Baltimore Deputy Police Commissioner Daniel Murphy was mugged by four men at gunpoint while walking with his wife in one of the city’s parks last Friday.
The four suspects, who are currently being sought out by investigators, approached Murphy and his wife around 9 p.m. EST from a white SUV. They stole the deputy commisioner’s wallet, cellphones, cash, and his wife’s purse. No one was hurt, according to the police.
Prior to being hired by the city of Baltimore in the spring of 2019, Murphy was the deputy superintendent of compliance for New Orleans’s consent decree in Louisiana. Murphy was hired in hopes that he could help usher in a broad “Crime Reduction Strategy.”
“I think the challenges are very similar” in Baltimore and New Orleans, Murphy told the Baltimore Sun in an interview.
“Obviously, every community, every police department is unique, but the success we had in New Orleans is directly transferable to here, and we will modify it as necessary.”
Baltimore was home to violent riots in 2015 after Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man, died while being transported by police. Cars and buildings were set ablaze, windows of small shops were smashed, and law enforcement officers were forced to engage with belligerent protesters. Since then, Baltimore has been home to a myriad of issues, including leadership resignations in disgrace, high levels of violent crime, judges suspended for “uncontrollable incivility,” and police corruption.
Community distrust reportedly increased over time after officers were also found guilty of racketeering, robbery, and were charged with first- and second-degree assault.
Brandon Scott, a member of the Baltimore City Council, said that 2018 was “one of the most troubling years that the [police] department has had.”
