Today, The Baltimore Sun published an op-ed by OSI Director Diana Morris and Tara Huffman, director of OSI’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program, “Baltimore must prioritize police reform,” The key to reducing crime and protecting public safety, they write, lies in creating trust between residents and law enforcement, a roadmap for which can be found in the federally mandated Consent Decree that followed the Department of Justice investigation into the department in 2015.
But “taking specific steps to change the culture of the BPD” to include oversight and accountability must include incorporating “meaningful citizen review in the selection of the new commissioner.” In order to improve public safety in the city, the mayor and City Council must make police reform, including the difficult task of changing the department’s dysfunctional culture, a top priority.
Read the full op-ed here.
