Relative calm returns to Baltimore streets

As the 10 p.m. curfew began in Baltimore , there were some skirmishes between local residents and law enforcement, but the night was largely peaceful, especially as compared to the violence seen in much of the city the night before. MSNBC’s Joy Y. Wang had this report overnight:

NBC News confirmed that of the 10 arrests last night, seven were for breaking the curfew, one was for disorderly conduct, and only two were for looting.

 

The curfew ended this morning at 5 a.m. and the streets “were still.” Public schools, which were closed earlier this week, will reopen this morning.

 

At a press conference shortly before midnight, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said, “Tonight, I think the biggest thing is that the citizens are safe, the city is stable. He added that he was “very pleased with the community, with the citizens, with the residents,” and that the curfew was “working.”

 

It’s difficult to predict whether the relative stability in Baltimore will continue, and in some recent instances, we’ve seen violent incidents return in other cities even after apparent calm. That said, locals seemed confident that the community turned a corner over the last 24 hours.

 

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she hoped the reduced violence and clean-up efforts “can be our defining moment and not the darkest days that we saw yesterday.”

 

The curfew policy will remain in place through the end of the week.