President Barack Obama on Tuesday said America needs to do some “soul searching” to break the cycle of clashes between police and the communities they serve.

Obama spoke hours after Baltimore was gripped overnight by looting and riots in reaction to the death of a 25-year-old black man injured while in police custody last week.


During a press conference in the Rose Garden, Obama struck a stern tone in saying America needs to get serious about lifting up impoverished communities, to help alleviate the tension that simmers under the surface and breaks through during confrontations with law enforcement.

“I think there are police departments that have to do some soul searching. I think there are some communities that have to do some soul searching,” Obama said. “But I think we as a country have to do some soul searching. This is not new.”

Obama also said there is “no excuse” for the riots and violence.

“It is not a protest. It is not a statement,” Obama said. “It’s a handful of people taking advantage of the situation for their own purposes, and they need to be treated as criminals.”

But he said the deeper problem is a lack of education opportunities for many kids and a criminal justice system that is a “pipeline from schools to prisons.”

Baltimore on Tuesday remained on edge after rioting swept through its streets starting Monday afternoon, following the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died from spinal injuries he didn’t have before he was taken into custody by the police in Baltimore. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the circumstances around his death.

The White House has been in touch with both Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who have struggled to contain the unrest and fielded criticism for not deploying more law enforcement earlier to head off the violence.

On Tuesday afternoon, Rawlings-Blake said she was given hope by the residents and organizers who spent the day trying to clean up the damage. “I think this can be our defining moment and not the darkest days that we saw yesterday,” she said at a press conference.

Baltimore police said Tuesday afternoon that officers had arrested 235 people in the rioting and looting, 34 of which were juveniles.

At least 20 officers were injured, Baltimore Police Capt. Eric Kowalczyk said during a news conference at 2:15 p.m.

Police said there were 144 fires reported overnight involving 144 vehicles and 15 structures. One person is in critical condition from a structure fire, Kowalczyk said.

The NAACP, which is headquartered in Baltimore, opened a satellite office Tuesday in the city’s Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood to provide support in the community, including handling claims of police misconduct.

“The challenge here is you want to keep people safe in what has become a theater of rioting and disorder,” NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks said in an interview, about the overall response to the violence.

The turmoil in Baltimore has renewed a national debate about how to alleviate the mistrust that exists between law enforcement and communities throughout the U.S. Last year, Obama appointed a task force to study the issue after the uproar in Ferguson, Missouri, over the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.

But Baltimore and a series of other fatal confrontations have shown that the underlying problem runs deep and task forces can only go so far.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday afternoon followed up Obama’s comments by calling on his congressional colleagues to help lift communities stuck in poverty.

He delivered a passionate plea on the Senate floor: “We should not let the violence perpetrated by a few to become an excuse to ignore the underlying problem: that millions of Americans feel powerless in the face of a system that is rigged against them.”

Reid said the bipartisan work on criminal justice report is a good start, but that the only bill on Congress’ agenda that could create jobs is the highway bill.

“That is not enough. We need to do more. It’s up to us here in this Capitol to create jobs,” Reid said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a Baltimore native, called on the city’s residents to “respect the great successful tradition of non-violence.”

The burden of trying to ease the tension has been freshly placed on the shoulders of Loretta Lynch, who was sworn in on Monday as the first female African-American attorney general in history. During her confirmation, she named strengthening ties between law enforcement officials and their communities “one of my key priorities.”

The Justice Department has not announced plans for Lynch to go to Baltimore. So far, two of her deputies have been dispatched, and Lynch has pledged the agency’s full support. “I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice to bear in protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an end to violence,” she said Monday evening.

Baltimore drew on law enforcement forces from around the state, and outside, to bring calm to the city. Gov. Hogan declared a state of emergency on Monday evening, and brought in support from the National Guard.

A citywide curfew will begin Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and will extend through the week in an attempt to curb violence.

“You’re going to continue to see a growing presence,” Hogan said on Tuesday. “By tonight, you’re going to see an overwhelming display of people out there on the streets protecting citizens. What happened last night is not going to happen again.”

Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis pleaded for calm on Tuesday in the city where he played professional football for 17 seasons.

“No way. No way. No way this can happen in our city,” he said in a fiery two-minute video posted to his official Facebook page. No, young kids, you’ve got to understand something. Get off the streets.”

Throughout Baltimore, there were signs of a city upended. Schools closed on Tuesday, and some public transportation was suspended.

The Baltimore Orioles announced that Tuesday’s game against the White Sox had been postponed and in an unusual move, said Wednesday’s game would be played before an empty stadium.

A number of 2016 presidential contenders weighed in on the violence that had swept through Baltimore.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted that she is praying for those in the city and Gray’s family, adding that his death “is a tragedy that demands answers.”

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said Monday that he was canceling paid speeches in Europe to return to the city where he also served as mayor from 1999 to 2007.

Sen. Rand Paul, speaking with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, said the violence showed a number of underlying problems: “The breakdown of the family structure, the lack of fathers, the lack of sort of a moral code in our society.” He also said, “This isn’t just a racial thing. It goes across racial boundaries.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday tweeted that the New Jersey State Police would be deployed to Maryland to provide investigative and logistical support.

Ben Carson, who worked as a neurosurgeon in Baltimore for decades, called the situation in Baltimore “very unfortunate” and told parents, grandparents and guardians to take control of their children and keep them off the streets.

“It is vital to remember that the best way to create positive change is through peaceful conversation and policy ideas that display a commitment to resolution. My thoughts and prayers are extended to those who are experiencing fear during this troubling time,” Carson said in a statement.

Adam Lerner and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.