We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops and Corruption in Baltimore
- Downloads：8639
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-26 20:31:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Justin Fenton
- ISBN：B08BTRC8CQ
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
James
，
Engrossing， well-written， and a gripping story of law enforcement corruption。 Having worked for various state and local government agencies in Baltimore since 2004， I am familiar with all the locations and many of the events mentioned in the book。 I have met some of the public officials who are quoted in the narrative， and I was working for the Maryland Transit Administration on April 27， 2015 when the uprising occurred。 The events in this book were part of the context of my professional life ov Engrossing， well-written， and a gripping story of law enforcement corruption。 Having worked for various state and local government agencies in Baltimore since 2004， I am familiar with all the locations and many of the events mentioned in the book。 I have met some of the public officials who are quoted in the narrative， and I was working for the Maryland Transit Administration on April 27， 2015 when the uprising occurred。 The events in this book were part of the context of my professional life over the last six years， which made it even more powerful and poignant。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the politics and sociology of Baltimore today。 。。。more
Houlcroft
，
4。5A timely piece of journalism， chronicling the rabid corruption surging the Baltimore Police Departments elite Gun Trace Task Force。With so much push for police reform， Fenton affords us a detailed account of the growth of a violent gang dressed in police uniform。
Zeb Kantrowitz
，
The Baltimore Police Department （as opposed to the Baltimore County Sheriff） was being buried under an avalanche of murders。 Since most of the murders were perpetrated with guns， the BPD created the Gun Trace Task Force （GTTF） in 2007。 Their remit was to get guns off the street， pretty much any way they could。 Members of the force knew that drug dealers were the biggest problem。What started as a good idea， led to a force that spent most of their time shaking down drug dealers and street peddlers The Baltimore Police Department （as opposed to the Baltimore County Sheriff） was being buried under an avalanche of murders。 Since most of the murders were perpetrated with guns， the BPD created the Gun Trace Task Force （GTTF） in 2007。 Their remit was to get guns off the street， pretty much any way they could。 Members of the force knew that drug dealers were the biggest problem。What started as a good idea， led to a force that spent most of their time shaking down drug dealers and street peddlers。 It got to the point where they would stop people who were driving without seat belts and other misdemeanors， then searched the cars （illegally） and took some perpetrators to their houses and illegally searched the premises。 The ones they caught with guns or drugs in their cars couldn't complain to anyone that a lot of the money and drugs disappeared between the arrest and their arrangement。 As on drug dealer said， what was I supposed to do， tell the judge that the cops stole my money and my drugs？ When in 2015 Freddy Gray was died while in the back of a Police bus， set-up a Federal undercover force to see if this was a one time thing or a systemic problem。 While wiretapping one of the Cops involved with the Gray matter， they heard rumors of the robberies that the GTTF was making a fortune by selling the drugs they confiscated during their drug busts。 The FBI and Baltimore County Sheriffs were brought in to work with the Internal Affairs division to watch the GTTF。Not only did they find that the group of cops was arresting drug dealers， the then turned the drugs over to other dealers to sell the drugs for them。 During this time they were also running an overtime scam on the BPD。 GTTF members were getting paid overtime when they were on vacation， working on properties they bought and shaking down drug dealers。In the end， most of these cops ended up being tried for theft and drug dealing。 Many of them pleaded guilty， those that didn't were found guilty， and many of them are still serving time。 。。。more
Malcolm McKay
，
Truth is stranger than fiction。 This is one of those non-fiction reads that， if it were written as fictions， would be dismissed as unrealistic or overblown。 But it is all true and documented with a reporter's skill。 Truth is stranger than fiction。 This is one of those non-fiction reads that， if it were written as fictions， would be dismissed as unrealistic or overblown。 But it is all true and documented with a reporter's skill。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
These stories are heartbreaking but the writing is amazing。 I’m vv critical of nonfiction and I was engaged and could follow the many plots through the very end。
Beth
，
Really engrossing read。。。gets a bit in the weeds as there are a lot of players and threads over the years-long events。 I found it especially interesting having lived in Baltimore while all of this was unfolding。
Eric
，
This is the kind of story that will likely haunt the citizens of Baltimore for a couple generations。 It will certainly taint any kind of police work done there and likely has resulted in any number of people being convicted of non-crimes while real criminals remain uncaught - likely a tragedy。
