Reforming the Force

Can a broken police department operating under a federal consent decree be repaired? Baltimore police think a focus on people, training and technology will work, but critics aren’t so sure.

The Mandate
The consent decree demands far-reaching reforms within the Baltimore Police Department

A long road back

By J.F. Meils and Allihies Melton

Baltimore’s police department is broken. The city struck a deal with the Justice Department to fix it. Now comes the hard part.
The City Speaks
What do you think when you hear, "Baltimore police"? Baltimoreans tell us.

  • Kevin Williams

    Glenham-Belhar

    “...make sure the police are working for the good of the citizens...”

  • Andre Bryant

    Pimlico

    “Uncertainty.”

  • Ann Gordont

    Tuscany-Canterbury

    “A long history of racism…”

  • Bryan Atkins

    West Baltimore

    “I just don’t have any faith in them.”

  • Curtis Loggins

    Carrollton Ridge

    “Baltimore Police, they cool.”

  • Donell Gamble

    West Baltimore

    “You’re never treated fair.”

  • Earl Andrews

    Northeast Baltimore

    “I have been on the receiving end...”

  • Eli Antoine

    Towson Area

    “I want to avoid them.”

  • Jennifer Hamilton

    Glenham-Belhar

    “They are underresourced.”

  • Jessye Grieve-Carlson

    Charles Village

    “When slaves were beginning to be freed...”

  • Kara Tyler

    Belvedere Square

    “...I’m concerned about the racism...”

  • Terrence Briscoe

    Montebello

    “Profiling.”

  • Tyashia McCall

    Baltimore County

    “...it’s the police’s word against a black young man’s...”

  • Yeshiyah Israel

    Park Heights

    “Security and safety.”

  • Charles Offutt

    Rockville, MD

    “Dysfunctional.”

  • Jean Lloyd

    Broadway East

    “Misunderstood.”

  • Lakia Phillips

    Northeast Baltimore

    “They’re not really protecting as much as they should.”

The Problem
Poor data collection and community distrust stand between the department and the necessary reforms

Unreliable police data obscures tracking of racial profiling

By Lindsay Huth

Do Maryland police target minorities? The data should tell us, but it can't.

Different neighborhood, different view of police

By Chris Miller and Helen Parshall

How you feel about Baltimore officers depends on who you are and where you live

Civilian Review Board says it has little power to police the police

By J.F. Meils

Consent decree breathes new life into panel, but board still lacks full authority to punish officers
How We Got Here
A history of the Baltimore Police Department and the city's black community

  • A Baltimore police officer kills a black serviceman, sparking protests over police brutality. The backlash led to the appointment of the city’s first black officers.

  • A 600-page report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police condemns the Baltimore police for poor management, discriminatory practices and internal corruption.

  • Riots erupt in the majority-black neighborhoods of Baltimore after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • Black officers in the Baltimore Police Department create the Vanguard Justice Society to advocate for minority officers’ rights. The society wins a lawsuit against the city seven years later over discriminatory practices, and minorities are hired and promoted as a result.

  • Bishop L. Robinson is appointed Baltimore's police commissioner, the first African-American named to the job.

  • Kurt L. Schmoke becomes the first black candidate elected mayor and brings community policing to the city’s police department.

  • Baltimore removes residency requirements for officers. By 2015, only 21 percent of the force will live in the city, with others residing in neighboring counties or states.

  • Martin O’Malley is elected mayor of Baltimore and brings data-driven decision-making to the police department. The department tracks crimes and officers’ arrests and operates under a “broken window policy” of going after minor crimes to stave off major ones.

  • Baltimore police ranks fall below 3,500 for the first time since the data were first collected in 1995.

  • Tyrone West dies after a struggle with police during a traffic stop in Northeast Baltimore. The family settled a wrongful-death lawsuit four years later for $1 million.

  • Freddie Gray dies from spinal cord injuries incurred a week earlier while riding in a police van after his arrest. On the day of his funeral, a riot erupted in the streets near his home. Six officers involved in his arrest and transport were charged, but all were acquitted or had charges dropped.

  • Homicides in Baltimore surpass 300 in a year for the first time since 1998.

  • The Department of Justice releases a 164-page report detailing “a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and its laws” and discrimination against black civilians.

  • The City of Baltimore and the Department of Justice formally enter into a consent decree to reform the police department and address the discriminatory and unconstitutional practices detailed in the 2016 Justice report.
The Path Forward
The department's reform plans include partnering with universities and bolstering recruitment and technology

Police and universities collaborate on reforms

By Helen Parshall and Teri West

In Baltimore and Prince George’s County, researchers are advising police as they attempt to rebuild trust with residents

Baltimore’s police are looking for new ways to attract recruits

By Teri West

Baltimore police numbers have fallen amid increase in homicides, publicity about police shootings

A big job for the Texan at the center of the consent decree

By Julie Depenbrock

Ganesha Martin, neither a police officer nor a Baltimorean, is the face of police reform for many residents

Baltimore goes back to basics to improve technology

By Julia Karron

With the new technology mandated by the consent decree come new challenges
This project was made possible by the support of the University of Maryland's Mpowering the State initiative, a research partnership between the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.