A digest of Baltimore news and stories from local sources.
From The AFRO-American Newspaper: Calvin Young Wants to Bring Breath of Fresh Air to Baltimore Mayoralty
"Mayoral candidate Calvin Young III believes that he has what it takes to unify Baltimore. During a sit-down interview with The Afro, the 27-year-old engineer and Harvard grad said that the city is at a crossroads, and the new energy he would bring to the job might be just what the city needs.
“'Optimism is the first thing that is required for anything to happen because when you have a situation that is as serious as what we have, you have to be confident in your leadership to lead you toward whatever the right thing is,' he said.
“'That’s what we don’t have right now. And that’s what, if you look at some of the folks who are running for mayor, I don’t believe we will be able to have.'”
From The Baltimore Sun: Davis Wants Permanent Commissioner Position
"Kevin Davis has many ideas for improving the Baltimore Police Department: mandatory 'foot patrol' training for all officers, history courses on race relations and faith communities in the city for all new officers, better recruiting of city residents, and stronger incentives to get current officers to move into the city and veterans to remain on the force.
"But he can't lead the way he wants, he told The Baltimore Sun, as long as the term 'interim' comes before 'commissioner' in his official title.
"'The city can't afford for this Police Department to be in neutral for the next 15 months,' Davis said during an hourlong interview. 'A lame-duck police commissioner hurts public safety.'"
From The Baltimore Sun: Body Cameras Coming to Baltimore County
"Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Police Chief Jim Johnson will unveil plans Thursday to equip county police officers with body cameras, according to officials who were briefed on the plans.
"The program is likely to be phased in over three years and cost roughly $7 million, officials said.
"Their decision to go forward with body cameras conflicts with the recommendations of an internal work group assigned to study the issue. The group — made up mostly of Police Department leaders — concluded that the county should delay a camera program to allow more study of costs, citizen privacy and other concerns."
From Color Lines: Black Kids Less Likely to Receive Pain Treatment in ER
"A study published yesterday in Jama Pediatrics found that doctors are less likely to give black children painkillers in the emergency room than their white peers—even when they are suffering from agonizing conditions.
"The report, 'Racial Disparities in Pain Management of Children With Appendicitis in Emergency Departments,' found that across all backgrounds, 57 percent of children who arrived in the ER with acute appendicitis were given pain medication. Despite the fact that experts agree that appendicitis is a condition that requires opioids (such as fentanyl and morphine) for pain relief, just 41 percent of the children received them. That already-low number drops off precipitously when it comes to black children: Only 21 percent were given opioids, versus 43 percent of white patients. Overall, the researchers found that black kids with acute appendicitis only have a 12.2-percent chance of receiving proper pain management."