Mark Nowowiejski
，
Justin Fenton is one of the only reporters at The Baltimore Sun that I really like。 We Own This City is really good， though there were no real surprises it basically just confirmed what I already suspected about Baltimore's utterly hopeless dysfunction。 It does provide some interesting background regarding the city's current corrupt State's Attorney and her ongoing legal issues。I've read that this has been picked up by HBO for a new series w/Simon （The Wire） coming in to be a part of it。 I think Justin Fenton is one of the only reporters at The Baltimore Sun that I really like。 We Own This City is really good， though there were no real surprises it basically just confirmed what I already suspected about Baltimore's utterly hopeless dysfunction。 It does provide some interesting background regarding the city's current corrupt State's Attorney and her ongoing legal issues。I've read that this has been picked up by HBO for a new series w/Simon （The Wire） coming in to be a part of it。 I think it would be excellent source material for a new show。 。。。more
Kevin Miller
，
It’s good， but I preferred I Got a Monster， and you really don’t need to read both。 I found the narrative here harder to follow。 The main advantage of this book over I Got a Monster is it doesn’t have the weird hero worship of Ivan Bates。
David
，
This was a good and very thorough analysis of the police corruption in Baltimore city。 Having known some of the policemen in the book， I felt it was an accurate portrayal of what when down in the city。 The only thing missing from this book were some photos of the characters and cops mentioned in the book。
David
，
Crime Reporter for the Baltimore Sun Justin Fenton covers one of the biggest scandals in Baltimore Police history in an absorbing account of Wayne Jenkins and the Gun Trace Task Force （the GTTF）。In the wake of the Freddie Gray riots of 2015 and the subsequent spike in crime--murders hitting 342 a year--a group of elite cops are called upon by police leadership to do something about it; To get the guns off the street， to take down the bad guys by any means necessary。 In that chaos， a group led by Crime Reporter for the Baltimore Sun Justin Fenton covers one of the biggest scandals in Baltimore Police history in an absorbing account of Wayne Jenkins and the Gun Trace Task Force （the GTTF）。In the wake of the Freddie Gray riots of 2015 and the subsequent spike in crime--murders hitting 342 a year--a group of elite cops are called upon by police leadership to do something about it; To get the guns off the street， to take down the bad guys by any means necessary。 In that chaos， a group led by Sgt Wayne Jenkins， a gung-ho hard charging officer who is not afraid to bend the rules to get things done， take this opportunity to abuse the citizens of Baltimore in a wide-ranging campaign of robbing drug dealers and setting up innocent people and hoping that the charges stick （they more often do not）。 Jenkins’ reckless barely legal tactics cast a wide net， often landing the innocent in with the guilty。 He kept a supply of BB guns to plant on crime scenes in case someone needed to offer cover for a bad shooting （“I thought it was a gun， what was I supposed to do？”） And in many cases， the culture he fostered meant that his men took money off of suspects， splitting it amongst his group of dirty officers while management looked the other way （or maybe they didn’t know， but who believes that？）。 Meanwhile， there are victims who suffer for this， many of whom are falsely imprisoned， some who are killed as the result of one of Jenkins’ many reckless driving adventures。 Many whose lives are， at the very least sidetracked by the court system in which they were brought into because of a bad arrest by Jenkins。 Also， the story of Officer Sean Suiter and his mysterious slaying in Harlem Park one day before he was to testify in the GTTF case is explored。 For the record， it is officially considered an unsolved homicide。 （Also for the record: I don’t for one minute believe that he killed himself。）I am a little biased and invested in things relating to my adopted home city of Baltimore。 This is in fact the second book I have read about the GTTF。 But I must say， this one is better than I Got a Monster。 Fenton has written a terrific account of all of this。 Well-documented and novelistic， We Own This City is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the nuances of why Baltimore is the way it is。 It goes far beyond simple knee jerk reactions that people offer， who often don’t live here and don’t care one way or the other。 。。。more
Tara Stapledon
，
A well researched and detailed exposé。 It is sad， scary and infuriating that this kind of corruption happens within the justice system。 Living in a city where we don't have anywhere near this level of crime made this a real eye opening and compelling read。Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this ARC。 A well researched and detailed exposé。 It is sad， scary and infuriating that this kind of corruption happens within the justice system。 Living in a city where we don't have anywhere near this level of crime made this a real eye opening and compelling read。Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this ARC。 。。。more
Aldo J。 Marchioni
，
