Mayor Requests DOJ Investigation, Says Police Will Have Body Cameras By EOY
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore's mayor asks the federal Department of Justice to launch an investigation looking for any unlawful patterns or practices within the Baltimore City police department. It comes just as the governor lifts the state emergency in place since riots began last Monday.
Derek Valcourt has more on the request from the mayor and new details of the impact of the riots on the city.
"As of this morning, I am pleased to report that all National Guard, state police and other police personnel and all the other assets that we brought in have been removed from the city," said Governor Larry Hogan.
Hogan lifted the state of emergency and broke down the numbers associated with the riot. About 250 mostly minority-owned businesses destroyed, damaged, burned or looted. One hundred and seventy cars in the city were vandalized; some set on fire for the world to see. In all, 159 fires were set in Baltimore Monday night alone and 130 police officers and firefighters were injured responding to the chaos.
Governor Hogan warned $20 million would be taken from the state's rainy day fund to help pay for the state's response to the crisis---the total cost of which has not yet been tallied.
"I have watched you work very hard to bring back some hope and peace to the city you love," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
One day after her face-to-face meeting with new US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake sent a letter to Lynch formally requesting the Department of Justice launch a full scale pattern or practice investigation into the Baltimore Police Department, a move she says will help restore the public's trust and bring about transparency.
That investigation, if approved, would examine whether there are persistent patterns of misconduct within the police department, including examining excessive force, discriminatory policing and improper stops, searches or arrests.
This investigation would be separate and in addition to the investigation already underway by the Justice Department to determine if the officers involved in Freddie Gray's death violated his civil rights.
"We cannot be timid in addressing this problem and I'm a mayor that does not shy away from our city's big challenges. At no other time in our city's history has any administration brought this level of resources to the table to challenge our police department," Rawlings-Blake said.
The mayor also vowed the department will have body cameras in place by the year's end.
For its part, the DOJ said in a statement that the attorney general did receive that request from the mayor and the department is actively considering that option.