2011 Coppin State university Criminal Justice Symposium
Baltimore Police Departmentoffice of the police commissioner
Media Relations Section
Baltimore Police Departmentoffice of the police commissioner
Media Relations Section
Baltimore Police Department Responds to FOP Lodge 3 June 16,
2015 Press ReleaseBaltimore, Md., June 16, 2015 - Working to
protect the citizens of Baltimore while keeping officers safe has
been at the forefront of every action taken by Police Commissioner
Batts since September of 2012. Policy changes, equipment, new
vehicles, implementing national best practices in operational and
administrative procedures have been at the forefront of reform
initiated by the Police Commissioner. Reform is a process that
takes time and the unprecedented civil unrest at the end of April
2015 highlighted areas of concern. Since those days the agency has
moved quickly not only to address equipment and training concerns,
also to rebuild bridges with communities and look for areas to
improve moving forward.That is why there is confusion over the
press release issued by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 on
June 16, 2015. The allegations in the release are both inaccurate
and in some cases blatantly false and misleading. In a conversation
with President Gene Ryan, the Baltimore Police Departments Chief of
Legal Affairs assured Mr. Ryan that by weeks end they hoped to be
able to turn over the requested information. Mr. Ryan had no
objection to that date. The assertion that [Commissioner Batts] has
done nothing to investigate protocol shortcomings and better
prepare our officers is at best an attempt to mislead and at worst
a direct contradiction of known facts. In a May 27, 2015 email to
Police Commissioner Batts, FOP Lodge 3 President Gene Ryan
said:
Please let me begin by thanking you for attending last nights
membership meeting at the Lodge. Your appearance, in the face of so
much animosity, was very courageous and I know well that your
remarks were heartfelt. We are certain that you sincerely want the
input of our officers and members in any discussion relative to the
BPD response to the riots. Having said that, allow me to also thank
you for the invitation to participate in the discussion with Chuck
Wexler from PERF:It was in this May 27th email that the official
request was made for the information mentioned in the
aforementioned press release:
however, in order for us to contribute to any informed
conversation we will require access to the following,
beforehand.
1. All communication tapes (on all pertinent channels)
throughout the crisis2. All Command level text messages3. All Watch
Center logs4. Any After Action reports generated to date5. Any
equipment that was ordered during the crisis and on which dates
Also, we will need answers to the following questions:
1. By what authority were the BPD legal advisors allowed to give
criminal legal advice during this civil crisis?2. After the events
in Ferguson, MO, what planning for a similar situation in Baltimore
was undertaken and what documents were produced from that
planning?3. Are there any future plans to allow commanders to
determine arrest actions instead of Legal Affairs?
And, lastly, we would like any legal advisors who determined
arrest action, or lack thereof, to also participate in this meeting
as they were, apparently, the final command authority.
Thank you, in advance, for your continuing cooperation.
Respectfully,
Gene RyanPresident
Baltimore City FOP, Lodge #3
The statement is derisive and FOP Lodge 3 should immediately
withdraw the remark.
In the weeks since the civil unrest the Baltimore Police
Department has taken the following steps to address membership
concerns, work to improve the safety and working conditions for
officers, all while rebuilding community ties and engaging in the
crime fight. A look at some of the steps taken by the Baltimore
Police Department include:
1. An immediate post-incident conversation with Command Staff to
develop a list of needs for both training and equipment moving
forward.
2. Preparing for a Mayors Office of Emergency Management
After-Action Review to be held at the end of June.
3. PERF (Police Executive Research Forum) facilitated
conversations between officers and command to engage in a lessons
learned conversation.
4. The Police Commissioner pulled members of the Western
District offline for a Western District retreat with command for a
listen and learn session.
5. The organization brought in Critical Incident Stress Teams to
all of the districts for several days to provide counseling for
officers.
6. Civil Disturbance training has been ongoing at the
Professional Development Training Academy. While not as many
officers have been sent as requested, the training is ongoing and
will continue.
7. Currently, more than 20 hours of radio transmissions are
being transcribed for release.
8. Hundreds of documents are being reviewed for release.
9. The department continues to purchase more than $2,000,000
worth of equipment with the Mayors approval and issue the new
equipment to better equip officers.
10. Mobile Field Force training is being conducted to better
prepare officers.
11. The BPD brought in seven Police Chiefs from across the
country to advise on national best practice steps moving
forward.
Perhaps most importantly, and consistent with the Police
Commissioners ongoing mission of transparency, the International
Association of Chiefs of Police was contacted on May 22, 2015 and
asked to begin an outside, independent review of the civil unrest
and the departments response. The department made the request five
days before FOP Lodge 3 asked the BPD for any information. The
International Association of Chiefs of Police will author the
official review of the incident in a non-biased nonpolitical way
for policy review as well as actions and circumstances.There is no
desire on behalf of the Baltimore Police Department to engage in a
war of words with FOP Lodge 3. The president has been a steadfast
advocate for his officers and has been extremely helpful in
difficult circumstances. The responsibility of the union is wages
and working conditions, not day-to-day operations. The input of the
membership is critical; however, in this case, we know that
President Ryan is following the direction of a hired public
relations firm. A long-term relationship is more important than a
consultants direction of the men and women of the police
department. Their use of the police department as a political tool
or powerbase is unethical at best. Which is why the department will
not ignore inaccurate and misleading statements that take away from
the work done by officers in the Training Academy and other units
within the agency. These officers are working hard to better equip
and better train their brothers and sisters in law enforcement. The
organization will do all it can to support them. Their actions make
the department better able to engage in the crime fight, better
equipped to keep neighborhoods safe and better trained to be
partners with the people we serve, the citizens of Baltimore.
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