How the Baltimore Police Department Abuses African Americans

[Anonymous]

Renee, the root causes you speak of also ring true in the area where my younger works as a policeman..



We should all know better than to believe politicians rather than those that wear the uniform and serve on the front lines.

[Anonymous]

have you ever been to Baltimore?

I have. What a frickin hole. A failed city that has been run into the ground by fifty years of Democratic party machine corruption.

[RW]

Renee, the root causes you speak of also ring true in the area where my younger works as a policeman..



We should all know better than to believe politicians rather than those that wear the uniform and serve on the front lines.

Investigations have been made.  Corruption and abuse abound listed in grave detail.  Read the report.

[Romero]

Have you ever been to Baltimore, Homo Bob?



"BPD officers made 520 stops for every 1,000 black residents in Baltimore, but only 180 stops for every 1,000 Caucasian residents," the Justice Department report notes."



Do you know why the above statement is probably very true? If you've been to that crumbling, dumpster, shit hole called Baltimore and if you have half a brain, you will automatically know why. If not.....then carry on with your far left, white guilt, race baiting, horseshit.



This is just another example of the on going divisive attitude that the Obama admin has toward the police in this country. And of course you eat it up like cock at a gay bathhouse.



IMHO, anyone who choses to be a cop in a replica of hell like Baltimore, deserves a vote of thanks and all the support government can give them, not this socially far left, diatribe full of agenda driven idiocy.

What are you so angry about? You'll find a ridiculous hoax to be "horrifying, disgusting... inhuman", yet you'll refuse to even consider the real-world abuse of your fellow citizens.



Why would anybody have to actually visit Baltimore to know what's going on? When's the last time before now you saw any news and thought "well, I've never been to that city so it's probably not true"? Visiting Baltimore isn't going to offer more insight than what professional investigators can find. Professional investigators who went to Baltimore, by the way. You won't even listen to what the actual residents of Baltimore are saying.



Critical thought requires a little more than just hating Obama, African Americans and gays. Lighten up and get a grip!

[Romero]

'Lock Up All The Black Hoodies'



To be clear, the report emphasizes that this is not a case of a few bad apples. The problems are systemic — supervisors, policies, weak investigations and officer culture all play a role, the DOJ found.



The report, based on interviews with more than 500 people and a review of hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, is packed with statistics and analysis. Alongside the numbers, time and again, it highlights individual victims and specific acts of violence.



In many of those cases, the victims of the violence had come forward to file a complaint with the police department. One of the DOJ's findings is that the Baltimore police actively worked to discourage and suppress complaints from citizens. (As MSNBC's Trymaine Lee put it, the investigation took 14 months "to reveal what black folks in the city of Baltimore have known for generations.")



In other cases, the specific example came directly from police records or DOJ observations. The department was on a ride-along when a supervisor told a patrol officer to stop and question a group of young black men for no valid reason. "Make something up," the sergeant said.



"Lock up all the black hoodies," a commander once ordered.



Another officer wrote on Facebook, "Do not treat criminals like citizens."



Then there was a template, supplied by a shift commander to a sergeant and patrol officer, for reporting the arrest of someone for standing near a public housing unit without a "valid reason." That's a "facially unconstitutional detention," the DOJ wrote.



The Baltimore Police routinely stopped pedestrians without reasonable suspicion, the DOJ found — even though 26 out of 27 pedestrian stops don't result in any finding of criminal activity.



Strip-searching should be used in limited circumstances and always in private, the DOJ says, but "BPD officers frequently ignore those requirements" and the department has received more than 60 complaints over the issue in five years.



Baltimore police "routinely use unreasonable force against individuals with mental health disabilities," the DOJ wrote, escalating encounters instead of de-escalating them.



There are many more stories: Police retaliating against residents who ask questions or make complaints, a man in handcuffs being tased five to six times, an officer kicking a man who was handcuffed and following commands, a juvenile and his sister arrested for "loitering" on the steps of their own house, arrests for people "just talking" outside, officers cursing at and threatening citizens, citizens arrested for cursing at officers.



Numerous stories describe retaliation against residents who question or challenge police actions — and against other officers who attempt to speak up for victims. Complaints against individual officers' misconduct were ignored, sometimes for years.



http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/10/489505940/lock-up-all-the-black-hoodies-doj-report-details-abuses-by-baltimore-police">//http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/10/489505940/lock-up-all-the-black-hoodies-doj-report-details-abuses-by-baltimore-police

[Anonymous]

I have to say I am not surprised that municipal politicians in Baltimore have thrown the police under the bus in order to curry favour with local voters and to take the spotlight off of their own failures..



It's a common tactic for people who are looking out for their own political careers..



If I could exchange Calgary's police service for Baltimore's tomorrow I would assume our fine police service would have the same allegations made about them by Baltimore's leaders..



Perhaps the people of cities like Baltimore with so many social problems should think about exchanging their municipal  politicians.

[RW]

"Yet focusing only on the misdeeds of the Baltimore police force misses the depths of the problem. Baltimore is a strongly Democratic city whose experimentation with progressive principles has proved unable to lift people out from poverty. Its labor and taxation policies have led to an exodus of well-to-do citizens, white and black, so that Baltimore's population has plunged by about a third, from about 940,000 in 1960 to 622,000 in 2013. The question on the table is how to reverse the population decline, which will only come if the city is a decent place for people of all races to live, work, and educate their children."



http://www.hoover.org/research/baltimores-real-police-problem">http://www.hoover.org/research/baltimor ... ce-problem">http://www.hoover.org/research/baltimores-real-police-problem

It says the "depth" of the problem, not that the police aren't a problem, which given this Department of Justice report, there is a BIG problem within police ranks as seen here:



Almost everyone who spoke to us—from current and former City leaders, BPD officers and command staff during ride-alongs and interviews, community members throughout the many neighborhoods of Baltimore, union representatives of all levels of officers in BPD, advocacy groups, and civic and religious leaders—agrees that BPD has significant problems that have undermined its efforts to police constitutionally and effectively," the report states.



These are people who LIVE in Baltimore FFS.

BTW, I'll shoot any messenger I please....especially when they have an agenda that demonizes the wrong people and ignores the culpability of the agenda they subscribe to. You of all people know where I'm coming from personally on this issue. If I come off as a raging bitch on this, it's not without reason. And if you don't like it..... you are free to do me the favor and throw me the fuck out of here.

Why would I throw you out if I think it's ridiculous that you are slamming people for no good reason?  



I understand the personal connection but that doesn't make it OK to excuse and deflect rampant abuse within a police force.  It gives a bad name to decent officers.

[RW]

I have to say I am not surprised that municipal politicians in Baltimore have thrown the police under the bus in order to curry favour with local voters and to take the spotlight off of their own failures..



It's a common tactic for people who are looking out for their own political careers..



If I could exchange Calgary's police service for Baltimore's tomorrow I would assume our fine police service would have the same allegations made about them by Baltimore's leaders..



Perhaps the people of cities like Baltimore with so many social problems should think about exchanging their municipal  politicians.

You clearly didn't read the report Fash.  It's time to stop defending scum because they make good cops look bad.

[RW]

Joe Crystal, a member of the Baltimore Police Department for several years, saw his career ruined after he informed authorities about a case of police brutality. He was tormented by threats, insults and mistreated by superiors.  He says that his story represents the minority.  Most cops do the right thing and the good guys need to be supported in weeding out the bad seeds.

[Lance Leftardashian]

Police need to stop harassing blacks and other minorities and  should be concentrating their efforts in curbing white crimes. Minorities have far too  many problems as it is without our police making their lives unbearable. Violence against black and other minority prisoners and detainees must be prosecuted to the utmost degree.

[Anonymous]

I have to say I am not surprised that municipal politicians in Baltimore have thrown the police under the bus in order to curry favour with local voters and to take the spotlight off of their own failures..



It's a common tactic for people who are looking out for their own political careers..



If I could exchange Calgary's police service for Baltimore's tomorrow I would assume our fine police service would have the same allegations made about them by Baltimore's leaders..



Perhaps the people of cities like Baltimore with so many social problems should think about exchanging their municipal  politicians.

I got to read it. You are right.

[RW]

ROFL!  Never before have I seen such a ridiculous skirting and blame shifting instead of calling to bring scummy assholes to justice in all my life.



 :2r4ml1j_th:

[Anonymous]

ROFL!  Never before have I seen such a ridiculous skirting and blame shifting instead of calling to bring scummy assholes to justice in all my life.



 :2r4ml1j_th:

I totally agree. So what do you propose be done about the officials in Baltimore who profit from deplorable social conditions? Continue to blame law enforcement?

[RW]

ROFL!  Never before have I seen such a ridiculous skirting and blame shifting instead of calling to bring scummy assholes to justice in all my life.



 :2r4ml1j_th:

I totally agree. So what do you propose be done about the officials in Baltimore who profit from deplorable social conditions? Continue to blame law enforcement?

I'm acknowledging the blame put on crooked cops that an indepth investigation by the Justice Department revealed.  



This isn't a revelation about the cause of crime in Baltimore.  There is a lot that government could be doing A LOT better to prevent crime, improve relations, etc.  This report has reveal a systemic problem within the Baltimore police force itself that warrants addressing head on rather than this blame shifting bullshit.  The cops who aren't crooked deserve better.  The people of Baltimore deserve better.

[Romero]

In the agreement in principle, both parties agreed that compliance with the consent decree will be reviewed by an independent monitor.  The agreement in principle highlights specific areas of reform to be included in the consent decree, including:



-Policies, training, data collection and analysis to allow for the assessment of officer activity and to ensure that officers' actions conform to legal and constitutional requirements;



-Technology and infrastructure to ensure capability to effectively monitor officer activity;



-Officer support to ensure that officers are equipped to perform their jobs effectively and constitutionally; and



-Community policing strategies to guide all aspects of BPD's operations and help rebuild the relationship between BPD and the various communities it serves.



The agreement in principle provides a framework for change, but the department will be doing community outreach to solicit input in developing comprehensive reforms.



Throughout the department's investigation, BPD leadership remained receptive to preliminary feedback and technical assistance, and started the process of implementing reforms.  BPD leadership has proactively taken steps to address some of the findings, including updating its policies, instituting new trainings and responding to other issues identified by the department.  While these measures are an important start to cooperative reform, a comprehensive agreement is still needed to remedy all of the department's findings.



https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-findings-investigation-baltimore-police-department">//https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-findings-investigation-baltimore-police-department