Baltimore’s top cop was fired Friday after a record year in per-capita homicides that has transformed Maryland’s largest city into one of the most dangerous areas in the United States.

To put things in perspective, Baltimore’s murder rate is 4x the average of other large cities and some 40 percent higher than Detroit. To make matters worse, Baltimore is now precisely tied with Venezuela, a country suffering from an economic collapse at 57.2 murders per 100,000 residents.

Mayor Catherine Pugh relieved Police Commissioner Kevin Davis of his duties after 2 1/2 years as top cop. Pugh, then announced that Deputy Commissioner Darryl DeSousa, who has been on the force for 30-years, will take Commissioner Kevin Davis‘ spot effective immediately.

Commissioner-Designate DeSousa:

"Baltimore has long been my home and I've spent my career on its streets and in its neighborhoods to address problems and bring about solutions that are meaningful for the people we serve."



MORE: https://t.co/evEpMlu8dC pic.twitter.com/LRzexpylkM — FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) January 19, 2018

“As I have made clear, reducing violence and restoring the confidence of our citizens in their police officers is my highest priority,” said Pugh. “The fact is, we are not achieving the pace of progress that our residents have every right to expect in the weeks since we ended what was nearly a record year for homicides in the City of Baltimore.”

The fact the Pugh is achieving no progress at all should be disheartening to residents og Baltimore. The city closed out 2017 with 343 homicides, just shy of the 353 set back in 1993 when the city had 100,000 more residents. Last year, Baltimore hit a 100-year low in total population, as the city as a whole continues to shrink in size. On top of that, the city has experienced 50-years of failed Democratic leadership coupled with deindustrialization, which has turned the area into a war-zone. As shown below:

Ex-Police Commissioner Kevin Davis was the 39th Police Commissioner in Baltimore since 2015. Davis, a fourth generation public safety professional, has been relieved of his duties in total shame, however, the chart below might provide evidence that Baltimore’s demise was a much larger trend that no public official could contain. Hence, why Pugh had to call in the federal government for assistance in 2017.

Before Davis entered the top cop position, Baltimore was actually on a trajectory of being revived. All was well in charm city, as the millennials were singing the gentrifying tune with Kevin Plank. Johns Hopkins Hospital was gentrifying the eastern district of the town, and the University of Maryland was gentrifying the west side, the ole’ divide and conquer seemed to be working just fine.

But something snapped in the city, right as Davis took the helm of the police force in 2015. Violent crime and homicides surged to levels not seen since the crack epidemic days of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

So, what sparked the violent energy?

Well, it was the Ferguson effect in 2014, which led to the Baltimore Riots in April of 2015. Community organizing groups from around the country sprinted into Baltimore and took advantage of the situation, as parts of the city burned to the ground. The governor called in the National Guard who shut down the city for one week with curfews and armed patrols. It was argued by many, that Baltimore experienced some form of martial law in those 7-days of hell. Nevertheless, the relationship between community and police evaporated, and that’s is when all hell broke out.

Pugh is using Davis as a scapegoat to deflect the blame from City Hall. Davis was set up to fail at the start because the Ferguson effect blindsided the city. As soon as the relationship between community and police ended, the police scaled back on active policing. That is the moment the town entered into an irreversible death spin.

A new police chief isn’t necessarily the answer unless there is a plan to restore the relationship between community and police, that community organized groups paid for by George Soros helped to destroy.

The takedown of Baltimore has been a long-term trend, but as of recent, it was accelerated post-2015. As the city implodes on itself in 2018, the opioid crisis will be the needed energy to deliver the final death blow. As the city marches towards collapse, the likelihood of the firing of more top officials is strong for the remainder of the year.

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To gain an understanding of what is next for Baltimore. Pay attention to the current developments in Sweden. Read: “Sweden Is Preparing For A “Civil War”: PM Wants To Deploy Army In No-Go Zones.“