BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Police Department plans to become one of the first law enforcement agencies in the nation to hire civilians to investigate low-level crimes, internal affairs complaints and cold cases.
Baltimore will set “a standard for staffing allocations in law enforcement agencies across the country,” which have struggled with hiring and retention, Mayor Brandon Scott said at a news conference Thursday at police headquarters. “This will free up our sworn detectives to better meet the needs of our residents by being out on our streets, deterring and solving crimes,” Scott said.
He and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison provided new details on plans to hire 35 civilian investigators this year, which is included in the mayor’s proposed $4 billion city budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