Engrossing， expose of Baltimore Dirty CopsThe author does a great job depicting the dirty cops of Baltimores police force， their exploits， their casual immorality， and their effect on their peers and the communities they were charged to serve。 It is outrageous that this could have gone on for so long under the eyes of police superiors and elected officials of the city without their being held accountable。 With this history it is only natural to have such widespread distrust of the police and aut Engrossing， expose of Baltimore Dirty CopsThe author does a great job depicting the dirty cops of Baltimores police force， their exploits， their casual immorality， and their effect on their peers and the communities they were charged to serve。 It is outrageous that this could have gone on for so long under the eyes of police superiors and elected officials of the city without their being held accountable。 With this history it is only natural to have such widespread distrust of the police and authority in general in Baltimore。 。。。more
Jim C
，
Great read detailing the corruption of an ‘elite’ unit of the Baltimore Police department ， by implication indicts the entire force。 The mismanagement of the Police， over many years， condoned corrupt autonomous units to wreck havoc on the city African American population as normal civic liberties were ignored to go after drug dealers to steal their drugs & cash。 The GTTF unit was never checked by internal affairs or even administrative overtime as it compiled arrests with seldom any correlation Great read detailing the corruption of an ‘elite’ unit of the Baltimore Police department ， by implication indicts the entire force。 The mismanagement of the Police， over many years， condoned corrupt autonomous units to wreck havoc on the city African American population as normal civic liberties were ignored to go after drug dealers to steal their drugs & cash。 The GTTF unit was never checked by internal affairs or even administrative overtime as it compiled arrests with seldom any correlation to convictions。 It’s no surprise that the city is a mess！ 。。。more
Arrow Knight
，
Justin Fenton was very detailed in his investigation of Baltimore's syndicate corrupt officers， the GTTF task force。 The only thing I felt was a slight problem， is that the events weren't linear enough。 I feel that he jumped around quite a lot。 However that aside， it was a great book。 Read in just about four days when I found my pace。 Justin Fenton was very detailed in his investigation of Baltimore's syndicate corrupt officers， the GTTF task force。 The only thing I felt was a slight problem， is that the events weren't linear enough。 I feel that he jumped around quite a lot。 However that aside， it was a great book。 Read in just about four days when I found my pace。 。。。more
Sean Randall
，
This was a wild ride。 If you still doubt that institutional racism and corruption exists within our justice system， well first。。。 are you not paying attention？ But second， read this book。
Micky Lee
，
A very interesting book it's unbelievable what these policemen got away with exciting read a req page Turner A very interesting book it's unbelievable what these policemen got away with exciting read a req page Turner 。。。more
Jimgosailing
，
Even though I’d more or less followed these events as they were making the news， Fenton has crafted a compelling story by bringing so much together in one place。 His training as a news reporter serves him well as he compiled evidence and related facts。So disheartening I hear how the cops - who are supposed to serve and protect- were， at the same time， the robbers。 And excellent narration by Dion Graham for the audio book。
Jenna Bachman
，
Really insightful reading into how unfettered corruption ran rampant among several members of the Baltimore PD。 Very timely to current debates on police reform and demonstrates why ethics and oversight must be a part of that conversation。 I tried to follow this as best I could when it was happening， but having it laid out like this helps put into perspective just how massive and widespread the scandal was。 I also really appreciated the chapter on Sean Suiter's death because it answered a lot of Really insightful reading into how unfettered corruption ran rampant among several members of the Baltimore PD。 Very timely to current debates on police reform and demonstrates why ethics and oversight must be a part of that conversation。 I tried to follow this as best I could when it was happening， but having it laid out like this helps put into perspective just how massive and widespread the scandal was。 I also really appreciated the chapter on Sean Suiter's death because it answered a lot of the questions I still had surrounding it。 Fenton's writing is clear and puts things into context， which helps with understanding the scope of the abuse and the environment it was happening in。。 There are a lot of names to keep straight， but Fenton does have a list at the beginning and Kindle x-ray helps。 Essential reading for everyone in Maryland and anyone interested in police reform。 。。。more
CJ
，
Super well written in that way that books that are extremely well-sourced and by people who have spent years investigating the subject always are。 A really excellent piece of longform crime journalism， also pretty infuriating as you can imagine considering the topic。
Nicolas Toranzo
，
Excelente aunque leerlo en inglés sin tenerlo como idioma nativo hace que sea un poco más complicado de seguir。 Lo empecé cuando leí que David Simón va a hacer la serie y creo que va a ser muy buena porque el libro lo es。
