What If Police Were Not the Problem?

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on Baltimore’s recent success in reducing violent crime and the surprising story that followed one of the movement’s key leaders. He explores the deeper reality that corruption is not confined to any system, institution, or group of people–it is a condition of the human heart. Looking through the lens of Scripture, he reminds us that lasting change comes not from new programs or policies alone, but through the transforming power of the gospel.

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Creators and Guests

Host

Zach Weihrauch

Follower of Jesus who has graciously given me a wife to love, children to shepherd, and a church to pastor.

What is Wake Up, Look Up?

Check out new episodes of our daily podcast, Wake Up, Look Up, with Zach Weihrauch as he interprets what's happening in our world through the lens of the gospel.

Hello everyone, and thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch and in today's episode, we're asking the question, what if police were not the problem? Let me set the stage for this one. the city of Baltimore has long been associated with crime. In fact, it was the location of HBO's landmark series the Wire, looking at drug trafficking, criminal enterprise, and the difficulty of a modern city that's trying to get its hands around the problem. But recently, Baltimore has been on the rise in terms of how it's dealing with crime. in thanks in part to a program called Safe Streets. Now, Safe Streets is a program designed to take credible messengers, people who live in a community, who have earned some influence in the community, and equip them to deal with violent crime instead of police. Now, I don't mean if there's a shootout in the streets, you're calling someone from Safe Streets. I mean, instead, Safe Streets is making inroads with different community groups, trying to build trust with them and deal with problems before they reach a violent outcome. And it's been working. The city has seen a 42% decrease in homicides and a 21% decrease in non fatal shootings. Violence is way down. One of the leaders of this program is a guy named Antwan Burton. Burton has been part of the Baltimore community his entire life. He has a criminal background, has a redemptive story, has been working as a credible messenger and seeing a lot of success until recently when he was actually arrested himself and charged with attempted murder and gun crimes. in other words, returning and repeating his violent past. Now, the reason I found this story so interesting is, yes, in part, the incredible turnaround Baltimore scene and the heartbreaking nature of one of the leaders of that turnaround, turning out not to be who. Who people thought he was. But part of the message of Safe Streets is that it is a better alternative to police. And part of the argument for being a better alternative to police is the corruption of the police force. The argument goes that the police have long since abused their power and taken advantage of people, and we need an alternative. Then they get an alternative. It seems to work. And it turns out it has the exact same problems of a corrupt police force. And here's my point. I know politically we run to our corners. You're pro police, you're anti police, you're anti crime, you're, pro minority populations. Here's my point. Human corruption is a human problem. Black, white, Puerto Rican, Asian. police, not police. Old methods, new methods. Jeremiah says it this way in Jeremiah 17, 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick. Who can understand it? And that heart, by the way, lives in all of us before we encounter Jesus Christ. Corruption is going to exist in safe streets. It's going to exist in our police force. It's going to exist in city hall, in the school system, and in my own family, because that's where I am. It doesn't mean we don't ask hard questions. It doesn't mean we don't take a look at antiquated methods and new ones. It certainly doesn't mean that we don't hold people accountable. All those things are steps in the right direction. however, this is what I want you to see. Ultimately, we have gospel problems, not political problems. You can dress people up in a safe streets uniform or a police uniform. They. But the heart that beats in their chest is deceitful above all things. And no uniform changes that. The Gospel of Jesus Christ does. That's why I want Christians, when they read the headlines, to feel a sense of ownership, to feel a sense of motivation, to participate in missions and church planting and evangelism. Because ultimately, only the Gospel changes all hearts, and therefore only the gospel changes communities. Police are not the problem. You know who's the problem? Me. And in the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7, who will save this wretched man? Praise be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He, he alone is our hope and our solution for our hearts and for our communities. Hey, thanks for checking out. Wake Up, Look Up. For more content, be sure to visit the Christ Community Chapel app or website, ccchapel.com.

Have an article you’d like Zach to discuss? Email us at [e-mail]!