Baltimore: When Good Intentions Bring Negative Consequences

The death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore has made many of us search for the reasons that led to that horrible conclusion. It is ironic that efforts to make government more effective have sometimes led to increased problems for the young people who were experiencing problems with the police. The press coverage since Gray's death has pointed to administrative policies and processes put in place by former Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley that some feel contributed to the explosion witnessed on the streets of Baltimore. Each local precinct was required to develop a statistical summary of the week's crime complaints and experiences. The belief that managing only what you can count can be misleading. The Baltimore tragedy suggests that we need different techniques that acknowledge the complexity of many programs.