Baltimore Police Work With Black Youth To Ease Tensions

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - On warm days black teenagers gathered around Boston's Inner Harbor meeting friends, finding good restaurants and shopping. But, according to an article in The Washington Post, they felt unfairly targeted with uneasy scrutiny from police.

After a student from Patterson High School said she hated the police and felt labeled, the Inner Harbor Project was conceived, intended to help police and teens understand each other with officers charged with making the kids feel part of the community.

Baltimore's Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts, said that "policing is not just about criminal justice but about social justice." He asked officers and teens to list things they expected of one another. Teens wanted police "to act like adults" and one veteran police officer wanted "respect."

Many ups and downs are highlighted in incidents and meetings to relieve tensions; but the police no longer refer to "those kids" and one said "they're awesome" coming to the Harbor because it's safe.