--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Baltimore they can't do police work to…" description: "\"In Baltimore they can't do police work to save their lives. Now because of Freddie Gray they're not even getting out of the car and policing corners - ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/david-simon-3189_brutal_in-baltimore-they-can-t-do-police-work-t_2962238.png" --- # In Baltimore they can't do police work to save their… ![“In Baltimore they can't do police work to save their lives. Now because of Freddie Gray they're not even getting out of the car and policing corners - they're on a job slowdown, basically. Right now if the police stopped being brutal, if we got police shooting under control, and the use of…” quote by David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/david-simon-3189_brutal_in-baltimore-they-can-t-do-police-work-t_2962238.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/david-simon-3189_brutal_in-baltimore-they-can-t-do-police-work-t_2962238.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/david-simon-3189_brutal_in-baltimore-they-can-t-do-police-work-t_2962238.png) > “In Baltimore they can't do police work to save their lives. Now because of Freddie Gray they're not even getting out of the car and policing corners - they're on a job slowdown, basically. Right now if the police stopped being brutal, if we got police shooting under control, and the use of excessive force, if we have a meaningful societal response to all that stuff, and the racism that underlies it, the question still remains: what are they policing, and why?” [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Police effectiveness is compromised by brutality, systemic racism, and lack of accountability. **In simple terms:** Police fail due to brutality, racism, and poor oversight. Key Takeaway Demand reform and accountability in policing. Themes justice policing systemic issues Mood urgent concerned Type social political When to use this quote - community meetings - policy reform - training programs - civil rights advocacy Key Concepts racism use of force public trust Questions to Reflect On - What steps can restore trust? - How can communities hold police accountable? A Different Perspective Reform faces political resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brutal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutal/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-work/) [Policing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policing/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [The murder clearance rate now in my city Baltimore is almost non-existent. Nobody can solve a murder, nobody can do any actual police work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/the-murder-clearance-rate-now-in-my-city-baltimore-is-almost-non/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [The Baltimore Police Department had engaged in a pattern of practice of conduct that violated the constitution and federal law, and this conduct had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/the-baltimore-police-department-had-engaged-in-a-pattern-of-practice/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [Weve got a police system who protect us, weve got firemen who put out fires. Weve got defence, man. Thats what tax is for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robson-green/weve-got-a-police-system-who-protect-us-weve-got-firemen-who-put-out/) [Robson Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robson-green/) > [I met Sable when she was 15 and I was 18. I sent her home to New York while we carried on the tour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-thunders/i-met-sable-when-she-was-15-and-i-was-18-i-sent-her-home-to-new-york/) [Johnny Thunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-thunders/) > [“The Midnight Dance of the Universal Desk Sergeant, a performance that is somehow the same whether the precinct house is in Boston or Biloxi.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/the-midnight-dance-of-the-universal-desk-sergeant-a-performance-that/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“We can't have your people fighting each other," I said. The 'royal we' is very important in police work; it reminds the person you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/we-can-t-have-your-people-fighting-each-other-i-said-the-royal-we-is/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [“I’m trying to figure the rules. This isn’t yin and yang, it’s more like yin and yank. The past few days I’ve been going,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-castle/i-m-trying-to-figure-the-rules-this-isn-t-yin-and-yang-it-s-more-like/) [Richard Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-castle/) > [The appropriate response to terrorist crimes is police work, which has been successful worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-appropriate-response-to-terrorist-crimes-is-police-work-which-has/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Police work wouldn't be possible without coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/police-work-wouldn-t-be-possible-without-coffee/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“It's not that I'm complaining,' said Angua, 'but when we were assigned this job I thought it was me who was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-not-that-i-m-complaining-said-angua-but-when-we-were-assigned/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Police do not work at the immediate direction of the communities they serve, but through their institutional connections. Police departments may develop structures, modi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kleinig/police-do-not-work-at-the-immediate-direction-of-the-communities-they/) [John Kleinig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kleinig/) > [In liberal societies we don't typically require citizens to rearrange their activities, their lives, the way they go about their business, to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/in-liberal-societies-we-don-t-typically-require-citizens-to-rearrange/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Well, intuition isn't much help in police work. Facts are what we need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crane-wilbur/well-intuition-isn-t-much-help-in-police-work-facts-are-what-we-need/) [Crane Wilbur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crane-wilbur/) > [I immersed myself in the police work and I guess drumming wasn't even a hobby, just something my body naturally wanted to do, tapping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hernandez/i-immersed-myself-in-the-police-work-and-i-guess-drumming-wasn-t-even/) [Eric Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hernandez/) > [“Whatever it was that had drawn him to police work, that had wed him to the job for so many years, it surely wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-verdon/whatever-it-was-that-had-drawn-him-to-police-work-that-had-wed-him-to/) [John Verdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-verdon/) ## More by David Simon > [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [It is your birthright to live a life abundant in love. Make the commitment today to open your heart and let your love flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/it-is-your-birthright-to-live-a-life-abundant-in-love-make-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“If the case isn't plea bargained, dismissed or placed on the inactive docket for an indefinite period of time, if by some perverse twist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-the-case-isn-t-plea-bargained-dismissed-or-placed-on-the-inactive/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Boiled down to its core, the truth is always a simple, solid thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/boiled-down-to-its-core-the-truth-is-always-a-simple-solid-thing/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [When we spend time in silence, we can hear the voice of our soul whispering its sacred message and encouraging us to make choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/when-we-spend-time-in-silence-we-can-hear-the-voice-of-our-soul/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [You have the capacity to change the plot line of your life, even if you've been acting from the same script since before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/you-have-the-capacity-to-change-the-plot-line-of-your-life-even-if/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Healing is the process of reestablishing the integration between body, mind, and spirit, creating opportunities for the return of the memory of wholeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/healing-is-the-process-of-reestablishing-the-integration-between-body/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Authenticity is an alignment between your beliefs, your desires and your choices in the world. Desires change throughout the course of a life, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/authenticity-is-an-alignment-between-your-beliefs-your-desires-and/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [One of the sad things about contemporary journalism is that it actually matters very little. The world now is almost inured to the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/one-of-the-sad-things-about-contemporary-journalism-is-that-it/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Awakening into love is a lifelong path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/awakening-into-love-is-a-lifelong-path/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“Everyone lies. Murderers lie because they have to; witnesses and other participants lie because they think they have to; everyone else lies for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/everyone-lies-murderers-lie-because-they-have-to-witnesses-and-other/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [The drug war is a holocaust in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/the-drug-war-is-a-holocaust-in-slow-motion/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Lawrence Gilliard Jr. is a fine actor and I've always felt some residual guilt that we killed him so early in The Wire. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/lawrence-gilliard-jr-is-a-fine-actor-and-i-ve-always-felt-some/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“A man got to have a code. --The Wire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/a-man-got-to-have-a-code-the-wire/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [What drugs have not destroyed, the war on them has](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/what-drugs-have-not-destroyed-the-war-on-them-has/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) [Explore all 134 David Simon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) ## More Brutal quotes > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. 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