"In the 'hood"

Mandy and Erin provide construction administration services (you know, walking around in a hardhat and checking what's going on on the job site)in the area around Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore. This not exactly being like Pennsylvania Avenue in DC (the address of the White House) a cop car pulled up behind them, beeped his horn and walked up to them "are you lost or what?". They informed him about their duties and he responded "hey, you are in the hood here, I better protect you" and followed them to the site of the houses under construction. Nice? Or what is going on here?