

[dorianedwards]

About 80% of the police in this country need to be fired. They need to be send home and never ever have a badge again. Clearly these people get into law enforcement to perform criminal acts.

[GoHamOnEm]

Baltimore is the first city to come out with this, and there are over 19, 000 cities in the United States. Other cities are just as bad or worse... They just haven't been caught yet

[cherylalt]

It seems like the more police are recorded, the more they refuse to change. It's almost like a lot of police take a camera as a personal dare to behave their worst. It's crazy to me.

I'd like to know if the police utilize their body cams by reviewing them regularly. If police especially rookies had to review their day with a supervisor, then they might actually learn how to deescalate a situation or improve themselves before something terrible happens. I hear police telling a colleague their version of events often and their memory is either way off or they're lying. If they reviewed how often they give conflicting instructions like don't move and hands on the steering wheel, maybe they'd understand why some people react the way they do. Just saying, a lot needs to change and police are being very resistant to it. They should be using all the tools at their disposal.

Btw, The Wire was an amazing show.