Baltimore’s plan for “squeegee kids” fails almost immediately

As we’ve covered here extensively in the past, the City of Baltimore has been plagued for years by an army of so-called “squeegee kids” (many of whom are not “kids” at all) who extort money from commuters at intersections in the city’s downtown area. Those who refuse to pay the extortionists are frequently subjected to vandalism, violence, or worse. The new Mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott, promised on the campaign trail that he would come up with a plan to end the practice while finding a way to “help the squeegee workers.” The plan, when it was finally unveiled, was widely panned as being an ineffective sop in response to public anger. He was going to establish “no squeegee zones” and have the police help the perpetrators find other productive work elsewhere.Read More