"Who is making sure victims of crime are cared for?" by Lydia Watts

Published in The Daily Record, March 10, 2023

When we are children, many of us are taught that if something bad happens to us, we should call the police. That lesson often continues into adulthood. If we hear a neighbor was robbed, a first thought is, “Did they call the police?” If we hear gunfire, an experience all too common for many living in Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, and communities throughout the state, we think, “I hope someone called the police.”

Despite the lessons many of us have learned, calling the police is not a viable or desirable choice for many members of our community. Although there are many reasons why, key among them is that calling the police does not make whole the person who was harmed.

Read the whole article in The Daily Record.

Lydia Watts is executive director of the Rebuild, Overcome, and Rise (ROAR) Center of University of Maryland, Baltimore based at Maryland Carey Law.