Baltimore officials on Thursday unanimously approved spending money on the police reforms recommended by the Justice Department’s consent decree.
The Baltimore spending board did so without disclosing the agreement or the estimated cost.
The 227-page consent decree agreement was filed for review by a federal judge after five months of negotiation between the city of Baltimore and the Justice Department, mandating reform of the city’s police. The public can now submit comments to the court about the decree before a public hearing.
In August, Justice released a scathing review of the Baltimore Police Department found pervasive civil rights violations, as well as years of discriminatory and unconstitutional practices, in the police department.
“In Baltimore, in many ways, this is a great day,” Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said of the police reforms at a press conference, describing the negotiations as “very focused.”
The focus of the police reform now is, “Training. Training. Training. Training.”
Attorney General Loretta Lynch also spoke, confirming that the Baltimore Police Department “engaged in a pattern and practice that violated the Constitution.”
“Through this agreement we are moving forward together to work to heal tension and the relationship between the Baltimore Police Department and the community,” Lynch said. “We have no illusions that change is easy or that it comes about overnight. It will require sustained efforts from all parties.”
According to a Justice press release, the decree’s requirements “focus on building community trust, creating a culture of community and problem-oriented policing, prohibiting unlawful stops and arrests, preventing discriminatory policing and excessive force, ensuring public and officer safety, enhancing officer accountability and making needed technological upgrades.”
An independent monitor will follow the BPD’s implementation of the reform efforts for three years.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Ken Davis said rank-and-file officers will “absolutely benefit as much as any other group of people” from the consent decree.
“We will be better crime fighters with better relationships with the community,” Davis said, adding that “of course” crime fighting and reform can exist at the same time.
The reforms come as Baltimore struggles with a spike in crime — there were more than 300 homicides in the city last year. Lynch said that with cities targeted for reform “see positive results in crime.”
