Baltimore police sustains compliance in two sections of consent decree 10 years after unrest from Freddie Gray's death
Almost 10 years to the day after the death of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore City Police Department sustained compliance in two sections of its consent decree.
Federal monitoring of the transportation of detainees and officer wellness is now terminated.
This termination is the first since the decree was put in place eight years ago, after Gray died in custody and unrest in the city in 2015. Gray sustained severe injuries in police custody during transport. His death and the civil unrest led to an investigation by the Justice Department and this decree.
The consent decree was put in place following a 2016 Department of Justice report that outlined widespread abuse, excessive force, unlawful stops, and discriminatory policing by BPD. It outlined 17 areas for needed improvement.
Sections of consent decree terminated
The first section to be terminated by the court was transportation of detainees, which was called into question at this time 10 years ago.
The second section involves officer wellness programs. Since 2018, the department has operated an Officer Safety and Wellness unit providing mental health resources, peer support, and critical incident response.
When asked about the significance of this, Police Commissioner Richard Worley said his team has changed for the better.
"Everybody wants to be good at their job, and I think our men and women have done a fabulous job over the last four to five years, particularly, to change an entire culture with apartment to give the city the department that they want and that they deserve," Worley said.
During the hearing, Judge James Bredar had a few transportation concerns, including safe driving skills and speeding while on the job.
Worley said this is something he and his team are watching closely.
"That's not just for transport, that's just for everyday driving," Worley said. "We have to make sure that our members comply with the laws and our policies. We have to hold each other accountable."
In court, Bredar says he has confidence that the city is committed to sustaining this reform.
Bredar questioned the federal monitoring team, charged with assessing the department's progress, about how the city will sustain this reform in the future when police leadership changes. The monitoring team replied, saying police training has significantly changed in recent years, creating a new normal for the department.
"Our training has improved so much that I'm really confident that once we have these two sections or two paragraphs done, we'll continue to start knocking them out more quickly," Worley said.
Working to build community trust
Fifteen sections remain in the decree, three of which met full compliance in December. The department needs to sustain this progress for a year before the judge can terminate them from the agreement.
Commissioner Worley believes working through the decree will build back community trust, especially for neighbors who've had a negative interaction with police.
"When I was a young man, I didn't have a great interaction with a police officer, but that was 40 years ago," Worley said. "That tends to stick in your head. If you say that it's been something the last two or three years, we need to know about it, especially if it's recent. If it's something 10 years ago, have an interaction with our cops now, and I think you'll be extremely surprised and happy with what you get."
Progress of consent decree
Judge Bredar said that while a lot of work has been done, the job is not finished. He says several big-ticket items are still waiting for review, including use of force, community policing, and staffing.
The hearing Thursday afternoon also included status reports on several other sections of the decree that the department is working on. In court, the federal monitoring team said it expects to issue its first assessments for 11 out of the 12 remaining sections by the end of the year, which the judge called big news.
The next scheduled meeting between Justice Department officials, police, and the court is scheduled for May 22.
