May 25, 2022 8:00 pm EST
Baltimore, MD— May 25, 2022-- On December 6, 2019, BALT filed an MPIA request for the names, ranks, badge numbers, job assignments, and dates of hire of 305 individual police officers the State’s Attorney referenced during a statement before the State Commission to Restore Trust in Policing. The State’s Attorney stated her office maintained a list of 305 officers with credibility issues that put them in jeopardy from testifying. The State’s Attorney denied our request stating the information was considered personnel records and are exempt from disclosure. BALT disagreed with this conclusion and pursued legal action to obtain the list.
On October 14, 2021 (678 days after our initial MPIA request), the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland issued a ruling that the State’s Attorney Office did not have supervisory authority over BPD officers and the list was not a personnel record. As a result, the court ruled the State’s Attorney should release the list.
Today (901 days after our initial request), the State’s Attorney Office sent us a list of 307 names. The document contains first and last names and none of the other identifying information mentioned in our initial request or the Court’s ruling. We are currently reviewing the list and will release a follow up report/statement that reflects our findings.
BALT sought this information because an officer’s integrity matters. The entire system (from initial engagement with a police officer to determining whether someone should be held pre-trial) relies on a police officer’s word. There is no room for officers with integrity issues on the stand or on the street.
This list is one piece of the puzzle in our fight for transparency. Along with this barebones list of names, BALT has been fighting to obtain misconduct records from BPD. Though these records are disclosable by law, the City Solicitor’s office has refused to hand over a single officer’s file, acting as a gatekeeper to these records. We have repeatedly been forced to take them to court to stop protecting BPD misconduct.
BALT will continue to fight for transparency and accountability, as we have seen no change from BPD, and we will not count on the police or justice system to correct themselves.
There is no accountability without transparency.
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BALT is dedicated to politically-conscious lawyering and to using creative, collective solutions to support the Movement for Black Lives in Baltimore.
For more information, press only:
Andy Krew
communications@decrimmaryland.org
For more information on BALT: