By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The Justice Department’s investigation into the Baltimore Police Department revealed a number of alarming findings.
The Washington Post examined the report and highlighted these excerpts from the investigation:
“BPD Conducts Unconstitutional Strip Searches”
“Numerous Baltimore residents interviewed by the Justice Department recounted stories of BPD officers ‘jumping out’ of police vehicles and strip-searching individuals on public streets. BPD has long been on notice of such allegations: in the last five years BPD has faced multiple lawsuits and more than 60 complaints alleging unlawful strip searches.
“BPD Ignored Prosecutors’ Warnings Against Problem Officers”
“Even where prosecutors have provided BPD with specific information on problematic officers who routinely make improper arrests, searches, or seizures, the Department has failed to meaningfully investigate the information or take appropriate action.
“BPD’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ Strategy Focused on African American Neighborhoods”
“In some cases, BPD supervisors have instructed their subordinates to specifically target African Americans for enforcement.
“Racial Disparities in Arrests”
The racial disparities in BPD’s stops and searches are further reflected in BPD’s arrest practices. From November 2010 – July 2015, BPD charged African Americans with 280,850 criminal offenses, constituting over 86 percent of all charges filed for which the race of the offender is known.
