At an event to highlight the rebirth of Pimlico Racetrack, Governor Moore just could not help himself. I suspect he feels that the Governor of California was out “trumping” him, so he went into his best anti-Trump rant as reported in Maryland Matters: “If you are not willing to be part of the solution, keep our names out of your mouth,” Moore said, eliciting cheers from the crowd. “Specifically, Donald Trump, if you are not willing to walk our communities, keep our name out of your mouth.”

However, the Governor’s rant was challenged. The article notes that the next speaker at the event was pastor Tony Randall, who grew up in the neighborhood next to the racetrack and shared a chilling account of being caught in crossfire during a street gang shootout, highlighting the stark contrast between official narratives of progress and the lived realities of residents. According to the article, the pastor “said he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting near the racetrack 5 p.m. Wednesday “that left an 18-year-old man dead.” Just 24 hours before the Governor spoke!

Now, some would argue that the statistics are certainly in the Governor’s favor … or are they? In the early to mid-2000s, a TV show “The Wire” was centered around crime in Baltimore and law enforcement’s efforts to combat it. The show gave us the term “juking the stats” in reference to the crime statistics being manipulated to make them look better than they actually were. A 2011 blog post by improvingpolice.blog explicitly ties “juking the stats” to Baltimore’s crime reporting, noting that the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) only account for crimes reported to police, which can be selectively recorded to show declines. This manipulation — downgrading felonies or discouraging victim reports — became synonymous with “juking” stats, as it artificially boosts the perception of safety. A 2024 X post by @JasonBedrick further illustrates this sentiment, accusing authorities of “juking the stats” to downplay crime severity, reflecting ongoing public distrust.

But it’s 2025, so what evidence is there that law enforcement may still be “juking the stats.” Recently, in Washington D.C., Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton publicly supported allegations of data manipulation, stating in July 2025 that supervisors often directed officers to downgrade felony offenses (e.g., shootings, stabbings, or carjackings) to lesser crimes like theft or felony assault to make stats look better. He described this as a widespread practice, undermining claims of a significant crime drop. This is what kicked off the Trump response to crime in D.C.

There is no evidence that the leadership of Maryland and Baltimore are “juking the stats,” but if it can happen in D.C., the nation’s capital, it can most certainly happen in Baltimore despite Wes Moore’s protestations! When a pastor is dodging bullets in the streets of Baltimore hours before he joins the Governor at a public event — the bullets speak much louder than the words. Perhaps some additional analysis of the statistics is needed to determine how closely the data align with the sentiments of Baltimore residents and those who might like to visit the city — but avoid the area. Perhaps someone is getting “JUKED.”

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