For 15 months after the Baltimore Riots we have rarely seen police at the supermarket where I work unless they are picking up lunch. They also no longer patrol the foot approaches to the store, one of which, Old Eastern Avenue, has become the crime mob attack corridor in the area. What they are doing, I can only guess, other than policing the primary street of Eastern Boulevard for traffic violations. I do suspect that manpower has been loaned to higher priority Towson precinct, under siege by packs of transplanted Baltimore City criminals.

So, I was fascinated, three nights after Thanksgiving, to arrive to work and see a heavy police presence on the lot.

One cruiser parks in the recess of the L-shaped strip mall, able to observe both foot approaches and all four vehicle entry points. His lights are on.

Just beyond the lot skulk two darkened cop cruisers with lights off, laying in wait.

Inside, I asked a coworker if he had spoken with any of the cops about their being stationed here. He told me that the cops informed him that they were expecting flash [black] mob raids on strip malls, as well as “other trouble,” which we took to mean car-mobile armed robbery crews and gun-and knife-armed posing thugs.

Recently, in another county strip mall there was a shooting. When holidays come to Dindustan and Mamma has her “man” over for “scrimps en liquor en weed,” she doesn’t want her grown-ass hoodrats hanging around, so they loiter all night in and around strip malls and other businesses, usually committing acts of aggression, whether for sport or for profit.

“Welcome to Dindustan, yo. Be cool dough, ova behine da Chineese joint dere be some popo.”