Eric Wilson
，
Detailed and concerning read。 Reporter did deep research to uncover painful truths; that these truths sometimes feel repetitive is no fault of his。 It is shocking that the officers were able to repeatedly do the same despicable acts over and over again。
Konrad Mueller
，
I don’t know that the individual characters and plot points of this book will stick with me， but I won't quite shake the feeling of devastation that comes when people you put trust and power in abuse it。 What a horrifying and unjust reality for so many people。 I don’t know that the individual characters and plot points of this book will stick with me， but I won't quite shake the feeling of devastation that comes when people you put trust and power in abuse it。 What a horrifying and unjust reality for so many people。 。。。more
Jake
，
It’s wild to read this as the trial of Derek Chauvin is going on。I left Baltimore at the end of 2016。 Was there for the 2015 Uprising。 I know firsthand that the tension which boiled over in April of that year had never really settled。Baltimore has the same social issues and structural inequalities as most American metropolises。 It’s over-policed and under-resourced， riddled with a white supremacist power structure that is almost impossible to reform。 People demand reform but also want “results” It’s wild to read this as the trial of Derek Chauvin is going on。I left Baltimore at the end of 2016。 Was there for the 2015 Uprising。 I know firsthand that the tension which boiled over in April of that year had never really settled。Baltimore has the same social issues and structural inequalities as most American metropolises。 It’s over-policed and under-resourced， riddled with a white supremacist power structure that is almost impossible to reform。 People demand reform but also want “results” in the form of numbers。 Hence the Gun Trace Task Force。Justin Fenton is the perfect person to work on this one。 An excellent crime reporter based out of The Baltimore Sun， Fenton knows the city PD better than almost any civilian。 His book takes a panoramic view at both the city in the moment of the uprising and how what happened helped produce such rampant criminal behavior among its police officers。There wasn’t much I didn’t know about the case itself that’s revealed here but Fenton goes deeper into the circumstances of how this came to be: the lack of supervision， the pressure from the brass， the need to “crack down，” etc。 There’s also new information about the mysterious death of Det。 Sean Suiter， who was connected to the GTTF and set to testify before a federal grand jury。This is probably an objectively better book than Baynard Woods’ I Got a Monster， which covers much of the same territory。 But I would say that Woods’ book actually provides the perfect compliment to Fenton’s as his covers the dialogue and intricacies of the GTTF， while Fenton is more concerned about the bigger picture in how it impacted Baltimore。 I’d definitely recommend Fenton’s first but if the case interests you that much， get to Woods’ book too。 。。。more
Phil
，
Living in Baltimore， I've relied on Justin Fenton's excellent reporting for many years。 So I was looking forward to this book with high expectations and it did not disappoint。Despite following all the stories as they happened， I still learned a lot。 It weaved all the related threads together。 It also added a lot of detail that's hard to retain from individual articles about a single indictment or a single arrest。 The most interesting details were the emails that Justin prints from Wayne Jenkins。 Living in Baltimore， I've relied on Justin Fenton's excellent reporting for many years。 So I was looking forward to this book with high expectations and it did not disappoint。Despite following all the stories as they happened， I still learned a lot。 It weaved all the related threads together。 It also added a lot of detail that's hard to retain from individual articles about a single indictment or a single arrest。 The most interesting details were the emails that Justin prints from Wayne Jenkins。 This gave a little window into the strategies that Wayne used to keep his superiors happy， cultivate a brotherhood amongst fellow officers， and then lean on that brotherhood and loyalty to find willing co-conspirators。 。。。more
Katie
，
Well written， and I learned a lot of new facts that definitely made me change my opinion on some of the events that have occur in Baltimore。 Horribly depressing story of years of abuse， but Fenton does end it on a note of hope that it's the community that runs this city and could change it in the future。 Well written， and I learned a lot of new facts that definitely made me change my opinion on some of the events that have occur in Baltimore。 Horribly depressing story of years of abuse， but Fenton does end it on a note of hope that it's the community that runs this city and could change it in the future。 。。。more
Jim Tracy
，
It's OK but too many names。 Overall rating should come down。 It's OK but too many names。 Overall rating should come down。 。。。more
Zack Fritz
，
This book， about a corrupt elite task force in the Baltimore PD （and the broader environment that allowed that corruption to fester）， is excellent。 I live in Baltimore， which made this especially interesting， but it would be a compelling read for anyone and is， IMO， highly relevant to the broader discussion of police reform。
Betsy
，
MUST READ！
Ilene G>
，