Will Baltimore Be the Excuse Obama Needs to Federalize the Police Force?

The dust from the rioting and looting in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray is just beginning to settle. However, it appears that the Obama administration may be wasting no time in using the tragedy to further an agenda.

Gray’s death may very well be the catalyst that the administration has been searching for in order to strengthen the notion that police departments must be federalized if corruption is to end.

The administration, I believe, will use the recent events in Baltimore to convince the American public that corruption in the police department and lack of experience at the local level in handling the police, have led to the current situation which will require the “expertise” of the federal government to fix.

Police stand in formation as a curfew approaches, Tuesday, April 28, 2015, in Baltimore, a day after unrest that occurred following Freddie Gray's funeral. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) 

In order for the administration to succeed in their plan however, several “actors” are required to play their role. While some are willing participants, others may never know how much their leadership abilities have helped to push the administration’s agenda forward.

As you may recall shortly after the riots began, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, garnered criticism for a statement that she made publicly about the riots.

Rawlings-Blake was caught on videotape indicating that looters and rioters had been given “space to destroy” by her office and her police officers.

Although, she claims she never said it, some believe that her words may have given the rioters and looters the “greenlight” to proceed with their destruction.

It was later alleged that Rawlings-Blake had also given the order for her police officers to “stand down” during the height of rioting and looting.

You may remember the looting and eventual burning down of a CVS pharmacy by those out of control. You may also recall seeing what appeared to be groups of youth throwing rocks at officers as the officers retreated from the misconduct.

The fact that police officers weren’t responding by preventing the rioting and rock throwing, lends credibility to the claim that a stand down order was issued. The mayor, however, denies that such an order was given.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake prepares to speak during a news conference at Bethel AME Church, April 26, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. Rawlings-Blake discussed the recent unrest in Baltimore surrounding the death of Freddie Gray. Gray's funeral is scheduled for Monday morning. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) 

Some have also been critical of Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who they believed “overcharged” the police officers in an attempt to appease the rioters rather than seek justice for the people of Baltimore.

Mosby’s press conference also raised concerns by many when she addressed the rioters, looters and the youth directly, assuring them that she would seek justice on their behalf.

Her focus on those that had committed crimes against police officers appeared to some to be misguided.

Finally, the union that represents Baltimore police officers, including those arrested and charged in the death of Gray, pointed out the absurdity of the charges filed by Mosby. The union also called for Mosby to step down from prosecuting the case based upon particular conflicts of interest that could interfere with her ability to fairly prosecute the case.

It is possible that the underwhelming leadership abilities of the two local government officials, Rawlings-Blake and Mosby, may be used against them to support a claim for federal intervention.

It is that same leadership that continues to advance the federal government’s stronghold in Baltimore.

Rawlings-Blake further assisted the federal government with its agenda when she welcomed the administration’s “wing man” Al Sharpton into her city.

As Sharpton began to take charge, he fielded questions for the mayor and disallowed those that he found objectionable. It was during his “reign” that the real reason for Sharpton’s appearance in the city was first revealed.

During a recent press conference in Baltimore, Sharpton called on President Barack Obama to federalize the police.

The next key player recently arrived in Baltimore to broaden the reach of the federal government and was almost immediately assisted by the mayor.

Upon arrival, Lynch easily found an opening to further the administration’s goal when Rawlings-Blake requested her to conduct a “full-scale civil rights investigation” into the “patterns and practices” of her city police department.

“We all know that Baltimore continues to have a fractured relationship between the police and the community,” Rawlings-Blake said. “I’m willing to do what it takes to reform my department.”

Rawlings-Blake’s request to the Department of Justice came after City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young and 10 members of the City Council bypassed Rawlings-Blake and sent a letter directly to Lynch asking for a full-scale investigation. Those seeking an investigation are all Democrats and may be knowingly playing a significant role in advancing the administration’s plan.

While an investigation about the statements made by the mayor and the issues that have arisen regarding the state’s attorney should be considered, there are elected officials within the state that are capable of conducting the investigations.

It is not the DOJ’s responsibility to run the city for the citizens of Baltimore. There is no evidence to suggest that this city’s laws and police department are so out of control that it is necessary for the federal government to step in.

We are witnessing something else. We saw former Attorney General Eric Holder attempt to accomplish the same agenda in Ferguson to control the police. However, his scheme failed when the officer involved was found innocent of all charges against him.

This time, however, I believe we are seeing the slow and methodical takeover of Baltimore’s police department aided by the naïve compliance of those in local leadership which will lead to the eventual assertion by the federal government that it is better equipped at tackling police department violations.

What better city for the DOJ and the administration to make their play for control and federalization than a city that is run and has been run for years by an inept, majority-controlled Democratic leadership?

Poor leadership, alleged misconduct within the police force, and the open door policy toward those within the federal government creates the perfect scenario to begin the federalization of police across America, starting with Baltimore.

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