CNN’s Don Lemon has accused the Baltimore police of being responsible for the surge in violence in the city in the last few weeks.

In a report posted on BlackAmericaWeb Tuesday, Lemon downplayed the idea that police officers are being hampered by elected leaders, activists, and empowered criminals. Citing a recent interview with an anonymous Baltimore police officer, Lemon said the “real story” is that Baltimore officers have deliberately “turned their backs” on “the citizens they’re sworn to protect.”

Here’s an excerpt from Lemon’s report:

LEMON: Listen to a part of this report from my CNN colleague Miguel Marquez. The officer’s voice is disguised for fear of retribution.

Miguel – “And morale? Where is morale for police officers?”

Officer –  “It’s in the sewers. It’s down.  It’s the worse of the worse I’ve ever seen in my career.”

The officer told Miguel the spike in murders and gun crime was the direct result of a coordinated police work slowdown.

Miguel – “Why do you think there is a great increase in the crime rate and the number of shootings in this town?”

Officer – “Officers stopped being proactive.

Miguel –  “Not patrolling?”

Officer –  “Not patrolling.  Just stop being proactive.

Miguel –  “Not talking to the community?

Officer – “Not talking.  Stop being proactive.  I believe it is a direct result of officers holding back.”

35 murders so far this month alone. People are walking into hospitals from gunshot wounds that may not have even been reported to police. Residents tell reporters they see officers driving right past street fights and disturbances.

City leaders, like Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, are in the same predicament as New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio after two officers were murdered during unrest in that city.

Officers turned their backs to De Blasio as he visited injured officers in the hospital and at the officer’s funerals. But officers in Baltimore, according to at least one of their own, are turning their backs on not only the Mayor but also the citizens they’re sworn to protect.

In the same report, Lemon quoted Police Chief Anthony Batts, who gave a different account of policing efforts, explaining that attempts by police to enforce the law are being hampered by public unrest and interference: 

Officers tell me and their supervisors, any time they pull up to respond to a call, they have 30 to 50 people surrounding them. We have to send in multiple units just to do basic police work, which says we have to work on community engagement... It makes it very difficult to follow up on violence that takes place there. Clearly, they’re not holding back. They’re getting to those locations and getting surrounded. You have many citizens with hand-held cameras that they’re sticking in the faces of officers, an inch off the officer’s face.

Listen to the audio of Lemon's report here.