After drug dealers in Baltimore started circulating a homemade video called “Stop Snitching,” the city’s police department put out its own DVD called “Keep Talking.”
"Stop Snitching" featured a drug dealer warning area residents that anyone who supplies law enforcement with information about drug deals will "get a hole in his head."
In Baltimore PD’s 90-second DVD, Det. Donny Moses thanks the makers of “Stop Snitching” for giving police tips on who to target for charges of illegal drug sales. The department’s DVD also includes clips from “Stop Snitching,” noting which people featured in the video have been arrested since it was made in November.
Police plan to distribute 1,300 copies of “Keep Talking” at churches, barber shops, and schools in the area where the drug dealers’ video is believed to have been circulated.
Officers are also handing out what look like business cards to further the message that the department is cracking down on crime and violence. The front shows a graphic of a pair of handcuffs. A message on the back reads, "You were arrested today in a community that will no longer tolerate the violence that has plagued it for generations. More officers are on patrol in this key area than ever before. The Baltimore Police Department will not reduce its enforcement until the violence stops. Spread the word."
While Baltimore PD officials admit that these tactics won't eliminate witness intimidation, they hope the message they send in conjunction with more officers in high-crime areas will convince those on the fence to not break the law.
To view Baltimore PD’s movie visit http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/police/