BALTIMORE — A “staffing crisis” and mounting public pressure to reduce surging violence in Baltimore threaten the “significant progress” the city’s police department has made since a federal consent decree was reached five years ago, the federal judge overseeing the process warned Thursday.
As bloodshed in Baltimore has accelerated in recent months, with more shootings and homicides compared to the same time last year, Judge James K. Bredar urged city officials to “stay the course” and pushed back against claims that police reforms will inhibit officers from effectively fighting crime, calling the work toward the dual goals a “stress test” for the department.
“The consent decree does not restrict legitimate law-enforcement activity. It does not prohibit vigorous enforcement action,” Bredar said. “But the decree does limit and regulate how police work is done ... (and) establishes guardrails within which the city and the police department must operate.”
