The Baltimore Police Department and the City of Baltimore have made significant progress in policing reforms, according to a joint motion filed by the Justice Department and the city. The motion seeks court approval to declare the city and the BPD in full and effective compliance with key consent decree requirements related to First Amendment-protected activities, community oversight, and coordination with Baltimore City school police.
The joint motion is based on BPD’s consistent progress towards achieving the goals of the consent decree. The independent monitor’s reports found BPD in full and effective compliance with all three sections. If the court grants the motion, BPD must maintain compliance with the provisions for one year before the court can terminate these sections of the consent decree.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “The First Amendment’s protections are fundamental to a free society, and the Baltimore Police Department has successfully implemented reforms proven to protect people’s rights during protests and demonstrations.”
The Justice Department opened a comprehensive investigation of BPD practices in 2015 after considering requests from city officials and community members in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray. The city agreed to, and the court approved, a consent decree in 2017 to resolve the violations identified by the investigation and their root causes.
Since approval of the consent decree, BPD has revised policies and training to ensure officers respect First Amendment protected activity, including the right to peacefully record police officers performing their duties in public. According to the monitor’s reports, key accomplishments include:
No evidence that BPD obstructs individuals’ ability to observe or record police activity.
Almost no incidents in which BPD officers violated the First Amendment between Jan. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, though BPD officers have had thousands of interactions with the public during that period.
BPD demonstrated compliance with the consent decree’s requirements related to protest activity during the 2020 racial justice protests, protests related to a speech by the Vice President of the United States in 2020, and a separate protest in November 2023.
The consent decree also required the city to work with community leaders to better understand challenges to civilian oversight in Baltimore and how to improve accountability when working with the Baltimore City school police. The monitor’s reports show that BPD has achieved those objectives, including implementing certain recommendations from the Community Oversight Task Force and improving transparency and coordination regarding its interactions with the Baltimore City school police.
In addition to these reforms, BPD continues to make significant progress in other key areas of the consent decree. For example:
Stops, Searches and Arrests: BPD implemented new policies and training on how to make lawful arrests and the independent monitor has determined that BPD makes significantly fewer arrests without probable cause.
Transportation of People in Custody: BPD successfully implemented reforms to ensure the safe and humane transportation of people in custody.
Defendant/respondent: Baltimore Police Department
Exact criminal charges: None
City and state: Baltimore, Maryland
Exact date: None
Sentence or outcome: None
Dollar amounts: None
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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