The Baltimore Police Department?s arrests that didn?t result in charges dropped 28.7 percent in 2006, compared with the previous year, according to data released Wednesday.
In 2006, officers arrested 19,152 adults who were later released from Baltimore?s Central Booking and Intake Facility without charges, a decrease from the 26,877 such arrests in 2005, according to the police statistical report based on Central Booking data. The total number of adult arrests last year was 89,273, compared to 98,083 in 2005 ? a decline of 9 percent, the report says.
Police spokesman Matt Jablow attributed the drop in arrests without charges to increased training for officers on how to write legal statements of probable cause when they make arrests.
“There were certain training issues regarding statements of probable cause,” Jablow said. “We are seeing some very good results.”
The police department?s practice of arresting thousands of people annually who are then released without charges has drawn criticism from some residents and politicians.
A March report from a Baltimore grand jury recommended a 50 percent cut in the number of such arrests by the end of this year.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are suing the department over “quality-of-life arrests” ? minor infractions such as loitering and spitting.
Atorney Billy Murphy Jr. said that despite the decline, “72 percent of a very high number is still a very high number. Someone near and dear to me was just arrested without being charged. It?s still going on and it?s still a problem.”
Jablow said the department?s goal is to have all officers? charges stick.
“We?d like all of our statements of probable cause to be perfectly written,” he said.
Incoming Mayor Sheila Dixon said she recently met with Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm and discussed quality-of-life arrests.
“There are many sides to why these arrests were made and why they were thrown out,” Dixon said. “When we do make arrests, it?s because there are people in this city who want a quality of life, and we have to do that in every community. We can?t abuse our power. We have to make sure our citizens trust our police officers.”
