May 11, 2015
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Calling police-community relations “one of the most challenging issues of our time,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Friday that she will conduct a review based on charges of BPD’s use of excessive force, their unlawful searches, seizures and arrests, and their discriminatory policing practices through the lens of civil rights and constitutional violations.
Lynch launched the investigation at the urging of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who requested an inquiry similar to the one conducted in Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting death of Michael Brown. Baltimore city officials, community leaders, as well as the Baltimore police union all expressed their support for the investigation, recognizing it’s importance following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray while in police custody.
“The trust between the community and Baltimore police officers is even worse and has been severed” Lynch said Friday, pointing to “generations of communities that feel very separated from government overall.” Flashpoints similar to Gray’s death “coalesce years of frustration and anger,” Lynch said, adding that she hopes the investigation can lead to reforms to “create a stronger, a safer and a more unified city.”
“Our goal is to work with the community, public officials and law enforcement alike to create a stronger, better Baltimore,” Lynch said.
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When asked if there is a nationwide divide between law enforcement and the communities they serve, Lynch emphasized that the issues in Baltimore have occurred in other cities around the country and also go beyond just community-police interactions. She pointed out that the violence in Baltimore following Freddie Gray’s funeral should not and does not define the city.
“Earlier this week I visited with members of the community who took to the streets in the days following the unrest to pick up trash to clear the debris and they are Baltimore,” Lynch said, adding that for all the youth leaders and tireless police officers who focused on protecting the community, “they, too, are Baltimore.”
Attorneys and investigators with the Justice Department’s civil rights division will meet with Baltimore law enforcement officials and community members in the coming days and weeks. If violations are found, the investigation will result in what Lynch calls a “court-enforceable agreement” to change the practices of the Baltimore Police Department.
Is the investigation into the Baltimore Police Department enough? Or are the nationwide protests following the police murders of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others proof that similar investigations should be conducted in police departments throughout the country?
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