Commissioner: Baltimore Officers Who Committed ‘Egregious’ Violations Were Fired

The problems with the Baltimore PD are systemic and racist. Firing a few officers is merely a “throw the dog a bone” move.

Reading through the report, it is impossible to come to any other conclusion: The Baltimore Police Department is deeply flawed. The Justice Department investigation was exhausting, with its conclusions backed by data — some from local officials, some put together by investigators — and the persistent personal experiences of locals.

Despite the many complaints, there has been little change to the Baltimore Police Department or the criminal justice system more broadly. Most recently, the charges against the officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death were all dropped — a fact that’s hard to reconcile with the brutal findings from the investigation that Gray’s death helped prompt.

The report also has troubling implications for the rest of the country: What does it say about America that one of its major cities was run by this kind of police department — and these horrific policing practices only got attention after people literally rioted?