Lack of low-level arrests doesn’t make Baltimore more dangerous, but will it make the city safer? The jury’s still out.

At one time, it was fashionable to advocate for zero tolerance policing on the grounds that cracking down on minor offenses prevents worse ones from happening. In more recent years, however, the adverse consequences of this approach — including high rates of incarceration of people of color and deep distrust of police in cities like Baltimore have become apparent.