Most Call It “The Trap House” on Hillcrest:
A Glimpse into Aberdeen, MD
By Sarahia Benn
So, I ran for a Municipal City Council seat in November 2023. Nine candidates for four seats. Spoiler alert: I didn’t clinch the victory.
It’s ok I’m still working for the People.
Now, it wasn’t because my platform lacked substance; it was more of a turnout snag in the 16th Blackest city in Maryland. Folks aren’t motivated nor understand the high stakes of the lack of action.
Picture this — Aberdeen, is just 15 slots down from District Heights in the melanin charts(yep some of ya’ll assume Bmore is at the top of the charts). It seems some folks think they’ve hit the jackpot here, but the reality is, there’s a lot of crime, there’s a hood that’s been ignored for decades, “all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk’’ particularly when it comes to representation, and inequity still reigns supreme and historic in Harco, no different than if it were in Baltimore, MD.
Now, let’s talk about this house perched on the bend of Hillcrest street, right where Wye and Hillcrest converge. It used to belong to a beloved elderly European American couple, but now the beloved couples’ relative has transformed what some call, “a trap house” — a haven for all sorts of illicit activities.
And has it been shut down? Nope. It’s like a revolving door of sheriff’s office visits and ambulances carting people off. In fact, during my canvassing days, I witnessed at least four cruisers and an ambulance parked there.
Did that shut down the spot? Not a chance.
The story is, they’ve got folks camping out in the backyard like it’s a festival or something. Is that even legal in this municipality?
Because, fun fact, when I decided not to re-register my truck tags deciding to set it up for a quick sale, the police were on me like white on rice, slapping a fine on my truck for being untagged on my own property while down the street an untagged van sat for a year plus on the street. You do understand they had to trespass on my property to fine me?
But these prospective assailants seem to operate with a different rulebook — shootings, zombie-like drug addicts, cops always around, and the icing on the cake, causing property values plummeting. Now, imagine if it were me, a Black woman, running a trap house in Harford County. Do you really think I’d get away with it?
Fast forward to January 2, 2024 — at one point more than eight sheriff’s cars parked outside the notorious trap house on Hillcrest. It’s the New Year; shouldn’t it mean a new you? Apparently not for them.
And what about my community? We’re the 16th Blackest demographically in Maryland, and yet, unjust practices persist in crime adjudication and distribution. If it were me or my son involved, we wouldn’t be getting the same treatment.
What’s the Aberdeen City Council doing about this ongoing issue? rhetorical. Even though the victory eluded me. It wasn’t for lack of a solid platform or solutions; blame it on low turnout, questionable poll tactics, and maybe some shifty moves within those polling walls. Hmmm who knows? But again what is happening here?
As we move forward, let’s reflect on the recent elections. If you’re tired of watching your neighborhood crumble and property values nosedive, don’t just sit there. Challenge the status quo.
BTW Did you realize that Harford County is the runner-up, of reported verified hate incidents to Baltimore County? What does this mean? This means we still have a lot of work to do, large amounts of inequity. As one prospective voter said to me “this is still the South.”
We’ve got a fresh year, and it should bring new things, not the same old song and dance. I believe my neighbors on Hillcrest deserve better than being terrorized by the prospective assailants thuggin’ in what many call the trap house on Hillcrest and Wye.
Sarahia Benn, affectionately known as B’ and the People’s Champ, is a resident of Harford County with strong ties to the community from a well known Bishop-Bond family. Music and Media Entrepreneur Beatsnpolitics, Nonprofit leader in medical equity and policy think tank “Policy Foundation of Maryland”, member of Baltimore Jazz Alliance, Professional Musician, Prominent environmentalist, community Activist and Advocate, and a political consultant in several high profile politicos. She has been published in Maryland Matters, Baltimore Sun, Medium and numerous media.