Amid calls nationwide to "defund the police," the federal judge overseeing the Baltimore Police consent decree said Thursday that "such reform options may exist in other cities, but not here."
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar doubled down on his support for the city to continue with its years-long reform efforts, which require increased funding and hiring more police officers, despite the recent push to shift police funding to other areas or restructure policing to incorporate more social services.
Bredar said Baltimore leaders
in 2017 chose the path of the federally enforced decree, and the city has a legal obligation to complete those reforms. Baltimore entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department after a DOJ investigation found Baltimore police officers routinely violated residents' civil rights. The investigation was prompted by the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in 2015, whose death sparked unrest and calls for police reform in Baltimore.
"A specific path has already been chosen here," Bredar said. "The court will require that the city travel down that path until it reaches the destination of 'substantial compliance.' Until the city comes into compliance, the decree will be the template for how police reform is accomplished here."
Bredar said later in the hearing that he appreciates
the wider public pressure brought by the defunding police movement. He highlighted the progress that has begun under Police Commissioner Michael Harrison and his team since they arrived in Baltimore last year, while acknowledging recent obstacles including the coronavirus pandemic, which has delayed training on reformed policies and diverted police resources.
"It would be a mistake to go backwards when we are trying to move forwards," he said.
Debate over the "defund the police" movement recently dominated budget discussions at Baltimore City Hall. The City Council voted to eliminate roughly $22 million in police spending for the upcoming fiscal year, though it kept the department's large budget mostly intact. Council President Brandon Scott, the Democratic nominee for mayor, said at the time that it was a symbol of what's to come.
Thursday's consent decree hearing was the first since the start of the pandemic. It was held virtually over Zoom, though Bredar and several city leaders, including Harrison, attended in person, wearing face masks and sitting at trial tables behind newly installed clear shields. Occasionally, the virtual hearing was interrupted by callers who took over the microphones before they were disconnected from the meeting by courtroom staff.
The pandemic has "presented considerable challenges," said U.S. Justice Department lawyer Cynthia Coe, "but the parties are continuing to work collaboratively."
Much of Thursday's day-long discussion focused on the need to address how officers respond to people experiencing mental health crises. Advocates say more funding should be prioritized for community resources over police.
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